On December 1, 1955, a 42-year-old black seamstress named Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on an Alabama bus. Many view this quiet act of defiance as the beginning of the modern civil rights movement in America, but it would be a mistake to consider this Parks’ only contribution to the cause of racial equality. This month is the perfect time to learn more about this fascinating and revolutionary woman.

Check out a biography about her.