“Can I come watch with you, Papa? There’s no school tomorrow.”
Papa nodded and motioned with his left hand for her to join him on the front porch. His right hand remained on the rifle across his lap. “Come on, Sugar. But you sit light, y’hear? Be ready. ‘Member what I told you?”
“Yessir. I’m to run inside but shut the door easy, and tell everybody to skedaddle to the creek, and run.”
“That’s my girl. No KKK Klan is going to mess with us, right? Now, recite for me Psalm 23 soft and slow. Such beautiful words and promises!”
Six-year-old Rosa settled herself in the rocker next to her grandfather, confident he would keep the family safe through the night. She began to recite the favorite psalm.
Violence never came to the McCauley home in Pine Level, Alabama, but throughout her growing up years there and then in Montgomery, Rosa endured the burden of racial injustice against blacks, including different (and deficient) schools and libraries, separate restaurants and water fountains.
One time a white boy shoved Rosa hard from behind. She was expected to endure such abuse without retaliation, but Rosa shoved back. The boy’s mother witnessed the incident and bellowed, “Who do you think you are?”
Rosa courageously replied, “I won’t be pushed around by your son or anyone else.” Then, in spite of her pounding heart, Rosa calmly turned and walked away. The mother let the matter lie.[1]
In 1932 at age nineteen, Rosa married Raymond Parks. He was an activist-member of the NAACP, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. A decade later, Rosa’s growing frustration with the status quo led her to join also. She eagerly learned about civil disobedience and served as secretary to the local and then state organization.
(NAACP Meeting in Montgomery, about 1947)
Along with many blacks in the South, Rosa suffered daily humiliation on the city bus, as she rode to and from work. Black passengers were required to pay their fare at the front, then get off and re-enter the bus through the back to sit in the rear. If the bus became crowded, black people had to give their seats to whites.
But on December 1, 1955, Rosa refused to relinquish her seat—not because she was physically exhausted, as some have said. No, she was tired of mistreatment because of the color of her skin.
Enough was enough.
“When that white driver waved his hand and ordered us up and out of our seats,” she later recalled, “I felt a determination cover my body like a quilt on a winter night.[2]
“God’s peace flooded my soul, and my fear melted away. All people were equal in the eyes of God, and I was going to live like the free person God created me to be. I refused to move.”[3]
Instantly Rosa felt infused with God’s strength. Police arrested her, put her in jail, and charged a $14 fine, but she remained composed through the ordeal. They released Rosa that evening.
As news of her arrest spread, more people—black and white—began to express indignation over the evil of segregation. Leaders in the NAACP decided to establish a boycott of the Montgomery bus company until the law was changed.
Supporters knew they would need God’s wisdom, strength, and perseverance. A prayer meeting was scheduled, and a young minister addressed the crowd: Martin Luther King, Jr.
“We must protest the law of the land because it violates God’s law,” he said. “But violence is not the answer. It is our duty to protest segregation, but we must do so with dignity and Christian love. Join me in praying that the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will soon shine over our great nation.”[4]
Boycott participants (which included blacks and whites) had to find alternate transportation. Many walked up to several miles to work and then home again. Churches helped to find rides for some. Others were given rides by coworkers—again, black and white.
Of course, opposition came quickly. False arrests, harassment, and even bombings occurred, yet the boycott continued. The bus company was losing thousands of dollars and began supporting integrated seating. City commissioners, however, would not back down.
Meanwhile, Rosa’s attorney, Fred D. Gray, took the case from Montgomery all the way to the Supreme Court. A year later, the regulation demanding black people to give up their bus seats to whites was declared unconstitutional.
That decision created a domino effect. If separation was wrong on buses, it was wrong in schools, restaurants, libraries, and elsewhere. Slowly and painfully, one segregation-law after another was abolished.
That pain would impact Raymond and Rosa. They had to leave Montgomery because of harassment and death threats. Rosa responded by spending long hours in prayer, after which “an intense calm swept over her.”[5]
The couple eventually settled in Detroit. From 1965-1988 Rosa worked for Michigan Congressman John Conyers. She remained active in the civil rights movement for sixty years and wrote several books.
Upon her death in 2005, then-Governor Bob Riley of Alabama said, “Rosa Parks will always be remembered as a courageous woman who quietly confronted injustice, and in so doing, changed a nation.”[6]
No doubt Rosa Parks would agree.
[1] https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/church-history-for-kids/rosa-parks-and-the-bus-ride-that-changed-america-11635083.html
[2] https://www.journeywithjesus.net/Essays/20130401JJ.shtml
[3] https://canonjjohn.com/2021/10/23/heroes-of-the-faith-rosa-parks/
[4] https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/church-history-for-kids/rosa-parks-and-the-bus-ride-that-changed-america-11635083.html
[5] https://www.journeywithjesus.net/Essays/20130401JJ.shtml, quoting from Jeanne Theoharis’ biography, The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks
[6] https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/civil-rights-pioneer-rosa-parks-dead-at-92-found-strength-in-scripture-church/
[7] Sinclair Ferguson quote from Grow in Grace, 33-34.
Other sources:
https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/rosa-parks-journey-as-a-civil-rights-icon
Photo credits: http://www.flickr.com (Pat Henson); http://www.flickr.com; http://www.picryl.com; http://www.flickr.com; wwwflickr.com (Jim Forest); http://www.flickr.com; http://www.picryl.com; rawpixel.com.
From the Inside Out 
“Enough was Enough” was beautifully written. In the eyes of God, all of His children matter. Rosa Parks rose above her own fears, and she trusted God, which gave her great peace.
Thank you, Linda. I didn’t know Rosa Parks was a Christian, nor did I realize she’d been active in the NAACP. It was a delight to research about Rosa and learn more of her story. I’m delighted you found beauty here–praise God!
Thank you, Nancy, for sharing Rosa’s story here. She was, indeed, a courageous and God-fearing woman whose actions began the much-needed changes in our nation. I still recall when we first moved South from New England, my parents couldn’t get over the heinous practice of excluding people of color from restaurants, bathroom, water fountains, etc. They both became active in the non-violent movement for change. I’m proud of them to this day for having the courage to speak up and speak out.
Blessings!
Kudos to your parents for joining that fight. It could not have been easy for them. You have every right to be proud of them, Martha!
I love this, Nancy. Thank you so much for writing this. Although my pale, freckled skin, green eyes, and once-blonde (now gray) hair make me look like my Irish-British ancestors, one of my great-grandmothers was a black woman. Her son, my paternal grandfather, could pass for white, so he ran away from home at the age of 12 to escape those horrible Jim Crow laws. I did not know anything about my black heritage until I was in my mid-twenties, when my dad finally told us the story. My response was “I KNEW IT!” For years, people had told me that I sing and dance like a black woman. Apparently those genes are very strong.
I am old enough to remember seeing Whites Only signs on water fountains. I am so grateful for the changes. Thank God for Rosa Parks!
What a blessing, Linda, to be able to sing and dance with inborn flair! I too am thankful for those like Rosa Parks who’ve fought the long battle toward racial equality. Martin Luther King Jr. was right: we should judge one another, not by the color of our skin, but by the content of our character.
Thank you for this, Nancy. So many laws of men are against what God would want. We are created equal. He loves us all. God Bless.
Amen, Shelley! You are so right.
a beautiful tribute to a brave and courageous pioneer, Nancy.
Thank you, Linda. I find encouragement and inspiration while researching courageous heroes of faith for this blog. Rosa Parks is certainly one of them. Many know her name and a few basic facts, but not very many details. That described me until last week. I’m glad curiosity compelled me to learn more.
Beautiful story telling, Nancy and certainly honors Rosa!
Thank you, Jean. I do love to write these stories about our heroes of faith!
Nancy, Thank you for this wonderful article. I always think of stories like this, it brings light to what happened in some of those good old days we remember. I remember the Christian school I attended did not let blacks attend there. It was not just in the south, because where I grew up blacks were not allowed to buy property in certain areas of the city. It was right on the old deeds, and I keep it just to remember the good old days were not good for some people, especially those of who were of the black race. Thank you so much and so appropriate. Sam
The Jim Crow era was a shameful chapter in our country’s history; shameful also for how long and hard people had to fight for change. Like I said to Linda Lee above, “Martin Luther King Jr. was right: we should judge one another, not by the color of our skin, but by the content of our character.”
Nancy,
Prayer is the key. The Lord infuses his people for whatever struggles come out.
Thank you, Gary
Amen, Gary. Rosa well knew the power of prayer; we’d do well to follow her praying example.
Right. These are things the news won’t cover.
Thank you for sharing, Nancy. What a great example of a humble yet bold and courageous approach to seeing justice through.
I’m reminded of Jesus years on earth and how His example was so similar as he faced much opposition. We have such a blessing in being able to read His word and follow suit.
You’re so right, Alicia. Opposition to Christianity is growing. Praise God we have his Word for encouragement, wisdom, and strength, so we can conduct ourselves as Christ did–with determination, self-control, and faith.
What an inspirational story adding the necessary layers of depth to a story I thought I knew. Thanks for sharing about the strength, courage, and faith of this woman who has impacted so many who have come after her. May we all have such faith and faithfulness.
Agreed, Dayle. We know the basic facts of Rosa’s story and the bus boycott she inspired, but not the details that brought her to December 1, 1955, and what happened after. Of course, there are many more layers to explore! Rosa Parks is well worth knowing–and knowing well.
Loved reading this, Nancy! Wonderfully told – it pulled me in from the first story. Love the detail about the warm peace that God gave her after prayer and while she was sitting on the bus.
Thank you, Mary. I’m delighted you loved this story. Rosa Parks, like many other heroes in the fight for equality, proved what our God of strength and peace can do.
An inspiring example of determination, courage, and (above all) faith in God (by many) to touch the hearts of people and make a difference for generations to come! We are all precious and equal in His sight!
Indeed, Cheri! I am more inspired by Rosa Parks now, having learned more about her background. Your last sentence brought to mind that old Sunday School song, “Jesus Loves the Little Children.” I’ll bet you remember it too!
Thank the Lord for those with the bravery to stand against such gross and immoral unjustness. So inspiring!
Agreed: Rosa Parks’ story can inspire us to live out our God-given convictions, knowing he will provide the courage and wherewithal to withstand the consequences. In these times, any one of us may find ourselves in unacceptable circumstances and decide it is time to act rather than acquiesce. I am confident God will give us the determination we need, as we follow his leading, just as he did Rosa Parks.
Wow Nancy, I’ve read books that focus on Rosa as an adult, but your introduction shed such light on the strength imparted to her as a child. Thank you for this additional insight to this amazing woman.
You’re welcome, Beth. Along with other parts of her story, I too didn’t know Rosa had exercised courage before that day on a Montgomery bus. I thoroughly enjoyed researching her life and discovering the strong foundation of faith that upheld her.
I thank God for brave people like Rosa Parks, and I’m so glad that you wrote about her. What a testimony for the Lord she held! I know it breaks God’s heart for anyone to be treated unjustly. Jesus showed us over and over as He walked this earth how we are to live and relate to everyone around us no matter our skin color or status. We as believers can do no less.
I’m so glad you found this post worthwhile, Patty. Couldn’t agree with you more about treating everyone with respect, appreciation, and kindness. Such behavior not only blesses the recipient but also the giver (Acts 20:35)!