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In 1944, 11 years before her fateful [br]decision on a Montgomery Bus,

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Rosa Parks was investigating [br]a vicious crime.

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As an emissary for the National[br]Association

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for the Advancement of Colored People,

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she had traveled to rural Alabama [br]to meet with Recy Taylor,

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a young woman who had been [br]sexually assaulted by six white men.

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It would be difficult enough to convince[br]an Alabama court

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that even one of these men was guilty,

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but Rosa was undeterred.

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She formed a committee to defend [br]Recy in court,

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flooding the media with testimony and[br]sparking protests throughout the South.

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When a jury failed to [br]indict the attackers,

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Parks demanded the governor assemble [br]a new grand jury.

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She wrote, “I know that you will not fail[br]to let the people of Alabama know

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that there is equal justice [br]for all of our citizens.”

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Throughout her life, Parks repeatedly [br]challenged racial violence

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and the prejudiced systems protecting[br]its perpetrators.

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But this work came at an [br]enormous risk – and a personal price.

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Born in 1913, Rosa was raised by her [br]mother and grandparents in rural Alabama.

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But outside this loving home, the fear [br]of racial violence cast a long shadow.

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The Ku Klux Klan frequently drove [br]past their home,

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and Jim Crow laws segregated [br]public spaces.

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At 19 she settled in Montgomery[br]and married Raymond Parks,

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a barber who shared her growing fury [br]at racial injustice.

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He was involved with the local chapter[br]of the NAACP;

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a role many avoided for [br]fear of persecution.

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At first Raymond was eager [br]to keep Rosa safe

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from the potential dangers of activism.

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But as she grew more incensed at the[br]limitations imposed on African Americans,

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she could no longer stand by.

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When she officially joined [br]the NAACP in 1943,

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Parks and Johnnie Rebecca Carr were [br]the only women in the Montgomery chapter.

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She began keeping minutes for their [br]meetings,

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and soon found herself elected [br]secretary of the chapter –

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formally beginning her secret double life.

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By day, Rosa worked as a seamstress to support[br]her mother and husband.

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By night, she researched and documented[br]numerous civil rights cases,

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from local policy disputes to high-profile[br]murder cases and hate crimes.

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As secretary, she prepared public [br]responses

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on behalf of the Montgomery chapter,

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battling the harsh sentencing,

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false accusation and smear campaigns [br]frequently used against African Americans.

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In addition to her legal work, Parks [br]was a brilliant local strategist.

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As advisor to the NAACP youth group [br]council,

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she helped young people navigate [br]segregated systems

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including voter registration and [br]whites-only libraries.

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Through the cover of the NAACP,

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Parks strived to bring clandestine civil [br]rights activities into the open.

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She advocated for civil disobedience[br]training

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and spoke out against racial violence,[br]particularly the murder of Emmet Till.

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In 1955, her refusal to move to the [br]back of a segregated bus

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helped ignite the grassroots movement [br]she had hoped for.

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Parks was arrested and jailed for her [br]one-woman protest,

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where she was visited by local activists.

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Together they planned a twenty-four [br]hour bus boycott.

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It lasted for three hundred [br]and eighty one days.

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Park’s simple act had transformed [br]nascent civil rights activism

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into a national movement.

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In 1956, the boycott ended when [br]the Supreme Court

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ruled in favor of desegregating [br]public transport.

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But this victory for the movement [br]had come at a great cost.

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Rosa had been receiving vicious death [br]threats throughout the campaign,

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and was unable to find work in Montgomery[br]because of her political reputation.

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In 1957, she moved to Detroit to continue [br]working as a seamstress,

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until being hired by Congressman [br]John Conyers

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to help support his burgeoning [br]civil rights campaigns.

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Ever vigilant in the fight against racial [br]inequality,

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Parks remained active for [br]the next 40 years.

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She wrote several books,

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traveled across the country giving talks[br]to support other activists,

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and established an institute for the [br]education of young people

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in her late husband’s memory.

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Today, Rosa Parks is remembered [br]as a radical spirit

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who railed against the most powerful [br]people and policies.

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Her call to action continues to resound:

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“knowing what must be done[br]does away with fear.”