Passage

Excerpt from "Rosa Parks: My Story"  

When I was growing up in Montgomery, Alabama, life was different for Black and white people. Black children had to walk to school, even when there was a bus for the white children. I often wondered why things were so unfair, but back then, that was just how things were. 

As I got older, I decided I would not let unfair rules control my life. I joined the NAACP, an organization that worked for equal rights. I believed everyone deserved respect, no matter what color their skin was. Every day, I thought about how small actions could make a big difference. 

One evening in 1955, after a long day at work, I got on a crowded bus. I sat down in a row for Black passengers. As the bus filled up, the driver told me to give up my seat for a white passenger. I thought about all the unfairness I had seen my whole life. I stayed seated and quietly said, "No." 

The driver called the police, and I was arrested. Some people might have thought it was just a small thing—not giving up a seat—but it led to something much bigger. Black citizens in Montgomery began to boycott the buses. They refused to ride until the rules were changed. 

The Montgomery Bus Boycott lasted for more than a year. People walked to work, shared rides, and stood together. Finally, the laws changed, and buses were no longer segregated. I didn’t plan to be famous. I just knew that standing up—or sitting down—for what was right was something I had to do.