In 1931, Rosa Parks fell in love. But it was also the year she fell into activism, way before the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Not many of us know she worked on the Scottsboro Boys case, where nine Black boys were falsely accused of raping white women in Alabama. It was a whirlwind – but how did it all happen?
Her future husband, a barber named Raymond Parks, was the “first real activist [she] ever met.” Raymond organized on the Scottsboro Boys’ behalf, telling Rosa he would “never sleep well until they’re free.”
But that wasn’t a problem for her – she jumped along with him into a brand new world.
By the end of 1932, they were married. They raised money and attended secret midnight meetings with armed activists – and developed plans to save the boys from the death penalty. “I knew how dangerous it was,” she remembered.
Unfortunately, the Scottsboro boys weren't exactly all freed – they faced years of prison time, and three weren’t pardoned until 2013. But that didn’t mean it was time to give up.
From Recy Taylor to the bus boycott, there were still many more battles, and wins, ahead for Parks. Love introduced her to activism, but love for our people kept her doing the work. Nothing done out of love is ever done in vain!