Rosa Parks

A Positive Deviant
When I think of the term positive deviant and who one is, I think of many people. There is one woman in particular who stands out in my mind, Rosa Parks. Some people may think of her negatively because of her refusal to obey the law, but to me, it was for a good cause. Rosa Parks is known as the “First Lady of Civil Rights” and the “Mother of the Freedom Movement”. Before she became so well known, she was labeled as an unknown seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama. The reason she became “famous” was for refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white passenger. She initiated a new era in the American quest for freedom and equality. Back in those days, the Whites and African Americans were segregated almost everywhere. They were split up on the bus. She refused her seat because she was in the “black” section on the bus. She didn’t feel that it was right to have to move. This started a whole movement on civil rights. Her act of defiance began a movement that ended legal segregation in America, and made her an inspiration to freedom-loving people everywhere. The boycott by Mrs. Parks led to the formation of the Montgomery Improvement Association, led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It called for a boycott of the city owned Bus Company. This boycott lasted 382 days and brought them world-wide attention. Rosa Parks caused a change to the racial discrimination in the South and all over the world. She passed away in 2005, but is still remembered to this day. Many people look up to her as a positive deviant. She has taught many people that you need to stand up for yourself and what you believe in. She changed the lives of many African Americans. Her courage has changed so much and inspired many people.