1 hour ago
1
The Birmingham Times
Rosa Parks became one of the faces of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s after her actions helped spark the Montgomery Bus Boycott. But Rosa once described her husband Raymond as “the first real activist I ever met” and credited him with inspiring her own work in the fight for justice.
Raymond Parks was born in Wedowee, Alabama, in 1903, the son of David, a carpenter, and Geri Culbertson Parks. He spent his childhood caring for ill family members and was orphaned as a teen. Though he never received a formal education, he taught himself to read and worked as a barber.
How Raymond Met Rosa
A mutual friend introduced Rosa and Raymond in the spring of 1931. Rosa thought that Raymond was “too white” because of his light skin, but was impressed by his character, defiant attitude, and activism. Raymond was an active member of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and was working to free the Scottsboro Boys, a group of nine young Black travelers falsely accused in 1931 of raping two white women in Alabama. He was also heavily involved in the Montgomery labor rights movement, supporting efforts to unionize day laborers in the city.
Raymond proposed to Rosa on their second date, and the two married on December 18, 1932, when Rosa was just 19 years old, and he was 29. Raymond encouraged his wife to get involved with the NAACP and other social justice organizations. Rosa, a domestic worker and seamstress, began working for the NAACP as a field agent and was elected secretary of the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP. She also investigated the 1944 gang rape of Recy Taylor, a Black woman who was attacked by six white men in Alabama. Additionally, the couple did work in the 1940s with the League of Women Voters to help register Black citizens to vote.
The Montgomery Bus Boycott
On December 1, 1955, Rosa was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, for refusing to give her seat to a white male passenger on a segregated bus. Four days later, on December 5, the Montgomery Bus Boycott began and lasted 381 days. The boycott brought Rosa national attention, and she’s today affectionately called the “Mother of the Modern Day Civil Rights Movement.”
Because of the high-profile Montgomery Bus Boycott, Rosa lost her seamstress job, and Raymond lost his job as a barber at Maxwell Air Force Base. They never found steady work again in Montgomery. In 1957, the couple moved to Hampton, Virginia, and later settled in Detroit.
In Detroit, Raymond operated a barbershop but the two continued their activist work fighting against housing discrimination in the 1970s.
Raymond died of throat cancer on August 19, 1977, at the age of 74.
Leaving a Legacy
Over the course of their 45 years of marriage, Raymond and Rosa Parks remained devoted both to each other and to fighting for first-class citizenship for people of color. They both encouraged other Black people to register to vote, pool their financial resources, advocate for quality formal education and become involved in community development.
In 1987, ten years after Raymond’s death, Rosa launched the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development in Detroit, which she started with the help of Elaine Eason Steele, who she said was like the daughter she never had.
The institute focused on helping youth reach their highest potential through hands-on experiences to build practical day-to-day living skills, cross-cultural exchange, and programs to teach young people history, ranging from the Underground Railroad to the civil rights movement and beyond.
Rosa Parks died on October 24, 2005, at the age of 92. She and Raymond left behind a legacy of two people who committed their lives to civil and human rights.
Built to Last: Share Your Love Story
What does lasting love look like? Maybe it’s handwritten notes tucked into lunch bags, dancing in the kitchen after a long day, praying together through hard seasons, or simply choosing each other again and again over the years. Whatever your story looks like, we want to hear it.
For years, the Birmingham Times has celebrated local couples and the love that binds them through our popular “You Had Me at Hello” column. Now, we’re looking for more inspiring stories of commitment, partnership, laughter, resilience, and romance.
Have you been married seven years or longer? Tell us the secret to your enduring love. No relationship is ordinary, and every couple has a story worth sharing. Your journey could encourage newlyweds, inspire singles, or remind readers that lasting love still exists.
Whether your love story began with a blind date, a high school romance, a chance encounter, or friendship that grew into forever, we’d love to feature it.
To be considered for a future “You Had Me at Hello” column or to nominate a couple you admire, email editor@birminghamtimes.com with the couple’s names, contact information, and the number of years they’ve been married.
