- Valley Forge Elementary School
- Homepage
Celebrating Rosa Parks
December 1, 2020 -- Sixty-five years ago today, a tired seamstress heading home refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Little did Rosa Parks know that her actions that day would change the course of history, fueling the Montgomery bus boycott. It would take more than a year before the highest court in the land would rule that bus segregation was illegal and unconstitutional.
Many historians believe Rosa Parks showed how peaceful protesting could also be useful. Congress has often referred to Rosa Parks as the "Mother of the Freedom" movement and the "First Lady of Civil Rights." Along with Ohio, Oregon is the only other state that recognizes December 1 as Rosa Parks Day, rather than her actual birthday, February 4, 1913. As we reflect on this historical day and Mrs. Parks' actions, be mindful of the influence one person can have on a movement.