Dear Mrs. Parks: A Dialogue With Today's Youth

by Rosa Parks, Gregory J. Reed

Rosa Parks, the woman who changed the course of history when she was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on an Alabama bus, responds to the real letters of young correspondents, challenging them to become a force for positive social change.

Genres: Nonfiction, African American, Biography

112 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1996

About the author

Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African American civil rights activist whom the U.S. Congress later called the "Mother of the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement."

On December 1, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, Parks, age 42, refused to obey bus driver James Blake's order that she give up her seat to make room for a white passenger. Her action was not the first of its kind: Irene Morgan, in 1946, and Sarah Louise Keys, in 1955, had won rulings before the U.S. Supreme Court and the Interstate Commerce Commission respectively in the area of interstate bus travel. Nine months before Parks refused to give up her seat, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin refused to move from her seat on the same bus system. But unlike these previous individual actions of civil disobedience, Parks's action sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Parks's act of defiance became an important symbol of the modern Civil Rights Movement and Parks became an international icon of resistance to racial segregation. She organized and collaborated with civil rights leaders, including boycott leader Martin Luther King, Jr., helping to launch him to national prominence in the civil rights movement.

At the time of her action, Parks was secretary of the Montgomery chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and had recently attended the Highlander Folk School, a Tennessee center for workers' rights and racial equality. Nonetheless, she took her action as a private citizen "tired of giving in". Although widely honored in later years for her action, she also suffered for it, losing her job as a seamstress in a local department store. Eventually, she moved to Detroit, Michigan, where she found similar work. From 1965 to 1988 she served as secretary and receptionist to African-American U.S. Representative John Conyers. After retirement from this position, she wrote an autobiography and lived a largely private life in Detroit. In her final years she suffered from dementia and became embroiled in a lawsuit filed on her behalf against American hip-hop duo OutKast.

Parks eventually received many honors ranging from the 1979 Spingarn Medal to the Congressional Gold Medal, a posthumous statue in the United States Capitol's National Statuary Hall. Her death in 2005 was a major story in the United States' leading newspapers. She was granted the posthumous honor of lying in honor at the Capitol Rotunda.

Reviews

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I am 83 years old, and I have come to realize that there is always more in life to learn. I just started taking swimming lessons last year. I ask a lot of questions during my swimming lessons. You can drown yourself with problems if you do not ask questions."
I wish that all young people could spend some time reading/hearing Mrs. Parks' words and gaining from the wisdom she has gained through the years. She is remembered for that one act on the bus but she is far more than that one moment in her life. She is a woman of powerful understanding of the world and the necessary changes to make the world a better place.

Her hopeful words to wrap up the book...

"I can see a world in which children do not learn hatred in their homes.
I can see a world in which mothers and fathers have the last and most important word.
I can see a world in which all adults protect the innocence of children.
I can see a world in which people do not call each other names based on skin color.
I can see a world free of acts of violence.
I can see a world in which people of all races and all religions work together to improve the quality of life for everyone.
I can see this world because it exists today in small pockets of this country and in a small pocket of every person's heart. If we will look to God and work together - not only here, but everywhere - then others will see this world, too, and help to make it a reality."

[RaspberryRoses]

It was perfectly fine. I don't really have much to say on this book. It doesn't feel particularly well-curated as a selection of letters. And so while of course it's interesting in the fact that it's random letters from Rosa Parks, it still does feel like random letters in many cases.

[Dori Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and easy read. Wonderfully poignant questions from very articulate youth to the great Ms. Rosa Parks. Quite relevant to today.

[Lois Welsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book, someone gave it to me because I love to read. She was a remarkable woman and she did not want fame. The reason she did not move to the back of the bus is because about a month before the bus driver told her to and this time she was too tired to move, she was not trying to set any kind of example she was just tired. She accomplished so much in her life. A truly great woman.

[Alma Loredo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is composed of actual letters that students wrote to Rosa Parks. Throughout the book, Rosa Parks responds to the questions by sharing her thoughts. I used this book in a lesson and the students really enjoyed being able to read what she thought and wrote. Students were asked to write letters to Rosa Parks with any questions or comments they would want her to have received.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a strong read this was! The book is broken down into 6 sections. The first is an interview that was held with the author. The second is children's letters on what is courage and hope. The third is the power of knowledge education. The fourth is living with God. The fifth focuses on pathways to freedom and not being afraid. The final is making a difference in life.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used this book for a unit I made about the Civil Rights Movement. It was important because it was Mrs. Parks words coming off the pages. Students got to read letters she wrote to other kids. This book ties social studies concepts well to reading.

[Tania]

This book is similar to the Oh, Freedom book! Because it has letters that students wrote to Rosa Parks and for those students who can't Identify whether she is make believe or not this will help them make that connection and know that she was real. I use this book as part of a text set for PTLS

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book on clearance at Half Price Books. What a find!

I really enjoyed the series of letters from children to Ms. Parks. I also enjoyed how often she responded by the power of God and a good education.

I want/need to find a way to teach this book to my students!

[Carmela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was really good and has lots of good information for any school project or if you just want to learn about her

[Najae · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was okay

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with Rosa Parks after reading this book! I loved every answer she gave each child who had written to her. Her writings radiate love!

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspirational words from an inspirational woman. A very important read.

[Erik D]

HS Hi-Low
Parks, Rosa & Reed, Gregory Dear Mrs. Parks: A Dialogue with Today's Youth (1996) . Rosa Parks was catapulted into the stratosphere on December 1, 1955 when she refused to give up her seat to a white passenger and refused to sit “in the back of the bus.” Her simple act of defiance started a national dialogue that became a global movement. Since that fateful day, many children have written Ms. Parks letters asking her a variety of questions from her age to her experience, and a credit to herself, she replied to each one! This book, therefore, is a compilation of many of those letters from the children and her responses to them. It is nothing less than an artifact representing one woman’s non-violent fight in the Civil Rights Movement. Her peaceful protest and act of defiance set the United States onto a path for equality. The collection of letters and responses is a diverse selection ranging from critical inquiry to playful questioning. The insight of children is eye-opening, and the loving responses from Ms. Parks give an amazing and intimate insight to the amazing woman she was. Her responses to the children’s inquiry are supportive, spiritual, and honest. The readings are easy and appropriate to the target grade levels and the topic is very high interest. Sadly, even a decade plus after her death, the pursuit of civil rights and equality for all is far from over, but this collection does an excellent job of illustrating one brave soul who was on the front lines early in this struggle. An easy read that students won't want to put down this would make a great add to any middle or high school library, or classroom with subjects on history or social sciences. Curriculum Ties include: Civil Rights, the Civil Rights Movement, Women’s rights, and equal rights. Target audience: ages Grades 5-10.