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Reflections by Rosa Parks: The Quiet Strength and Faith of a Woman Who Changed a Nation
On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She was not trying to start a movement. She was simply tired of the social injustice. Yet, her simple act of courage started a chain of events that forever shaped the landscape of American race relations.
Now, decades after her quiet defiance inspired the modern civil rights movement, Mrs. Parks’s own words tell of her courageous life, her passion for freedom and equality, and her strong faith. Reflections by Rosa Parks celebrates the principles and convictions that guided her through a remarkable life. It is a printed record of her legacy—her lasting message to a world still struggling to live in harmony.
Including historic and beautiful pictures, this collection of Rosa Parks’s reflections includes topics like dealing with fear, facing injustice, developing character and determination, faith in God, and her hope for the future.
“I want to be remembered as a person who stood up to injustice,” writes Rosa Parks, “who wanted a better world for young people.” With Mrs. Parks’s words of wisdom, humility, and compassion, this book will inspire people of all races to carry on her great legacy.
Now, decades after her quiet defiance inspired the modern civil rights movement, Mrs. Parks’s own words tell of her courageous life, her passion for freedom and equality, and her strong faith. Reflections by Rosa Parks celebrates the principles and convictions that guided her through a remarkable life. It is a printed record of her legacy—her lasting message to a world still struggling to live in harmony.
Including historic and beautiful pictures, this collection of Rosa Parks’s reflections includes topics like dealing with fear, facing injustice, developing character and determination, faith in God, and her hope for the future.
“I want to be remembered as a person who stood up to injustice,” writes Rosa Parks, “who wanted a better world for young people.” With Mrs. Parks’s words of wisdom, humility, and compassion, this book will inspire people of all races to carry on her great legacy.
96 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 9, 2018
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302 people want to read
About the author
Rosa Parks
34 books121 followersRosa 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
May 11, 2020
3 stars for the read, but 5 stars for the person.
Reflections by Rosa Parks: The Quiet Strength and Faith of a Woman Who Changed a Nation is a short read by Mrs. Parks herself, a series of vignettes and essays about her approach to life and fighting injustice – essentially where she draws her strength.
As someone who truly didn’t know that much about Rosa Parks before reading this book, it was illuminating for me – and sad in a way, that I didn’t learn about her life in school the way I should have. In my mind, Rosa was an average worker woman, who, on that fateful December day on the bus, had had enough and made a split-second decision. In reality, Rosa was purposeful about her fight against injustice and worked for the NAACP. She knew the consequences of her actions, and she knew that if she didn’t do something, no one else would.
It’s compelling to read about someone with that much purpose in her life. You rarely see that. Rosa is extremely centered in a strong, quiet way. She’s unflappable. She knows what she wants, where she’s going, and has faith in the next step to get her there.
An unintentional but informative component to this book was the behind-the-scenes process of how legacy works. Rosa Parks’ name would have faded out of cultural memory except for the active and intentional movement to preserve her legacy. This book is part of that movement. While Rosa Parks definitely deserves her place in the history books, it just goes to show that history is written by those who intentionally write it. If you are poor or don't have the resources to ensure a legacy like this, you likely won't have one.
A major takeaway from this book is Rosa Parks' idea of the potential for change as potential energy, in small pockets of people, just waiting for a flash point. I love that idea, as though while people pray for change, the universe is molding certain people and their life experiences so that they will respond at the crucial moment, just like Rosa Parks did.
Reflections by Rosa Parks: The Quiet Strength and Faith of a Woman Who Changed a Nation is a short read by Mrs. Parks herself, a series of vignettes and essays about her approach to life and fighting injustice – essentially where she draws her strength.
As someone who truly didn’t know that much about Rosa Parks before reading this book, it was illuminating for me – and sad in a way, that I didn’t learn about her life in school the way I should have. In my mind, Rosa was an average worker woman, who, on that fateful December day on the bus, had had enough and made a split-second decision. In reality, Rosa was purposeful about her fight against injustice and worked for the NAACP. She knew the consequences of her actions, and she knew that if she didn’t do something, no one else would.
It’s compelling to read about someone with that much purpose in her life. You rarely see that. Rosa is extremely centered in a strong, quiet way. She’s unflappable. She knows what she wants, where she’s going, and has faith in the next step to get her there.
An unintentional but informative component to this book was the behind-the-scenes process of how legacy works. Rosa Parks’ name would have faded out of cultural memory except for the active and intentional movement to preserve her legacy. This book is part of that movement. While Rosa Parks definitely deserves her place in the history books, it just goes to show that history is written by those who intentionally write it. If you are poor or don't have the resources to ensure a legacy like this, you likely won't have one.
A major takeaway from this book is Rosa Parks' idea of the potential for change as potential energy, in small pockets of people, just waiting for a flash point. I love that idea, as though while people pray for change, the universe is molding certain people and their life experiences so that they will respond at the crucial moment, just like Rosa Parks did.
June 18, 2020
5 Stars for Rosa Parks
This is a short book with a bit of history about her and more of a focus on the biblical teachings that shaped her as a person. I love her optimism and focus on improvement. Also, she never set out to be the mother of the Civil Rights movement, but she handled the role with humility and diplomacy.
This is a short book with a bit of history about her and more of a focus on the biblical teachings that shaped her as a person. I love her optimism and focus on improvement. Also, she never set out to be the mother of the Civil Rights movement, but she handled the role with humility and diplomacy.
June 17, 2022
3.5 stars
I feel bad giving a book written by such an important person a low rating, but my ratings are very subjective and for the most part I did not enjoy this book. I did learn some interesting facts, such as she did not decide to not move to the back of the bus because she was physically tired as many claim (she made a decision to stand up to racism), she was brutally attacked in her home at the age of 81, and she filed a lawsuit against Outkast for using her name in their song. However, soooo much of the book was religious, which I understand as that was so important to her, but it doesn't interest me.
I feel bad giving a book written by such an important person a low rating, but my ratings are very subjective and for the most part I did not enjoy this book. I did learn some interesting facts, such as she did not decide to not move to the back of the bus because she was physically tired as many claim (she made a decision to stand up to racism), she was brutally attacked in her home at the age of 81, and she filed a lawsuit against Outkast for using her name in their song. However, soooo much of the book was religious, which I understand as that was so important to her, but it doesn't interest me.
February 2, 2018
While reading the quiet reflections of Rosa Parks, her strength caressed my mind like a mother's love. A mother's love for her people screams out through every passage. I am more grateful to this goddess than I ever was before and she'd already given me so many reasons to be grateful to her. Rosa's legacy is much greater than that Dec. 1 when she didn't leave her seat on that bus! Her wisdom lives on in the pages of this book and now forever in my heart!
March 9, 2025
This memoir relates how Rosa Parks lived her life, fought battles, and held to her belief in God, His word, and her own convictions. Very interesting read. A solid 4 * read for me. She is distinguished as being the only private citizen to lay in state in the U S Capitol.
I really appreciate her comment…“I had no idea that history was being made. I was just tired of giving in.” An ordinary girl who was just tired of being ordinary.
I really appreciate her comment…“I had no idea that history was being made. I was just tired of giving in.” An ordinary girl who was just tired of being ordinary.
December 31, 2020
I enjoyed this little book very much. I learned a lot about Rosa Parks that I didn't know before - like the fact that her husband was born in Wedowee, my hometown! I also loved the way her faith ran through the book, underpinning it, giving strength and grace and courage to her convictions. And I loved her dignity and sense of purpose. I would have loved to have known her in real life. I think we might have been friends. <3
April 7, 2018
Good reading
February 23, 2020
Rosa Parks was a huge catalyst for the Civil Rights movement. She wasn’t even trying to be. She just did what she felt was right.
January 23, 2025
This is a short little book about Rosa Parks and how her decision and "quiet strength" helped to change the world, helping to make it a little more equal and free. She talks about fear, defiance, injustice, pain, character, role models, faith, values, quiet strength, determination, youth, and the future. She's credited with starting the modern-day civil rights movement. She also founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development. This was a timely and thoughtful read. Here are some favorite quotes:
"Rose Louise Parks is nationally recognized as the mother of the modern-day civil rights movement in America. By refusing to surrender her seat to a white male passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus on December 1, 1955, she set in motion a chain of events that were felt throughout the United States (p. 11)."
"Four days after her arrest, the black people of Montgomery and sympathizers of other races organized and promoted a boycott of the city bus line. For 381 days, blacks either walked or arranged their own rides throughout the city rather than taking the bus... Thousands of courageous people joined together to demand equal rights for all. The bus boycott ended on December 21, 1956, after the U.S. Supreme Court declared bus segregation unconstitutional (p. 12)."
"As a child, I learned from the Bible to trust in God and not be afraid. I have always felt comforted by reading the Psalms, especially Psalms 23 and 27 (p. 16)."
"I did not feel any fear at sitting in the seat I was sitting in. All I felt was tired. Tired of being pushed around. Tired of seeing the bad treatment and disrespect of children, women, and men just because of the color of their skin. Tired of the Jim Crow laws. Tired of being oppressed. I was just plain tired. I felt the Lord would give me the strength to endure whatever I had to face. God did away with all my fear. It was time for someone to stand up--or in my case, sit down. I refused to move (p. 17)."
"'The last shall be first, and the first last' (Matthew 20:16, p. 19)."
"I did not get on the bus to get arrested; I got on the bus to go home. Getting arrested was one of the worst days in my life... I had no idea that history was being made. I was just tired of giving in (p. 23)."
"It is funny to me how people came to believe that the reason that I did not move from my seat was that my feet were tired... My feet were not tired, but I was tired--tired of unfair treatment (p. 24)."
"One day after the boycott ended, I rode a nonsegregated bust for the first time (p. 25)."
"Four decades later I am still uncomfortable with the credit given to me for starting the bus boycott... I was not the only person involved. I was just one of many who fought for freedom... At that time, the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was emerging on the scene. He once said, 'If you will protest courageously and yet with dignity and Christian love, when the history books are written in future generations, the historians will have to pause and say: there lived a great people--a black people--who injected new meaning and dignity into the veins of civilization' (p. 26)."
"I am concerned about any discrimination, of any people, regardless of race or other physical differences. We are all God's children and deserving of His rewards (p. 28)."
"The church was and is the foundation of our community. It became our strength, our refuge, and our haven. We would pray, sing, and meet in church. We would use scriptures, testimonies, and hymns to strengthen us against all the hatred and violence going on around us (p. 29)."
"As long as people use tactics to oppress or restrict other people from being free, there is work to be done (p. 30)."
"Despite the violence and crime in our society, we should not let fear overwhelm us. We must remain strong. We must not give up hope; we can overcome (p. 35)."
"I have learned throughout my life that what really matters is not whether we have problems but how we go through them. We must keep on going to make it through whatever we are facing (p. 35)."
"I was fortunate. God provided me with the strength I needed at the precise time when conditions were ripe for change. I am thankful to Him every day that He gave me the strength not to move (p. 36)."
"The Montgomery boycott became the model for human rights throughout the world. We must learn from the past (p. 37)."
"I am glad that segregation is no longer considered acceptable, but the fight for equal rights must go on until we have the same privileges and opportunities as those who are in power (p. 37)."
"One thing that really impressed me about Parks was that he refused to be intimidated by white people--unlike many blacks, who figured they had no choice but to stay under 'Mr. Charlie's' heel. ('Mr. Charlie' was our name for white men in general.) Parks would have none of it, and he became active in the NAACP and in civil rights issues (p. 44)."
"Her advice helped me to do the hard things that I had to do later in life. Mother was a woman of determination who believed in reading the Bible for guidance. She also believed in the value of education and saw it as a way to better yourself. She was a schoolteacher and had a teaching certificate, but she did not go to college. Back then black teachers got paid less than white teachers, but the money was better than what housekeepers got (p. 45)."
"[Martin Luther King Jr.] had an elegance about him and a speaking style that let you know where you stood and inspired you to do the best you could. He truly is a role model for us all. The sacrifice of his life should never be forgotten, and his dream must live on (p. 48)."
"Prayer and the Bible became a part of my everyday thoughts and beliefs (p. 52)."
"When I feel discouraged, I read Psalms 23 to restore my soul (p. 55)."
"I would like to see everyone living together in peace, harmony, and love, not dwelling on the horrors of the past. It is time to move forward (p. 62)."
"'In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength' (Isaiah 30:15, p. 63)."
"There is work to do; that is why I cannot stop or sit still. As long as a child needs help, as long as people are not free, there will be work to do (p. 66)."
"'Be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord' (1 Corinthians 15:58, p. 67)."
"I do not know how to slow down. I hope to expand my activities. I will continue to move on at whatever pace I can (p. 68)."
"It is important to keep yourself grounded in faith. When things are not going the way you want, you must keep hope alive that things will get better (p. 70)."
"It is important for us to bring up our youngsters in homes without prejudice and hatred (p. 72)."
"One thing we need to do is tell young people about our struggles for civil rights (p. 73)."
"If we can set the example in our homes and communities, we can save our children. I have faith in what the good people of this country have done in the past and can do today (p. 75)."
"What message would I have for young people today--of any race? Work hard, do not be discouraged, and in everything you do, try to make our country--and the world--a better place for us all (p. 75)."
"'Where there is no vision, the people perish' (Proverbs 29:18, p. 77)."
"I want to be remembered as a person who stood up to injustice, who wanted a better world for young people; and most of all, I want to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free and wanted others to be free (p. 78)."
"I still believe there can be a day when we will have true freedom: a day when people 'will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character' (p. 80)."
"My message to the world is that we must come together and live as one. There is only one world; and yet we, as a people, have treated the world as if it were divided (p. 80)."
"Mrs. Parks was the first African American woman to lie in state in the United States Capitol rotunda (p. 87)."
"'The woman we honored today held no public office, she wasn't a wealthy woman, didn't appear in the society pages. And yet when the history of this country is written, it is this small, quiet woman whose name will be remembered long after the names of senators and presidents have been forgotten' (Barack Obama, p. 88)."
"Rose Louise Parks is nationally recognized as the mother of the modern-day civil rights movement in America. By refusing to surrender her seat to a white male passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus on December 1, 1955, she set in motion a chain of events that were felt throughout the United States (p. 11)."
"Four days after her arrest, the black people of Montgomery and sympathizers of other races organized and promoted a boycott of the city bus line. For 381 days, blacks either walked or arranged their own rides throughout the city rather than taking the bus... Thousands of courageous people joined together to demand equal rights for all. The bus boycott ended on December 21, 1956, after the U.S. Supreme Court declared bus segregation unconstitutional (p. 12)."
"As a child, I learned from the Bible to trust in God and not be afraid. I have always felt comforted by reading the Psalms, especially Psalms 23 and 27 (p. 16)."
"I did not feel any fear at sitting in the seat I was sitting in. All I felt was tired. Tired of being pushed around. Tired of seeing the bad treatment and disrespect of children, women, and men just because of the color of their skin. Tired of the Jim Crow laws. Tired of being oppressed. I was just plain tired. I felt the Lord would give me the strength to endure whatever I had to face. God did away with all my fear. It was time for someone to stand up--or in my case, sit down. I refused to move (p. 17)."
"'The last shall be first, and the first last' (Matthew 20:16, p. 19)."
"I did not get on the bus to get arrested; I got on the bus to go home. Getting arrested was one of the worst days in my life... I had no idea that history was being made. I was just tired of giving in (p. 23)."
"It is funny to me how people came to believe that the reason that I did not move from my seat was that my feet were tired... My feet were not tired, but I was tired--tired of unfair treatment (p. 24)."
"One day after the boycott ended, I rode a nonsegregated bust for the first time (p. 25)."
"Four decades later I am still uncomfortable with the credit given to me for starting the bus boycott... I was not the only person involved. I was just one of many who fought for freedom... At that time, the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was emerging on the scene. He once said, 'If you will protest courageously and yet with dignity and Christian love, when the history books are written in future generations, the historians will have to pause and say: there lived a great people--a black people--who injected new meaning and dignity into the veins of civilization' (p. 26)."
"I am concerned about any discrimination, of any people, regardless of race or other physical differences. We are all God's children and deserving of His rewards (p. 28)."
"The church was and is the foundation of our community. It became our strength, our refuge, and our haven. We would pray, sing, and meet in church. We would use scriptures, testimonies, and hymns to strengthen us against all the hatred and violence going on around us (p. 29)."
"As long as people use tactics to oppress or restrict other people from being free, there is work to be done (p. 30)."
"Despite the violence and crime in our society, we should not let fear overwhelm us. We must remain strong. We must not give up hope; we can overcome (p. 35)."
"I have learned throughout my life that what really matters is not whether we have problems but how we go through them. We must keep on going to make it through whatever we are facing (p. 35)."
"I was fortunate. God provided me with the strength I needed at the precise time when conditions were ripe for change. I am thankful to Him every day that He gave me the strength not to move (p. 36)."
"The Montgomery boycott became the model for human rights throughout the world. We must learn from the past (p. 37)."
"I am glad that segregation is no longer considered acceptable, but the fight for equal rights must go on until we have the same privileges and opportunities as those who are in power (p. 37)."
"One thing that really impressed me about Parks was that he refused to be intimidated by white people--unlike many blacks, who figured they had no choice but to stay under 'Mr. Charlie's' heel. ('Mr. Charlie' was our name for white men in general.) Parks would have none of it, and he became active in the NAACP and in civil rights issues (p. 44)."
"Her advice helped me to do the hard things that I had to do later in life. Mother was a woman of determination who believed in reading the Bible for guidance. She also believed in the value of education and saw it as a way to better yourself. She was a schoolteacher and had a teaching certificate, but she did not go to college. Back then black teachers got paid less than white teachers, but the money was better than what housekeepers got (p. 45)."
"[Martin Luther King Jr.] had an elegance about him and a speaking style that let you know where you stood and inspired you to do the best you could. He truly is a role model for us all. The sacrifice of his life should never be forgotten, and his dream must live on (p. 48)."
"Prayer and the Bible became a part of my everyday thoughts and beliefs (p. 52)."
"When I feel discouraged, I read Psalms 23 to restore my soul (p. 55)."
"I would like to see everyone living together in peace, harmony, and love, not dwelling on the horrors of the past. It is time to move forward (p. 62)."
"'In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength' (Isaiah 30:15, p. 63)."
"There is work to do; that is why I cannot stop or sit still. As long as a child needs help, as long as people are not free, there will be work to do (p. 66)."
"'Be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord' (1 Corinthians 15:58, p. 67)."
"I do not know how to slow down. I hope to expand my activities. I will continue to move on at whatever pace I can (p. 68)."
"It is important to keep yourself grounded in faith. When things are not going the way you want, you must keep hope alive that things will get better (p. 70)."
"It is important for us to bring up our youngsters in homes without prejudice and hatred (p. 72)."
"One thing we need to do is tell young people about our struggles for civil rights (p. 73)."
"If we can set the example in our homes and communities, we can save our children. I have faith in what the good people of this country have done in the past and can do today (p. 75)."
"What message would I have for young people today--of any race? Work hard, do not be discouraged, and in everything you do, try to make our country--and the world--a better place for us all (p. 75)."
"'Where there is no vision, the people perish' (Proverbs 29:18, p. 77)."
"I want to be remembered as a person who stood up to injustice, who wanted a better world for young people; and most of all, I want to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free and wanted others to be free (p. 78)."
"I still believe there can be a day when we will have true freedom: a day when people 'will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character' (p. 80)."
"My message to the world is that we must come together and live as one. There is only one world; and yet we, as a people, have treated the world as if it were divided (p. 80)."
"Mrs. Parks was the first African American woman to lie in state in the United States Capitol rotunda (p. 87)."
"'The woman we honored today held no public office, she wasn't a wealthy woman, didn't appear in the society pages. And yet when the history of this country is written, it is this small, quiet woman whose name will be remembered long after the names of senators and presidents have been forgotten' (Barack Obama, p. 88)."
February 3, 2020
Summary: Very brief thoughts by Rosa Parks about her life.
Despite its short length, it is worth reading. Rosa Parks was in her 80s when she wrote Reflections. It feels like she dictated the book because its prose sounds spoken. There are 12 short chapters. The first several are about her early life and the bus boycott. From the sixth chapter on, the chapters are either about the people in her life or her thoughts on life. Her faith exudes in the pages. She has no interest in being a prominent focus, and humbly shifts the focus to the people around her or her faith.
It is precisely that humility that I think makes this book work. It is not a masterwork. It is a simple story and thoughts of an important, but a mostly unknown woman. She talks about the fact that her refusal to get up has been construed as her being tired after work. She says she did not get up because she was physically tired, but because she was tired of racism.
What I had not realized was how quickly she moved to Detroit. She was fired from her job as a seamstress at a department store weeks after the boycott started. And while it doesn't say this, it seems likely that her husband probably was threatened as well. They moved to Detroit in 1957. Despite living in Detroit, she participates in the March on Washington in 1963, the Selma to Mongomery march and other Civil Rights work.
In 1963 she starts to work for Congressman John Conyers in Detroit and works for him for the next 24 years before retiring and starting a youth program in 1987. Her husband had passed away ten years earlier. In 1994, not long before writing this book, her home was broken into and she was badly beaten and robbed of a small amount of money. In the epilogue, Gregory Reed suggests that it was the publicity of that incident and her response to it that lead to the book contract.
About 20 percent of the book is a brief introduction to her life or epilogue by the co-author (and her lawyer) Gregory Reed. He represented her and was able to bring more attention to her life, including being responsible for several of the awards (Presidental Medal of Freedom, the apple commercial, a musical tribute album, the Congressional Gold Medal, etc.) Her suing over the use of her name in a song by OutKast went to the Supreme Court. The case dragged out for years, and by the time it was settled, she had dementia. Mrs. Parks passed away soon after the settlement.
This era of Civil Rights leaders have mostly passed away. They need to be accurately remembered for more than just single events. This book does not mention any of the work she did with the NAACP before the bus boycott or her years of quiet work after the boycott other than the fact that she started the youth program after she retired. The Civil Rights movement was not just Martin Luther King Jr. It was not four days (Brown, Rosa Parks refusing to get up, the March on Washington and King's assassination). It was decades of work by mostly now unknown people.
Somewhat like Hariett Tubman, there are far more children's books about Rosa Parks than serious biographies. There are several adult biographies like this one (probably better) and this one, but I think those are the only two that are serious biographies. It is not that children's books are bad, but I do believe that people that have more children's biographies than adult biographies are likely being remembered simply and not accurately.
I noticed this book was on sale for Black History month and realized that I had never read the copy that I purchased last year when it was on sale. Reflections by Rosa Parks is a book you want to buy when it is on sale. It is not that it is a bad book, but it is a very short book. The physical book is the 6 by 7 gift-book size. The audiobook is 80 minutes long.
Despite its short length, it is worth reading. Rosa Parks was in her 80s when she wrote Reflections. It feels like she dictated the book because its prose sounds spoken. There are 12 short chapters. The first several are about her early life and the bus boycott. From the sixth chapter on, the chapters are either about the people in her life or her thoughts on life. Her faith exudes in the pages. She has no interest in being a prominent focus, and humbly shifts the focus to the people around her or her faith.
It is precisely that humility that I think makes this book work. It is not a masterwork. It is a simple story and thoughts of an important, but a mostly unknown woman. She talks about the fact that her refusal to get up has been construed as her being tired after work. She says she did not get up because she was physically tired, but because she was tired of racism.
What I had not realized was how quickly she moved to Detroit. She was fired from her job as a seamstress at a department store weeks after the boycott started. And while it doesn't say this, it seems likely that her husband probably was threatened as well. They moved to Detroit in 1957. Despite living in Detroit, she participates in the March on Washington in 1963, the Selma to Mongomery march and other Civil Rights work.
In 1963 she starts to work for Congressman John Conyers in Detroit and works for him for the next 24 years before retiring and starting a youth program in 1987. Her husband had passed away ten years earlier. In 1994, not long before writing this book, her home was broken into and she was badly beaten and robbed of a small amount of money. In the epilogue, Gregory Reed suggests that it was the publicity of that incident and her response to it that lead to the book contract.
About 20 percent of the book is a brief introduction to her life or epilogue by the co-author (and her lawyer) Gregory Reed. He represented her and was able to bring more attention to her life, including being responsible for several of the awards (Presidental Medal of Freedom, the apple commercial, a musical tribute album, the Congressional Gold Medal, etc.) Her suing over the use of her name in a song by OutKast went to the Supreme Court. The case dragged out for years, and by the time it was settled, she had dementia. Mrs. Parks passed away soon after the settlement.
This era of Civil Rights leaders have mostly passed away. They need to be accurately remembered for more than just single events. This book does not mention any of the work she did with the NAACP before the bus boycott or her years of quiet work after the boycott other than the fact that she started the youth program after she retired. The Civil Rights movement was not just Martin Luther King Jr. It was not four days (Brown, Rosa Parks refusing to get up, the March on Washington and King's assassination). It was decades of work by mostly now unknown people.
Somewhat like Hariett Tubman, there are far more children's books about Rosa Parks than serious biographies. There are several adult biographies like this one (probably better) and this one, but I think those are the only two that are serious biographies. It is not that children's books are bad, but I do believe that people that have more children's biographies than adult biographies are likely being remembered simply and not accurately.
July 26, 2018
Words to live by: "For certain causes, we are one—for others, we are not. We must learn to work together. No one can effectively fight for justice alone."
"...when I feel discouraged, I read Psalm 23 to restore my soul:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."
"...when I feel discouraged, I read Psalm 23 to restore my soul:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."
June 9, 2020
As a young adult, I read widely about topics like the Underground Railroad and the Civil Rights movement. Books like Breakthrough to the Big League caused me to respect and desire to emulate people of history who showed character and dignity as they fought for freedom, equality, and respect.
This book by Rosa Parks reminded me why I respected these people. Not that I ceased to respect them, but my memory was a bit rusty. In this book, Rosa shares her experiences and imparts her wisdom to a new generation. She urges action and determination built on a foundation of faith. It's a short book worthy of rereading for it's wealth of down-to-earth, practical advice.
This book by Rosa Parks reminded me why I respected these people. Not that I ceased to respect them, but my memory was a bit rusty. In this book, Rosa shares her experiences and imparts her wisdom to a new generation. She urges action and determination built on a foundation of faith. It's a short book worthy of rereading for it's wealth of down-to-earth, practical advice.
October 23, 2024
I love Rosa Parks but I didn’t love this book. I was interested in the historical facts the book mentioned as well as in Rosa Parks own thoughts and radical acceptance of the civil rights issues. However much of this memoir is about bible verses. I appreciate that those meant a lot to Rosa in her quest for equality for black people and in helping her to keep going on, day after day, when the process towards civil rights was moving slowly, but I skipped the bible verses and just accepted that Rosa Parks got her strength from her faith. She really was a remarkable woman who should be known for much more than the one day in 1955 when she refused to give up her seat to a white man.
February 9, 2020
They say this book, originally published under the title "Quiet Strength," is a book of thoughts Mrs. Parks collected and wrote for children. It seems pretty "grown up" to me.
Writers like Zora Hurston and August Wilson point out that the interior life of black people is something to be celebrated and valued and worthy of art. This book of Rosa Parks's internal thoughts about life and living certainly contributes to that mission.
Reading it to prepare a talk for visitors to the Rosa Parks exhibit currently at the Library of Congress.
Writers like Zora Hurston and August Wilson point out that the interior life of black people is something to be celebrated and valued and worthy of art. This book of Rosa Parks's internal thoughts about life and living certainly contributes to that mission.
Reading it to prepare a talk for visitors to the Rosa Parks exhibit currently at the Library of Congress.
February 1, 2024
Very digestible and likable memoir from Rosa Parks. Despite a short length, it still manages to cover pretty much everything you’d want to know about her life, including her life before and after she refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man that kicked off The Montgomery Bus Boycott that last over a year.
Some might wish it was longer, but the strength of her words and story should satisfy anyone reading this.
Some might wish it was longer, but the strength of her words and story should satisfy anyone reading this.
February 10, 2020
This is a quick book by Rosa Parks. She offers reflections on different topics and what she has learned in her life. She is known for her refusal to surrender her seat to a white passenger in 1955 Alabama. She is still a brave smart lady and this book offers her opinions on faith, her fears, values, role models etc. I liked getting to read her book and learning more about her.
February 21, 2025
Not a review but a quote I loved: “There is work to do; that is why I cannot stop or sit still. As long as a child needs help, as long as people are not free, there will be work to do…We have come so far since the days of segregation, but there is always something to do to make things better. All human beings should have equal opportunities.” I want this on my wall. Thank you, Rosa.
February 12, 2023
A short and uplifting treatise on Rosa Parks' values and views by the Civil Rights icon herself. She is humble and strong throughout, providing clear and concise information and world views. Fantastic! So glad I found this in my library randomly.
January 19, 2018
Although I liked learning more about Mrs. Parks, I wish the essays had been more in-depth.
April 14, 2019
So much wisdom from this amazing woman!
May 26, 2019
this was much better than expected, it was really amazing reading about such a strong yet humble woman who made an enormous impact on history
September 9, 2019
A short little book packed full of wisdom. Love her voice!
November 16, 2019
Forever inspiring.
September 17, 2021
Great woman
The book gives but a glimps of who this great lady was. Was expecting more. Will be looking for more books.
The book gives but a glimps of who this great lady was. Was expecting more. Will be looking for more books.
February 11, 2022
Wonderful story highlighting her life experiences. Very strong Christian foundation for her strength.
March 8, 2022
Nice to hear from the actually Rosa Parks herself what her intentions were. A very sweet woman.
April 11, 2022
The only reason I gave this four stars instead of five is because it’s too short. I want to hear more about Mrs. Parks in her own words!
August 2, 2022
Had to read for school. Learned a few things and was an easy, quick read.
March 23, 2024
A short book, still a good listen.
July 27, 2024
Rosa Parks saved the world from segregation along with the NAACP. She is nothing less than a hero
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