Rosa and Raymond Parks. Married 45 years. They were married in 1932, meaning Rosa was only 19 years old at that time. Raymond was a member of the NAACP, actively supporting the efforts to raise money for the Scottsboro Boys case. While Rosa took on various domestic-type jobs to support their home, Raymond still encouraged her to complete her high school studies and earn her diploma. This was no small feat, considering that only a small percentage of Blacks had actually done this—especially in the Jim Crow South. Rosa would go on to make history when she refused to move from her seat on the Cleveland Avenue Bus on December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama.
How sweet is it that Rosa’s husband encouraged her to finish high school, even though he most likely knew that she would be subjected to menial jobs throughout her life? Way to go, Raymond—that was totally awesome of you.
