Rosa Parks is often referred to as the grandmother of the civil rights movement due to her pivotal role in challenging racial segregation in the United States. Her refusal to give up her bus seat to a white passenger on December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and became a symbol of the fight against racial injustice. Parks' courage and determination inspired countless activists and positioned her as an icon in the struggle for civil rights and social justice, earning her lasting recognition and respect in American history.