The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

Ninety-seven years ago today, civil rights icon Rosa Parks was born in rural Tuskegee, Alabama.

Born Rosa Louise McCauley, this remarkable woman is remembered as the "mother of the modern day civil rights movement." Most famously, she gained national attention in 1955 when she refused to give up her seat to a White male on a Montgomery, Alabama city bus. With little more than a high-school education, Rosa Parks inspired a generation of activists to fight legal segregation in the United States.

Rosa Parks died on October 24, 2005. Today, we celebrate her legacy as a courageous leader and inspiring civil and human rights activist.