Today in History: Rosa Parks Arrested
Today in History–December 1–the Library of Congress features Rosa Parks, arrested for civil disobedience on this day in 1955. Find out more about this brave woman who helped spark the U.S. civil rights movement by visiting the Today in History section, then follow the links below to access more related primary sources and resources.
Rosa Park’s recollections of time spent in jail
Memorandum on taking Rosa Park’s case after her arrest
Rosa Parks Papers documents & photos
Rosa Parks Collection: Telling Her Story at the Library of Congress video
Rosa Parks in Her Own Words online exhibition
Primary sources from other online exhibitions
- Exact spot on Dexter Avenue where Rosa Parks waited for the bus that changed history
- “Tote dat barge! Lif’ dat boycott! Ride dat bus!” March 25, 1956 political cartoon (scroll down page to read curator note)
- Civil rights oral history mentions of Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks primary source set & teacher guide
Rosa Parks historical newspaper coverage
Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 : hearing before the Subcommittee on the Constitution of the Committee on the Judiciary
More legislation related to Rosa Parks
Library of Congress blog posts
- Ask Us Anything on Rosa Parks Library of Congress
- Behind the Scenes: Inspired by Rosa Parks Picture This
- Constructing a Narrative with Students about Civil Rights Icon Rosa Parks from Her Notes Teaching with the Library
- Happy Birthday to Rosa Parks! Teaching with the Library
- Honoring Rosa Parks Library of Congress
- Inside the Rosa Parks Collection In Custodia Legis
- Looking Back on the Bus Boycott Library of Congress
- Rita Dove and “On the Bus with Rosa Parks” From the Catbird Seat
- Rosa Parks: In Newspapers and Comic Books Headlines & Heroes
- A Sense of Purpose: Organizing the Rosa Parks Collection Library of Congress
- Using the Rosa Parks Collection to Foster Student Inquiry of Parks’ Depictions in Civil Rights Narratives, Part 1 Teaching with the Library
- Using the Rosa Parks Collection to Foster Student Inquiry of Parks’ Depictions in Civil Rights Narratives, Part 2 Teaching with the Library
- Young Rosa Parks Minerva’s Kaleidoscope
Articles
- Rosa Parks was arrested for civil disobedience America’s Library
- Alabama bus boycott America’s Library
- Beyond the Bus: Rosa Parks’ Lifelong Struggle for Justice Library of Congress Magazine March/April 2015 (p. 16)
- Rosa Parks House in Berlin Has a Ticket Home to America New York Times Sept. 2, 2017
Videos
- Rosa Parks discusses refusing to give up her seat on the bus 1957
- Rosa Parks: Beyond the Bus 2015
- Our Auntie Rosa: The Family of Rosa Parks Remembers Her Life & Lessons 2015
Teaching Resources
- Guided Primary Source Analysis: Woman fingerprinted
- Rosa Parks: A Proud Daughter KidCitizen K-2 interactive episode
Related resources