Jeanne Theoharis 'How History Got The Story Of Rosa Parks Wrong'

History is similar to a game of telephone; stories can be altered and meanings stretched. Jeanne Theoharis, a professor of political science, wanted to prevent this with the story of one notable historical figure, Rosa Parks. In her article, “How History Got the Story of Rosa Parks Wrong”, Theoharis contradicted the popular belief that Rosa Parks was quiet or shy by describing the true rebellious nature of Parks. This article was published in the Washington Post. In the historical analytical article, “How History Got the Rosa Parks Story Wrong”, Jeanne Theoharis wrote to persuade the reader that Rosa Parks was not quiet or shy as most secondary sources claim her to be. Theoharis supported this using evidence, word choice, and reasoning.

Theoharis included information about Parks’s involvement with the Civil Rights Movement. When describing Parks’s heritage in the movement, Theoharis touched upon how Parks, “...joined the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP in 1943”(1). Theoharis supports her claim of Parks’s rebellious nature by mentioning the NAACP in Parks’s life. This is relevant because especially in southern states, many African Americans feared being associated with Civil Rights organizations. This demonstrates that Parks did not fear association with civil rights. Theoharis used evidence about who Rosa Parks saw as a leader and example. The author indicated that Parks, “...called Malcolm X her personal hero”(1). This shows that Parks supported a more controversial and militant civil rights leader. The fact that Parks openly called

Theoharis used strong descriptions to make her argument. When describing the way in which history warped Parks’s impression, Theoharis stated that Parks had been, “...stripped of political substance”(1). By describing the public image of Parks as devoid of political substance, Theoharis gave a dramatic impression of the way in which secondary sources removed many segments of the Parks who was actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement. Theoharis also brings in the lack of realistic controversy in the ‘processed’ Rosa Parks story. By using ‘stripped’, Theoharis makes the lack of political substance seem unnatural and forced. Theoharis powerfully associates certain occurrences with characteristics of Parks. When mentioning the way in which the outlook on Rosa Parks’s actions had changes, Theoharis mentions, “The righteousness of her actions…”(3). By describing Parks’s actions as righteous, Theoharis further defied the belief that Rosa Parks was quiet. Theoharis associated bravery and heroism with Rosa Parks, and this counteracted the implications of secondary sources. The author included interpretations of Parks’s actions to further support her argument. Theoharis stated that Parks’s, “...radicalism never weakened”(4). Theoharis created an image of an ever-fighting Parks. Her use of the word “radicalism”