Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks was an American civil rights activist who is best known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which began in 1955. Born in 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama, Parks was an active member of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and had been involved in civil rights activism for many years.

On December 1, 1955, Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus to a white passenger, in violation of the city’s segregation laws. Her arrest sparked a boycott of the city’s buses by Black residents, which lasted for more than a year and ultimately led to a federal court ruling declaring segregation on Montgomery’s buses unconstitutional.

Parks’ courageous act of resistance and her commitment to the struggle for civil rights and social justice made her a national symbol of the movement. She continued to be an active advocate for civil rights for the rest of her life, and was awarded numerous honors and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996.

In 2013, the United States Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp in honor of Parks. The stamp features a portrait of Parks with the word “Forever” on the side, and serves as a tribute to her legacy as a pioneer in the fight for racial equality and social justice.