The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks

Despite the fable of the civil rights movement that painted Parks as a dignified lady who was wholly committed to nonviolent protest, she believed strongly in self-defense and played a significant role in the Black Power movement. In one interview, Parks remarked, “I’m in favor of any move to show that we are dissatisfied” (201). She was increasingly frustrated with the sentiment she saw in the news that painted a picture of Black Americans as satisfied with their status, reminding her of the pressure she felt as a little girl to always put on the appearance of happiness and contentment for white people. She understood the need for the Black Power movement; for Parks, nonviolent action was fine so long as the opposing side was reacting and changing. Her involvement with militant Black activism is in stark contrast to the stereotypes of the Black Power movement and to the fable of her activism.

Reporters rarely asked Parks about her continued activism, always assuming that it ended with the bus boycott. She rarely volunteered information about her political life, perhaps because of the consequences of the publicity of the boycott for her and her family. However, Malcolm X was her hero.