"I would just like to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free and who wanted others to be free too" (Modigliani). The words Rosa Parks used to describe her ultimate hopes for the legacy she would leave behind are simple but powerful. The fight for civil rights in the 1950s and 1960s was hard fought, although the results were long overdue. Rosa Parks, like many others, faced discrimination for much of her life. However, when she took action against it, the nation listened and she launched the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Rosa Parks influenced the civil rights movement by working to peacefully achieve equality. This peaceful approach proved successful, as the work and influence she exerted was essential to the outcome of the civil rights movement. The effects of segregation and discrimination shape a person's life. Rosa experienced the harsh reality of the unfair treatment reserved for African-Americans at a very young age. These experiences likely shaped his attitude towards the treatment of others and the rights everyone should enjoy when living in a free country (SV; SV). Rosa's family strongly believed that she should have the same opportunities as white people. His grandfather profoundly influenced his views on equality. He often made comments such as: "The one thing he wanted above all else was that none of his children or any of his relatives would have to cook or clean for the white people" (Dubovoy 89) . Rosa's childhood, like all childhoods of the era, was directly affected by racial discrimination....... middle of paper...... Rosa Parks created change in her Montgomery home , in Alabama, which has sparked change in other cities and states around the world. the country to reevaluate the social norms that limited people of the African American race, considered inferior to the white population of the United States. Although this fight began well before Rosa's birth, it was not until her actions, however peaceful, truly had an impact on the prejudices that had been in place since the birth of the country. Throughout her childhood, arrest, lengthy trial, and boycott, Rosa fought not only for her own rights, but also for those of past and future African American citizens. Its peaceful impact reminds us that change is not always the result of violent struggle but sometimes simply the result of standing firm. Even though punishment may be immediate, Rosa is an example that justice will always prevail..