Rosa Parks — "I was arrested on December 1st, 1955 for refusing to stand up on the orders of t…"

"I do not advocate violence; nor do I condemn those who would use violence to protect themselves."

"I do the very best I can to look upon life with optimism and hope and looking forward to a better day, but I don't think there is any such thing as complete happiness."

"I had no idea when I refused to give up my seat on that Montgomery bus that my small action would help put an end to the segregation laws in the South."

"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, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. I was not old, al…"

"The only thing that bothered me was that we waited so long to make this protest."