African-American civil rights icon Rosa Parks is best known for her refusal to give up her bus seat for a white rider in December 1955, which touched off a 381-day boycott of the bus system. Although she was portrayed in the media at the time as just a tired little old lady (an impression she intentionally maintained), Parks was actually an experienced activist and the secretary of the local Montgomery branch of the NAACP since 1943. This biography describes her birth in 1913, her childhood and education, and her political activities, and explores factors that contributed to Parks' decision to keep her seat that day, such as her family's attitudes towards segregation, violence against Blacks, and Supreme Court decisions. An introduction briefly reviews the little-known history of African American women's efforts to improve their communities, from the Civil War era onwards. The book contains numerous b&w historical photos and a timeline from 1896 to 2006. Hanson teaches history at California State University-San Bernardino. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)