On July 16, 1854, an African American woman named Elizabeth Jennings Graham defended herself and drove an all-white horse-drawn carriage. Just like Rosa Parks, she didn't back down when someone told her to leave. I don't know much about Graham, but I know she isn't mentioned in most history books. Rosa Parks is one of the most important figures of the civil rights movement, but many others have long been forgotten. Parks was very courageous and stood up for what she believed in. Why are others like Parks left out of history books and why are they not mentioned in schools today? I researched Graham to learn more about his contributions to the desegregation process. He played a very important role and I wanted to understand what exactly he did, how important he was and why he still is today, regardless of whether his story made it into the history books or not. Elizabeth Jennings Graham set a new milestone for the civil rights movement on a typical Sunday morning, whether she planned it that way or not. In that July of 1854, the 24-year-old school teacher was late to church. He was on his way to the First Colored Congregational Church on Sixth Street and Second Avenue to perform his organist duties (Biographicon.com). Accompanied by her friend Sarah Adams, Graham flagged down a carriage to reach her destination as quickly as possible. It didn't say "Black people allowed in this car," but she didn't have time to waste and didn't particularly care. As soon as they got on the tram, the conductor told them to get off and wait for the next tram meant for blacks, because this tram was for whites only. The women defended their position and sat down anyway, but the host said if there is one... middle of the paper... what she did is as important as what Rosa Parks did. Perhaps his story is simply darker and needs to be mentioned more often. Even though slavery is long gone and we now have a black president, racism still exists. However, Graham's contributions made people think twice about what they were doing and perhaps changed some minds. People like Graham are admirable and while she may not have made it into the history books, she will never be forgotten. Works Cited http://www.biographicon.com/view/yt0z7 http://www.nytimes.com/2005/ 13/11/nyregion/thecity/13jenn.html?_r=1&pagewanted=allAfrican or American? Black Identity and Political Activism in New York City, 1784-1861., Alexander, Leslie M., 2008 http://almostchosenpeople.wordpress.com/2011/03/22/chester-a-arthur-and-elizabeth-jennings/ http https://www.tribecatrib.com/news/newsjune07/jennings.htm