Raymond Parks was a barber, a civil rights activist, and the husband of Rosa Parks, the woman who refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955. He was also a pioneer in the field of stock car racing, owning the first NASCAR championship car. Raymond Parks died of throat cancer on August 19, 1977, at the age of 74. This article will explore his life, his activism, and his impact on history.
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Early Life and Education
Raymond Parks was born on February 12, 1903, in Wedowee, Alabama, the son of David Parks, a carpenter, and Geri Culbertson Parks. He had 15 siblings and spent much of his childhood caring for ill family members. He was orphaned as a teenager and did not receive a formal education as there was no nearby black school where he lived. He taught himself to read with the help of his mother and had an appreciation for poetry.
Career as a Barber
Raymond Parks worked as a barber in various places, including Tuskegee, Montgomery, Maxwell Air Force Base, Hampton, Virginia, and Detroit, Michigan. He was skilled at cutting hair and had a loyal clientele. He also used his barber shop as a place to discuss politics and social issues with his customers and friends.
Involvement in the Civil Rights Movement
Raymond Parks was politically active and a member of the League of Women Voters and the NAACP. He was involved in leading the national pledge drive in support of the legal defense of the Scottsboro Boys, a group of nine young Black men falsely accused of raping two White women in 1931. He was also a charter member of the Montgomery NAACP and was heavily involved in the Montgomery labor rights movement, supporting efforts to unionize day laborers in the city.
Raymond Parks encouraged his wife Rosa to finish her high school studies and become active in the civil rights movement. He married Rosa on December 18, 1932, after proposing on their second date. They remained a devoted couple until his death in 1977.
Raymond Parks supported his wife’s decision to refuse to give up her seat on a bus to a White passenger on December 1, 1955, which sparked the Montgomery bus boycott. He also helped raise funds for her legal defense and bail. Due to his wife’s notable involvement in the boycott, Raymond Parks lost his job as a barber at Maxwell Air Force Base after his boss forbade him to talk about his wife or the legal case.
Contribution to Stock Car Racing
Raymond Parks was also a pioneer in the field of stock car racing. He owned Red Byron’s car that won the first NASCAR championship in 1949. He was known as the first team owner in stock car racing and had a passion for speed and competition. He sponsored several drivers and cars over the years and helped shape the sport’s development.
Death and Legacy
Raymond Parks died of throat cancer on August 19, 1977, at his home in Detroit. He was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit.
Raymond Parks left behind a legacy of courage, activism, and innovation. He was a man who fought for justice and equality for Black people in America. He was also a man who loved his wife and supported her in her struggle for civil rights. He was also a man who contributed to the history and culture of stock car racing.
In February 1987, the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development was established to honor their memory and vision. The institute provides educational programs and opportunities for young people to develop their potential and leadership skills.
Raymond Parks’ Barber License is in the permanent collection of the Library of Congress. In 2021, the Rosa and Raymond Parks Flat in Detroit (where they lived from 1961 to 1988) was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Raymond Parks was portrayed by various actors in films and TV shows about his life and his wife’s life. Some of them include Peter Francis James in The Rosa Parks Story (2002), David Rubin in Doctor Who: Rosa (2018), and Roger Guenveur Smith in Behind the Movement (2018).