22 Rosa Parks Quotes To Inspire You To Stand Up For What You Believe In

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“I would like to be known as a person who is concerned about freedom and equality and justice and prosperity for all people.” - Rosa Parks

Ashley Ferraro

Remarkable Rosa Parks Quotes

In honor of #BlackLivesMatter, let's allow these mighty quotes encourage us to stand up for what's right. When Parks famously refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger back in 1955, she was arrested and made history. Today, we can look up to this inspiring woman as an example in our own lives.

These Rosa Parks quotes will allow us to be a little more courageous today and everyday. It's never easy to speak up in a world that seems to be against us, but it's always worth it.

Known as "the first lady of civil rights", we have a lot to learn from Rosa Parks. Let these quotes inspire you to be kind, compassionate, and most importantly, be true to yourself.

Inspiring Rosa Parks Quotes

  • "I believe there is only one race – the human race."

  • "You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right."

  • "As far back as I can remember, I knew there was something wrong with our way of life when people could be mistreated because of the color of their skin."

  • "I was a person with dignity and self-respect, and I should not set my sights lower than anybody else just because I was black."

  • "One person can change the world."

  • "People always say that I didn't give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn't true. I was not tired physically... No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in."

  • "Each person must live their life as a model for others."

Moving Rosa Parks Quotes

  • "I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear."

  • "I had given up my seat before, but this day, I was especially tired. Tired from my work as a seamstress, and tired from the ache in my heart"

  • "I would like to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free... so other people would be also free."

  • "To bring about change, you must not be afraid to take the first step. We will fail when we fail to try."

  • "Stand for something or you will fall for anything. Today’s mighty oak is yesterday’s nut that held its ground."

  • "The bus was among the first ways I realized there was a black world and a white world."

  • "Memories of our lives, of our works and our deeds will continue in others. All I was doing was trying to get home from work."

Encouraging Rosa Parks Quotes

  • "There is just so much hurt, disappointment, and oppression one can take... The line between reason and madness grows thinner."

  • "I paid the same fare as others, and I felt violated. I was not going back."

  • "I would like to be known as a person who is concerned about freedom and equality and justice and prosperity for all people."

  • "God has always given me the strength to say what is right."

  • "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."

  • "Have you ever been hurt and the place tries to heal a bit, and you just pull the scar off of it over and over again."

  • "I knew someone had to take the first step and I made up my mind not to move."

  • "I believe we are here on the planet Earth to live, grow up and do what we can to make this world a better place for all people to enjoy freedom."

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As far as I can remember, I have always thought of myself as 'colour blind' and I was proud. Whether it was because I had friends that looked different, were from different cultures, or had different beliefs, or because any person I disliked was due to their negative actions towards others. I have since learned that being 'blind' is not enough, that teaching my daughter to be blind is akin to doing nothing, and that we should be educating our children to SEE COLOUR and actively make sure our actions are always inclusive (while we are at it, not just to race). ⠀ ⠀ Moving forward, I will be doing my best to make the most effort as I can to teach my daughter about racism and how to actively fight against it (without violence). The first step to educate her is to make sure we have books that show all kinds of different people and walks of life. We have a few, but will definitely be making an effort to avoid misrepresentation when adding to our knowledge library (literal and not). @booksfordiversity has some great suggestions, and don’t forget to buy them from a small business owner instead of a big box store! ⠀ ⠀ I am still learning, I am still listening, I will always be a work in progress.⠀ ⠀⠀ I am doing my best, and when I learn better, I will do better too.⠀ ⠀ BlackLivesMatter #listeningandlearning #weareallone #raisingallies ⁣#strongertogether ⁣#silenceiscompliance #colourofchange #coloursofmamas #usingourprivilegeforgood #dobetter #RosaParks #littlefeminist #equalityforall #justiceforall ⠀

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