Rosa Parks

Each person must live their life as a model for others.

Let us look at Jim Crow for the criminal he is and what he has done to one life multiplied millions of times over these United States and the world. He walks us on a tightrope from birth.

All I was trying to do was get home from work.

It was not pre-arranged. It just happened that the driver made a demand and I just didn't feel like obeying his demand. I was quite tired after spending a full day working.

I believe we are here on the planet Earth to live, grow up and do what we can to make this world a better place for all people to enjoy freedom.

When people made up their minds that they wanted to be free and took action, then there was a change.

I was born 50 years after slavery, in 1913. I was allowed to read. My mother, who was a teacher, taught me when I was a very young child. The first school I attended was a small building that went from first to sixth grade. There was one teacher for all of the students. There could be anywhere from 50 to 60 students of all different ages.

I do the very best I can to look upon life with optimism and hope and looking forward to a better day.

you must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right.

Knowing what must be done does away with fear.

At the time I was arrested I had no idea it would turn into this. It was just a day like any other day. The only thing that made it significant was that the masses of the people joined in.

To bring about change, you must not be afraid to take the first step. We will fail when we fail to try.

God has always given me the strength to say what is right.

If I can sit down for freedom, you can stand up for children.

I have never been what you would call just an integrationist. I know I've been called that... Integrating that bus wouldn't mean more equality. Even when there was segregation, there was plenty of integration in the South, but it was for the benefit and convenience of the white person, not us.

There is just so much hurt, disappointment, and oppression one can take... The line between reason and madness grows thinner.

People always say that I didn't give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn't true. I was not tired physically... No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.

I talked and talked of everything I know about the white man's inhuman treatment of the Negro.

Victory or defeat? It is the slogan of all-powerful militarism in every belligerent nation. And yet, what can victory bring to the proletariat?

My only concern was to get home after a hard day's work.

Have you ever been hurt and the place tries to heal a bit, and you just pull the scar off of it over and over again.