A Girl Named Rosa

Lessons in Being Brave

One of the most important lessons Rosa learned from her grandparents was how to respect herself, even when others didn’t. Many white people didn’t want African Americans to have equal rights. In some states there were laws to keep black people separated from whites. They didn’t want African Americans to vote to change any laws. The laws told black people where they could live, shop, or sit in the movies. There were separate hospitals for blacks and whites, and in some states white nurses couldn’t treat black patients. Black people weren’t even allowed to walk into places using the same entrances as white people.

Across the country there were groups of white people who used violence to frighten, and sometimes hurt, black people. In Rosa’s community, gangs of white men wearing robes and masks sometimes attacked black people. They’d set fire to their churches, schools, and homes. The violence got so bad that many people did not feel safe. When Rosa was five or six, her aunt and cousins stayed at her grandparents’ house each night. They would board their windows so no one could break in, and the family kept clothes on in case they had to escape quickly. Rosa’s grandfather would sit up all night to protect his family. Watching him, Rosa learned to not be afraid of the dangerous or hardships she might face.