This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at BC chapter.

February is about more than just Valentine’s day — it’s also Black History month! In honor of Black History month, here are 5 facts you should definitely know about Civil Rights Movement hero Rosa Parks:

1. Her great-grandmother was documented as a Native American slave, which means that along with being African American, Parks was also of Cherokee and Creek Native American descent.

2. She’s most famous for not giving up her seat on a Montgomery bus to a white passenger, as African Americans were expected to do before the Civil Rights Movement. She was told that she was going to be arrested for her refusal and she stood her ground and continue to refuse.

3. On the 50th anniversary of her arrest, the bus seats behind the bus drivers were left empty in many U.S. cities to honor her protest.

4. She was the first women lain in state in the U.S. Capitol Building. She is an extremely honorable achievement to be lain in state, because it allows all government officials to pay their respects.

5. In 2013 she became the first African American woman to have a statue made depicting her that would be displayed in the National Statuary Hall in Washington D.C.

Happy Black History month everybody! Be sure to check out some of the other great spotlight articles on our site this week celebrating Black History.

Sources:

http://mentalfloss.com/article/565480/rosa-parks-facts

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_Parks

https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-rosa-parks

https://owlcation.com/humanities/Facts-About-Rosa-Parks

Black History Month Spotlight: Rosa Parks

1. Her great-grandmother was documented as a Native American slave, which means that along with being African American, Parks was also of Cherokee and Creek Native American descent.

2. She’s most famous for not giving up her seat on a Montgomery bus to a white passenger, as African Americans were expected to do before the Civil Rights Movement. She was told that she was going to be arrested for her refusal and she stood her ground and continue to refuse.

3. On the 50th anniversary of her arrest, the bus seats behind the bus drivers were left empty in many U.S. cities to honor her protest.

4. She was the first women lain in state in the U.S. Capitol Building. She is an extremely honorable achievement to be lain in state, because it allows all government officials to pay their respects.

5. In 2013 she became the first African American woman to have a statue made depicting her that would be displayed in the National Statuary Hall in Washington D.C.

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