Rosa Parks History

One day, a black woman named Rosa Parks was riding home on a bus after a long day of work. She was very tired. She got on the bus and sat in a vacant seat.

In those days her city had a special law: if there weren't enough seats on the bus for white people,black people were supposed to give up their seats to them. Soon after she got on, the bus seats were full, and then more people got on. The white people expected Rosa to get up from her seat.

Rosa was very tired. She said, "No," and wouldn't give up her seat.

Rosa Parks was arrested and put in jail. Many people heard what happened; some didn't think it was fair. So the black people in her town said, "We aren't going to ride the bus any more until the law is changed."

For one year they didn't ride the bus. Finally, the law was changed! Rosa Parks wanted African Americans to be treated fairly. All across the country, people began to insist on their civil rights.