Rosa Parks’s family background is deeply rooted in the rural Black South and shaped her lifelong commitment to dignity and justice.

Immediate family and upbringing

Rosa Louise McCauley was born on February 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama, to James McCauley, a skilled stonemason and carpenter, and Leona Edwards McCauley, a teacher. Her parents separated when she was about two, so she grew up mainly with her mother and younger brother, Sylvester, on her maternal grandparents’ farm in Pine Level, Alabama.

Her grandparents, Rose and Sylvester Edwards, had been enslaved and were strong advocates for racial equality, which helped instill in Rosa an early sense of pride and resistance to injustice.

Marriage and later family life

In 1932, Rosa married Raymond Parks, a barber and self‑educated activist from Wedowee, Alabama, who supported her education and political work. The couple had no biological children but were close to extended family and later took in and helped raise a niece, Rena (often called “Rena McCauley”), treating her as part of their immediate household.

Extended family and legacy

Rosa’s extended family includes nieces, nephews, and descendants who have continued to speak about her legacy in books, interviews, and public events. A memoir titled Our Auntie Rosa: The Family of Rosa Parks Remembers Her Life and Lessons offers a personal look at her as a devoted aunt and role model within the family.

Rosa Parks family at a glance

[3][5] [5][3] [1][5] [7][5] [4][7]
Family member Relation to Rosa Key notes
James McCauley Father Carpenter and stonemason; parents separated when Rosa was young.
Leona Edwards McCauley Mother Teacher; raised Rosa and Sylvester in Pine Level, Alabama.
Sylvester McCauley Brother Younger sibling; grew up with Rosa on grandparents’ farm.
Raymond Parks Husband Barber and activist; married in 1932 and supported Rosa’s education and activism.
Rena (Rena McCauley) Niece / raised as daughter Lived with Rosa and Raymond; often described as their closest family.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.