Rosa Parks was an iconic figure in the American civil rights movement. She is best known for her refusal to give up her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955, which sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott. However, Parks had a long history of activism that started well before her defining moment on that bus. Looking into her early life and marriage provides insight into what shaped her into the courageous activist she became.
Rosa Parks’ Early Life
Rosa Louise McCauley was born on February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama. Her mother was a teacher and her father was a carpenter. They separated when Rosa was 2 years old and she moved with her mother to Pine Level, Alabama to live with her maternal grandparents. Her grandfather, Sylvester Edwards, was a strong influence in her life and played a role in her activism later on. Edwards was a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Rosa attended segregated schools as a child and noticed unfair treatment compared to the white students. She attended the Industrial School for Girls in Montgomery where she received a secondary education. After high school, she continued her studies at the Alabama State Teachers College in hopes of becoming a teacher. However, she was forced to drop out in order to care for her ailing grandmother and later her mother.
Rosa Parks’ Marriage
In 1932, at the age of 19, Rosa Louise McCauley met and married Raymond Parks. Raymond was a barber and also a strong activist for civil rights. He was a member of the NAACP and founder of the Montgomery chapter. The Parks were a politically active couple dedicated to racial equality.
Raymond proposed on Rosa’s very first day of work at a department store in downtown Montgomery. They were married on December 18, 1932 at her mother’s house. At the time of their wedding, Rosa was 19 years old and Raymond was 28.
| Person | Age at Time of Marriage |
|---|---|
| Rosa Louise McCauley (Parks) | 19 years old |
| Raymond Parks | 28 years old |
The nearly 10 year age gap between them was not uncommon at the time. Rosa herself stated that she believed Raymond’s relative maturity is what attracted her to him. He was serious, intelligent, and passionate about social justice at a time when Rosa was still developing her own identity and passions.
Married Life and Activism
Rosa and Raymond Parks were married for 13 years until his death from cancer in 1977. They did not have any biological children, though Rosa was close with her niece whom she helped raise. The couple shared a small house on Cleveland Avenue in Montgomery where Rosa lived until moving to Detroit in 1957.
During their marriage, Rosa and Raymond were heavily involved in civil rights activism through the NAACP and other groups. In 1943, Rosa became the secretary of the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP. She later served as an advisor to the NAACP Youth Council which organized sit-ins and other actions. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Rosa volunteered her time investigating cases of sexual assault against black women, helping raise money for justice, and pressing white authorities for action.
Rosa credits her husband with fostering her own sense of justice during their marriage. Raymond encouraged Rosa’s education and activism, even as society resisted the idea of an educated, politically active black woman. It was this grounding that led Rosa to make her stand on the Montgomery bus in 1955.
Rosa Parks After Raymond’s Death
Raymond Parks died of throat cancer on August 19, 1977 at the age of 74. Rosa was 64 years old at the time and continued activism work for several more decades after his death.
In 1987 at age 74, Rosa founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development to promote education and inspiration for youth. She published her autobiography, Rosa Parks: My Story, in 1992. Her later years were spent traveling and speaking to groups about civil rights until her death in 2005 at the age of 92.
Rosa lived a remarkable life fighting for justice and equality. Her nearly 14 year marriage to Raymond Parks influenced her tremendously in beliefs and activism. Though they did not have children, their legacy lives on through Rosa’s great courage and the movement she helped start when she refused to give up her bus seat in 1955 at the age of 42.
Conclusion
In summary, Rosa Parks was 19 years old when she married Raymond Parks in 1932. Raymond was 28 at the time, making a nearly 10 year age difference between the couple. Their shared passion for civil rights brought them together at a time when Rosa was developing her identity as an activist. Their marriage lasted 13 years until Raymond’s death in 1977. Rosa continued her groundbreaking work for racial equality in the second half of her life, leaving behind an incredible legacy. Examining her early marriage provides insight into the experiences and influences that shaped Rosa Parks into the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement” we know today.
