Rosa Parks was born in Tuskegee, Alabama, on February 4, 1913, right before World War I. As a child she attended the Industrial School for Girls. Later, she went to the Alabama State Teachers College for Negroes.
Family
James and Leona McCauley were Rosa's parents. Rosa's mother was a teacher, and Parks's father was a carpenter. Her grandparents' names were Rose and Sylvester Edwards; Rosa's grandparents worked as slaves. After Rosa's parents separated, she and her mother went to live with her grandparents. When Rosa lived with her grandparents, she noticed that her grandmother was a patient, caring, but strong woman, while her grandfather hated white people.
On December 18, 1932, Rosa McCauley married Raymond Parks. Raymond Parks died on August 19, 1977. Raymond lost a hard fought battle against cancer that lasted for 5 years.
Health
As a child Rosa Parks experienced constant sickness. She always had fevers and sore throats. At the age of nine Rosa Parks had her tonsils removed. In her later years, she developed dementia before her death at age 92 on October 24, 2005.