Rosa Parks Quote

I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear.

- Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks

(February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005)

She was an active member of the American civil rights movement and fought for anti-segregation and human rights throughout her life. Among her most famous incidents, she was arrested in 1955 for refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a bus, an incident that sparked Montgomery Bus Boycott.

The U.S. Congress later called her the "mother of the modern civil rights movement". She was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1999 for her years of dedication and efforts.

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Case that trigger the boycott: Rosa Parks & Montgomery Bus Boycott

On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Parks refused to obey bus driver James Fred Blake's order to give up his colored seat to a white passenger when the white seat was full, and was eventually taken away by arriving police officers and later convicted.

The days after arrested

After being arrested, Parks became an icon of the civil rights movement, but she and her husband lost their jobs as a result. She later encountered various difficulties and blows that forced her to quit the civil rights movement.

She devoted herself to the civil rights movement and to education until the death of a family member who became seriously ill and founded a foundation to provide financial support to high school students. Even though her health deteriorated, she continued to make frequent appearances and contributions.

Why we will have fear?

When we want to achieve our goals, there are many reasons why we feel afraid. We fear unknown difficulties, fear of power over you, and any other factor that makes you fail.

Like Rosa Parks, when she wanted to work for the civil rights movement, the forces that opposed her and the obstruction of those whose rights were affected by her actions may be her "fear".

Her determination to promote the civil rights movement made her unafraid of being silenced by power or opposition. Like the case that sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, she chose to fight for her rights rather than follow that unfair demand.

As Rosa Parks did, if we set a goal, we need to make up our minds. Once our determination to achieve a goal is greater than our fear of failure or opposing forces, the fear will naturally diminish. In the end, it's about our mental health and change.

How to make up our mind?

Do your preparation

Once you want to make a decision, you need to do a lot of research and thinking first. Know that your choice or goal is what you really want and is the right thing to do. This trust in your choice will help you make up your mind.

Plan for failure

Instead of fearing the possibility of failure, we should plan for as many possibilities of failure as we can imagine. If we prepare and plan for failure, we will no longer feel afraid.

Support from like-minded people

Before we make any decisions, we face many different voices, both for and against. Suffering from chronic opposition can negatively affect us and can put a lot of stress on our mental health. Therefore, finding like-minded people can be a great help in making up our minds.