On December 1, 1955, something extraordinary happened. An African-American seamstress known as Rosa Parks made a bold decision when she chose not to give up her seat on the bus to a white man who needed it. In modern times this wouldn't be so bad. However, in the 1900s, when racial segregation was immense, it was a huge problem. Any African American who disobeyed a white person could be severely punished. Sometimes black people were killed by white people. Again, it wasn't that big of a deal back then. No white person ever thought it was a problem and they never considered themselves murderers. After being ordered to move and refusing, Parks was arrested and fined ten dollars (American Woman's History). His actions sparked a series of events in the civil rights movement, including the Montgomery bus boycott. Rosa Parks was born February 14, 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama. Her full name was Rosa Louise McCauley. In 1932, at age 19, Rosa met and married Raymond Parks, a barber and active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). With Raymond's advice, Rosa completed her secondary education33. Parks became an African-American civil rights activist. His refusal to give up his seat to the white man was one of the main sparks of the civil rights movement. In 1943, Parks became a member of the NAACP with her husband. Parks became known as the mother of the civil rights movement. Rosa and her husband lost their jobs for participating in the Montgomery bus boycott, and they eventually moved to Detroit, Michigan, taking Rosa's mother with them. In Michigan, Parks became a staff member of Michigan Congressman John Conyers Jr. (American Women's History). At 1......middle of the diary......without these events, things would have been very different from how they are today. Works Cited Bacmer, Randall. “In God We Trust” Religion in 20th Century America. December 1, 2001. April 21, 2014.—. The “In God We Trust” Religion in 20th-Century America. December 1, 2001. April 21, 2014. Biographies, Britannica. Parks, Rosa. March 1, 2012. Archived from the original on April 21, 2014. Matthews, Glenna. The History of the American Woman, A Student Companion. December 1, 2000. April 21, 2014.—. sks.sirs.com. December 1, 2000. April 21, 2014. Boycott of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus. 2008. April 21, 2014. (Biographies) (Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott)