Rosa Parks Bronze Medal

Rosa Parks’ refused to move from her bus seat in protest and instead moved the Nation. While riding a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama, Parks was arrested after peacefully refusing to give up her seat to a white man. For this protest she was arrested, sparking outrage across the country, and starting the famous Montgomery Bus Boycott. Parks worked with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and prominent civil rights leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott which gained National attention and led to de-segregating the Montgomery Bus system. She is recognized as the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement” for her bravery and committed work which sparked one of the most important social movements in 20th century America.

Rosa Parks work did not start there – before her famous protest, she served in her local chapter of the NAACP and was a prominent leader for equality in her community. Throughout her life she continued to be a force for justice, advocating for equality, voting rights, and housing for the homeless. After leaving Alabama, she and her husband founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute of Self-Development to provide job training and education to young Black Americans. In 1999, her life’s work was honored with a Congressional Gold Medal, the highest expression of national appreciation.