I was born 50 years
â
I was born 50 years after slavery, in 1913.
I was allowed to read.
My mother, who was a teacher,
taught me when I was a very young child.
The first school I attended was a small building
that went from first to sixth grade.
There was one teacher for all of the students.
There could be anywhere from 50 to 60 students of all different ages.
â
Meaning
This quote reflects on being born after slavery but still within segregation, and on how education from her mother shaped her early life.
About Author
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks was an American civil rights activist celebrated for her pivotal role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Her quotes often reflect courage, justice, and dignity. Parks inspires activists, students, and citizens to stand against injustice, embrace civic responsibility, and advocate for equality and human rights.
Related Quotes
â I have been refused entrance on the buses because I would not pay my fare at the front and go around to the rear door to enter. That was the custom if the bus was crowded up to the point where the white passengers would start occupying. â
This quote describes the humiliating customs of segregated buses, where Black riders paid but were still denied equal treatment and entry.
â Whatever my individual desires were to be free, I was not alone. There were many others who felt the same way. â
This quote means the desire for freedom was shared. Her struggle was part of a larger collective longing for dignity.
â I had felt for a long time that, if I was ever told to get up so a white person could sit, that I would refuse to do so. â
This quote means her resistance had been forming inside her long before the famous incident. She had already decided she would refuse that injustice.