Raymond Parks’s Barber’s License
Raymond Parks did not receive a formal education as there was no nearby black school to attend. He taught himself to read with the help of his mother Geri. An avid reader, he cultivated a thorough knowledge of current events and an appreciation for poetry. He held several jobs before moving to Tuskegee, where he learned barbering. He was working at the Atlas Barber & Beauty Shop in downtown Montgomery and was active in the Scottsboro Boys’ defense when he met Rosa in 1931.