Rosa Parks Quotes To Honor This Civil Rights Icon

There have been many women who have helped to change the course of history, and Rosa Parks is one of the most influential of all time. Since Dec. 1 marks Rosa Parks Day — as well as 61 years since Parks was arrested on Dec. 1, 1955 for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama — I've rounded up the most inspirational Rosa Parks quotes that are all the more proof of who she was as a woman and what she believed was worth fighting for. I promise you, this quotes are significant. You'll likely not only feel awed after reading them — you'll feel motivated to help make the world a better place yourself.

Everybody knows Parks' story, and that's because it's a story worth sharing. The amount of courage she showed by remaining in her seat even after the bus driver told her to move is astounding, and the impact it made on the Civil Rights Movement at the time was just as vital. Parks is truly a human we can all learn from.

I hope that everyone takes the time on Dec. 1 to reflect on Parks' story, and ideally, on their own future actions. Sometimes it takes someone great to inspire us all, and I know that I can say, without any hesitation, Parks is one of those great people. Read, reflect, and share these words of wisdom.

1. "I was born in the South, 50 years after slavery, when racial segregation was legally enforced. Racial pride and self-dignity were emphasized in my family and community because of the seeming insecurities and concerted efforts of many whites to make blacks feel and act inferior. I was, therefore, determined to achieve the total freedom that our history lessons taught us we were entitled to, no matter what the sacrifice. To this day I believe we are here on the planet Earth to live, grow up, and do what we can to make this world a batter place for all people to enjoy freedom. Differences of race, nationality or religion should not be used to deny any human being citizenship rights or privileges. Life is to be lived to its fullest so that death is just another chapter. Memories of our lives, our works and our deeds will continue in others." — Written For Life Magazine, 1988

2. "I am expected to be a first-class citizen. I want to be one. I have struggled hard." — Speaking To PBS, 1987

3. "At the time I was arrested, I had no idea it would turn into this. It was just a day like any other day. The only thing that made it significant was that the masses of the people joined in." — Published By USA Today, 2005

4. “I had the strength of God and my ancestors with me.” — Excerpted From The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks, 2013

5. "Racism is still with us, but it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and, hopefully, we shall overcome." — Spoken To Courtland Milloy, 1998

6. "I was not tired physically or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. I was not old, although some people have an image of me as being old then. I was 42. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in." — Written In Rosa Parks: My Story, 1999

7. "I’d like to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free and wanted other people to be also free." — Speaking To PBS, 1987

8. "Have faith, and let love, not fear, be your guide." — Spoken To Courtland Milloy, 1998

9. “If I did not resist being mistreated, [then] I would spend the rest of my life being mistreated.” — Excerpted From The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks, 2013

10. "I did not want to be mistreated, I did not want to be deprived of a seat that I had paid for. It was just time… there was opportunity for me to take a stand to express the way I felt about being treated in that manner." — Written In Rosa Parks: My Story, 1999

Images: Wikimedia Commons; Giphy