| dc.description.abstract | There has been much written about Rosa Parks throughout the years including biographical sources about her life and secondary sources about the Civil Rights Movement in which she is included. As a whole, scholars have focused mostly on her role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott and less on her other contributions as an activist. Additionally, there are various archived primary documents from the Library of Congress about Parks’ life that I intend to utilize. My research will build on this previous research and use primary documents in order to highlight her contributions and impact as an activist in the Civil Rights Movement. In addition to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Rosa Parks contributed to the Civil Rights Movement in many ways, such as being a secretary and leader in the NAACP and an activist for various civil rights causes throughout the years. I endeavor to apply aspects of both social movement theory and feminist theory, including intersectionality, to this research regarding the impact of Rosa Parks on the Civil Rights Movement. How did Rosa Parks contribute to the civil rights movement overall as a leader and activist? Parks’ refusal to give up her seat on the segregated Montgomery bus both started the Montgomery Bus Boycott and solidified her place as an important historical figure. However, it has become the only aspect of her activism that she is known for by the general public. It made her a symbol that separated her from her identity as an activist and leader in the movement. In reality, Rosa Parks made many important contributions to the Civil Rights Movement in a variety of ways. These contributions are worth highlighting as much as her role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. There is more that can be learned from the career of Rosa Parks as an activist, even decades after these events took place. This research will build on previous research regarding the life of Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights Movement to highlight her contributions to the movement as a whole rather than only focusing on her role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. In doing so, I hope to convey the importance of understanding and celebrating the many achievements of influential activists such as Rosa Parks rather than simply reducing them to a symbol. | en |
