Rosa Parks (1913–2005)

After reading about Rosa Parks, it brought back memories when I was in about third grade and we were learning about people who made a difference in the world and we talked about Rosa Parks. It's so crazy to me that we once lived in a world of segregation; that because of someone's skin colored determined how they were treated. Author, Jim Haskins, draws in the readers by explaining different situations that was going on such as: colored people could not eat in white restaurants, couldn't go show more to the same school, and couldn't even drink from the same water fountain. Rosa Parks one day decided she had enough of the way blacks were treated, and when a bus driver told her to give her bus seat to a white man, she refused and was arrested. Rosa believed that the law should treat black people the same as white people. When other black people found out she was arrested, the all decided to boycott riding the buses which eventually led to the buses no longer running because people weren't riding the buses and they weren't making money. Because Rosa Parks decided to take a stand, it led Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.to fight against segregation in many other ways which led to the civil rights movement. This was such an inspirational book and I hope to one day read this to my future students and show them how different things use to be and how people had to fight for their freedom. show less

1st December 1955, Montgomery, Alabama. Rosa Parks, a black woman, refused to give up her seat to a white man. She wasn't the first one to do so, and so the usual procedure was well followed: the driver stopped the bus, called the police, she was arrested, spent a night in jail, and went to court the next day to be sentenced to paid a fine. End of the story...

… Beginning of History.

Rosa Parks was indeed a member of the NAACP. She was also, as a Baptist Christian, member of a strong church show more community unafraid to campaign on various issues affecting then black people. The two movements will combine to support her; and it will trigger the whole Civil Right Movement that would ultimately transform the segregationist USA.

Where to seat, if at all, in buses? It will take one year of clashes, pressures, and violence before racial segregation in public transport to be declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court... and for Rosa Parks to become a whole symbol of political freedom.

This autobiography is at the image of such a courageous lady: simple, humble, yet dignified and truly brave. A lesson in humanity. show less

Well written and subdivided to illustrate the story of Rosa Parks perfectly. Her story starts with her arrest, reflects on her upbringing, touches on the effect of her actions and the result. My six year old was able to follow the timeline as well as comprehend the literature. This book sheds light on the civil rights movement, and the injustice that African Americans faced after slavery in America. While also portraying there is power in numbers as expressed by the boycott. This will be a show more great book to illustrate change within our country and diversity. show less

Summary:
“I Am Rosa Parks,” is the biography/autobiography about the life of Rosa Parks and her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. It is written and narrated by Rosa Parks herself. The book is split into four different chapters. The first chapter, “I Get Arrested,” retells the story of how Rosa Parks stood up for herself on the bus and didn't give her seat up to a white man. She also explains to the reader what segregation is and how it impacted the black people in the south show more during that time. In the second chapter, “How I Grew Up,” Rosa tells us a little bit more about her childhood and what it was like for her growing up in Alabama. She expresses how even when she was a child, segregation existed among her schools and even the white children discriminated against her and her friends. In the third chapter, “We Stay off the Buses,” Rosa tells about how her impact on the civil rights movement impacted other blacks to take a stand and fight against segregation. With the help of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., black people boycotted and didn't ride the public buses for a year. Because of this, the case was taken to court and the boycott had worked to end segregation on the buses. Finally, in the last chapter, “Since the Boycott,” Rosa tells the reader how life was like after the fight to end segregation and how many more people got involved to make a difference. She acknowledges that she’s proud of what she did and that she’s glad she stood up for herself and other blacks.

Comments (arguments/opinions):
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Although it is a fairly easy read for a small chapter/picture book, it offers a lot of insight on life during the Civil Rights Movement and segregation. I really liked that it offered a table of contents so that it made reading easier for a young student. I think the book also offered great illustrations that went along well with the stories descriptions. I think the pictures can really help make the stories impact mean a lot more to a child. For instance, the very first picture is of a little black girl (probably Rosa Parks) drinking from a water fountain labeled ‘colored.’ I think this kind of picture can make a great impact on a child who has never learned about segregation before. I also really enjoyed how Rosa told her story about disobeying the law by not getting up out of her seat for a white man and then went on to back track and tell us about her life growing up. I think this helps the reader connect with her initial story and then relate to her better when they find out how extremely normal she actually is. Students can relate by seeing her as just another person, but it makes an impact when they see why she broke the law. The reader is able to establish empathy for Rosa Parks and really relate to her situation and why she stood up to the law. I think this is also a great autobiography because the story doesn't just focus on Rosa Parks, but it also focuses on segregation and the Civil Rights Movement. It gives background knowledge about how segregation impacted the south and it even defines certain words, such as, ‘segregation,’ ‘boycott,’ and ‘civil rights movement.’ It also introduces other people who joined the civil rights movement and touches on how they impacted and made a difference. These people included Jo Ann Robinson, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and E.D. Nixon. I think these are great additives to further children’s knowledge and education on the subject. Lastly, I think the very last page really helps the reader to understand why the Civil Rights Movement happened and why it’s important to their lives now. On the last page, Rosa Parks says, “I hope that children today will grow up without hate. I hope they will learn to respect one another, no matter what color they are.” I think these last few sentences really set the stage for the story itself and will keep the children who read this book thinking about how they can make a difference in the world and continue to live loving everyone. show less