Rosa ParksOne of the most influential and inspiring women of all time was Rosa Parks. With one action he helped change the lives of the majority of African Americans and, more importantly, society as a whole. Rosa Parks came to America's attention when she refused to settle for black (lower class) standards. Not only did he help change the lives of many African Americans, but he also contributed to equality for all men and women in the United States. To a courageous woman our world will be forever grateful. Rosa Parks grew up in her grandparents' home in Pine Level, Montgomery County, Alabama. His mother's name was Leona Edwards and his father James McCauley was a carpenter. Rosa was born on February 4, 1913, a year after her parents' marriage. At about the age of two his father left for the North in search of a better person. As a child, Rosa and her brother grew up in segregation and societies like the Ku Klux Klan. His grandfather often slept with a rifle at his side due to the dangerous environment. When Rosa Parks went to school she began to feel dissatisfied with the society in which she lived. He soon noticed the segregation of their society when he saw the empty and small school for blacks compared to the glamorous and bih school that the whites had. At that point in her life, Rosa decided that she would be a person with dignity and self-respect. She promised herself that she would never place her dreams lower than anyone else in the world simply because she was black. She wanted a change and was determined to make it happen. At the age of nineteen Rosa married a man named Raymond Park, who died of cancer in 1977 after nearly fifty years of marriage. When Raymond was alive, he had always influenced her to become more active in civil rights among blacks. His hopes for a better future had just begun. By 1945 Rosa was a leader of the Montgomery Voters League and secretary of the Nationals Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). One evening, in early December 1955, Rosa was sitting in the front seat of the colored section of the bus heading home. It was as if almost every day all the blacks sat in the white section of the bus and as soon as the whites filled up, the blacks routinely moved to the back. In one case Rosa found her chance at freedom. Somehow he had changed the laws. She was… halfway through the paper… she didn't know what was happening or where they were going. It was absolutely unfair and morally wrong. On these ships the living conditions were very harmful to their lives. They were given barley, all their food, and a floor to sleep on at night. Of the few who would survive the long journey once they arrived in Europe they would be auctioned off by the Americans or by people who would do with them as they wished. From that day on, African Americans were seen as the toys and games of white people. Rosa Parks had the courage to finally start putting an end to this and will be respected for life. Today, Rosa Parks has sought to use her negative memories of segregation and racism to continue her goal toward complete justice, freedom, and equality. He believes that children are the future of the world and hopes that they can realize society's dreams in the future. Rosa Parks was a true role model for our nation and fulfilled the dreams and wishes of many African Americans. His words and actions related to the fight for desegregation continue to ring like church bells today. This bell rings all over the world for all to hear and millions of people follow the rhythm.