Rosa Parksis a name heard in history classes across the United States. She became famous for standing up for her rights as an African American by not standing up for a white man on a bus. In many parts of the world today, it’s hard to tell that there was ever segregation. It’s easier to think about slavery as something that happened so long ago no one needs to worry about it. But black rights have only been around for about 50 years.

Fifty years ago Rosa Parks showed that she wanted to be treated equally as a woman and as an African American and then on October 24, 2005 at the age of 92 she passed away knowing that she had helped people forget the color of their skin and realize that everyone is equal. Even after Parks won her first battle, life did not become as easy as would have been expected. Being that she is someone who children in schools are taught to respect and keep as an idol life should have been easy. Yet in fact in 1994 Parks was attacked in her home by an African American man looking for money. In spite of all the bad that happened in Rosa Parks life, a lot of good came from her. The spirit that she showed awed people and she received the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor in 1999. Parks is an example of just how much the courage of one person can influence the ways of a nation.