Super Woman Spotlight: Rosa Parks

I've been trying to think how I could get everyone more involved in the book clubs and I finally came up with the idea to have the girls write the Super Woman Spotlight.  Once a month the blog entry will be by them.  They can pick any woman they want to.  She can be someone famous, someone they know or anyone at all.  Just write a little bit about her and I'll post it.  Let me know if you are interested in writing it.

This first one is written by Lydia, age 9 and is about Rosa Parks.

In 1932, Rosa married a man named Raymond Parks.   He helped Rosa finish high school.  They lived in Montgomery, Alabama.   They became members of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People).  They worked for civil rights. They wanted all people, no matter what color, to be treated fairly.  Rosa worked hard at the NAACP.   She wanted to do something the civil rights.   

On December 1, 1955, Rosa made a very important decision.   She was going to take the first step to change things.  That day, Rosa left work feeling tired.   She had worked for many hours at a department store. She took a seat on the bus, she was not allowed to sit in the front of the bus the. White are the only ones to sit in the front.  She was allowed in the back only. Buses were segregated and in the south it was the law. Soon the bus was filling up.  The bus driver told Rosa and other blacks to move.   Rosa did not move as the law stated.  It was very un-life like for Rosa.

Rosa Parks was arrested and taken to jail.  She was told to pay a fine.  When she was released from jail, she decided not to pay the fine.  Instead she decided to fight the unfair bus law.  Many people were ready to fight segregation.  But Rosa took the first step.  Rosa and her friends did a boycott.  (A boycott is when many people come together and refuse to buy or use something.)  The black people that usually took the bus to work agreed to walk instead.  This meant that the bus company would lose money.

An important minister helped tell people about the bus boycott.  His name was Martin Luther King, Jr.   He told people to fight for what they believed in, but to do it peacefully.  

While the boycott was going on Rosa’s lawyers took her case to the Supreme Court.  (That was the highest court in the United States.)   Rosa should never have been arrested.  They said that segregation on the buses should be against the law because it treats all black people unfairly.  

The boycott lasted for more than a year!  Then on December 20, 1956, the city of Montgomery got an order form Supreme Court.  Segregation is not allowed, period on bus.   It was great victory.   But many restaurants, stores, and even hospitals were still not open to the blacks.  It took very many years, and lots of battles to end segregation.  Rosa Parks worked very hard for civil rights movement.   She has won honors and lots of awards for all that she has done.   But one right stands before them all- the right to be treated fairly and with respect for ever.

Thank you Lydia for telling us about Rosa Parks.  She really was an amazing woman.

I'll see everyone next week at the meeting!

Gloria