> reporter: born in tuskegee, alabama, in 1913, she was the first child of james and leona macaulay. when they separated a few years later, rosa, her brother and mother went to live with her grandparents in rural alabama. young rosa quickly learned the ugly politics of race. one of the more painful lessons coming when this building was constructed as a school for white children. black children were left with poorly supplied, one-room schools. still, in spite of the indignities, rosa's family, especially her grandfather, sylvester edwards, taught her Get Live News Updates Every Minute from vimarsana.com Curated from 23000 News Agencies.">
> reporter: born in tuskegee, alabama, in 1913, she was the first child of james and leona macaulay. when they separated a few years later, rosa, her brother and mother went to live with her grandparents in rural alabama. young rosa quickly learned the ugly politics of race. one of the more painful lessons coming when this building was constructed as a school for white children. black children were left with poorly supplied, one-room schools. still, in spite of the indignities, rosa's family, especially her grandfather, sylvester edwards, taught her Get Live News Updates Every Minute from vimarsana.com Curated from 23000 News Agencies." property="og:description">
> reporter: born in tuskegee, alabama, in 1913, she was the first child of james and leona macaulay. when they separated a few years later, rosa, her brother and mother went to live with her grandparents in rural alabama. young rosa quickly learned the ugly politics of race. one of the more painful lessons coming when this building was constructed as a school for white children. black children were left with poorly supplied, one-room schools. still, in spite of the indignities, rosa's family, especially her grandfather, sylvester edwards, taught her Get Live News Updates Every Minute from vimarsana.com Curated from 23000 News Agencies.">
welcome back. this week marks an important moment in american history. it is the 55th anniversary of rosa parks' refusal to give up her seat on a city bus to a white man. >> of course we know a lot about that day but much less about the life that prepared rosa parks for that act of such quiet defiance. we turn now to the abc news vault and "20/20" from august 18th, 1995. >> reporter: born in tuskegee, alabama, in 1913, she was the first child of james and leona macaulay. when they separated a few years later, rosa, her brother and mother went to live with her grandparents in rural alabama. young rosa quickly learned the ugly politics of race. one of the more painful lessons coming when this building was constructed as a school for white children. black children were left with poorly supplied, one-room schools. still, in spite of the indignities, rosa's family, especially her grandfather, sylvester edwards, taught her