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This Wednesday, February 4, is Rosa Parks Day.

It marks the birthday of the woman often called the "Mother of the Freedom Movement."

Most of us know the story: On December 1, 1955, a tired seamstress refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, because her feet hurt.

But here is the truth that makes her legacy infinitely more powerful: Her feet didn't hurt.

Rosa Parks wasn't just "tired." She was prepared.

She was a long-time secretary for the NAACP. She had spent the previous summer at the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee, training in nonviolent civil disobedience. She knew exactly what she was doing.

As she famously wrote later: "The only tired I was, was tired of giving in."

This Wednesday, we aren't just celebrating a quiet lady on a bus. We are celebrating a strategic, brilliant, and courageous activist who changed the world on purpose.

Here is how to honor her legacy properly this week.

The Read: The Book That Corrects the Record

If you want to know the real woman—not just the quiet icon on the postage stamp—you need to read her definitive biography.

• The Book: The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks by Jeanne Theoharis.

• The Pitch: This book dismantles the myth that she was accidental or passive. It details her decades of activism before and after the bus boycott, including her work fighting for criminal justice reform. It is eye-opening, inspiring, and essential reading.
  Shop "The Rebellious Life" on Amazon

For the Kids: A Better History Lesson

How do you explain the concept of "Good Trouble" to a 7-year-old?

You need a book that respects their intelligence.

• The Pick: Rosa by Nikki Giovanni (Illustrated by Bryan Collier).

• Why it wins: The illustrations are stunning (Caldecott Honor winner). It tells the story with dignity and captures the tension of the moment without being scary. It is the perfect bedtime read to start a conversation about fairness and courage.
  Shop "Rosa" on Amazon

The Activity: The "Empty Seat" Reflection

We often wait for a "leader" to fix things. Rosa Parks reminds us that the leader is often just a regular person who decides to stay seated.

This Wednesday, take 5 minutes to ask yourself:

• Where am I just "going along to get along"?

• What is one small boundary I can set today that aligns with my values?

It doesn't have to be a national boycott. It can be saying "No" to a request that feels wrong, or speaking up for a colleague in a meeting.

Courage is a muscle. You have to exercise it.

The Legacy

Rosa Parks died in 2005 at the age of 92.

She was the first woman to ever lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

She proved that you don't have to be loud to be heard. You just have to be firm.

Happy Birthday, Mrs. Parks.

Keep Learning

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