Written by Tarék | February 3, 2026
There once was a brave woman who stood for much more than just being remembered as refusing to give up her seat on public transportation.
The year was 1913. The date, February 4th. A child was born in the McCauley family home in Tuskegee, Alabama to a father, James McCauley (a carpenter and mason from Abbeville) and a mother, Leona (nee Edwards) McCauley (a teacher from Pine Level). Both being from Alabama they brought into, a Jim Crow era south, a child who would be named Rosa Louise.
Not being fortunate parents to raise Rosa properly, the family moved to Abbeville to reside temporarily with James’ family. Do to strenuous work, long hours and overall being an absent father, only two years would pass, where James would abandon his family just before the McCauley’s would welcome into the world their second child, a son. This child would be named Sylvester James.
In 1917, Leona and her daughter, Rosa, would relocate to Pine Level leaving Rosa’s bother, Sylvester, behind to reside with James’ family in Abbeville. In one year, Rosa would begin school. By age 11, she moved to Montgomery to stay with an aunt in order to attend Miss White’s School for Girls. She began H.S. in 1928, but was not able to complete do to a family issue that called for her attention. The following year she would attend H.S. classes at Alabama State College in Montgomery.
In 1931, nine “Scottsboro Boys” were convicted after falsely being accused of rape. This same year is when the introduction of Rosa Louise and Raymond Parks occurred. She becomes a supporter in his campaign to free the “Scottsboro Boys”. The two would wed the following year. In 1933 she would graduate H.S. and begin working as a seamstress and become employed as an office worker.
Rosa attends her first NAACP meeting in Montgomery in 1943. After two failed attempts, Rosa is granted the right to vote in 1945. In just ten years Rosa is introduced to Martin Luther Kings Jr. in Montgomery.
On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for disorderly conduct on a segregated city bus, i.e. refusing to stand while another American sits. This act sparked a bus boycott across two states, Alabama and Florida. And just may very well have become the start of the Civil Rights movement.
Once released from jail she continued on to do great things. Including public speaking at events locally and across the nation. In 1957 she moved to Detroit with her husband and mother. This is when her life would truly begin taking off.
She attended the March On Washington where the “I Have A Dream” speech was delivered. As well as other marches such as from Court Square to the Alabama Capitol alongside Ralph Abernathy, Juanita Abernathy, MLK Jr and Coretta Scott King. She introduced New York representative Shirley Chisholm to address a Women’s Public Affairs Committee meeting in Detroit 1969. Mrs. Parks became skillfully talented in dressmaking. She had a Parks original dress modelled in a NYC fashion show in October 1975. She even published her autobiography titled, “My Story” in 1992. She met Pope John Paul II, and President Clinton. She has several schools named after her and the Rosa Parks Museum at Troy University.
On October 24, 2005, Rosa Louise (McCauley) Parks leaves this realm to reside in a higher plain. Although she is no longer here in the physical form, her stories will continue to be shared nationwide.
For more knowledge regarding this American legend, report to her Wiki page, Rosa Parks. Also, “Rosa Parks In Her Own Words” by Susan Reburn. Both offered substantial key point references to create this post.
Remember on tomorrow, February 4th, take a moment to recognize what would have been the late great Rosa Parks’ 113th Birthday.
