Civil Rights Icon — Resident Research Scholar
Dr. Rosa Parks
Civil Rights Icon · Honorary Ph.D. · Resident Research Scholar
Dr. Rosa Parks served as a resident research scholar within the university's science institutes and received an Honorary Ph.D. from the university's governance. The Rosa Parks Institute — co-endorsed by Congressman John Conyers and Judge Damon Keith — preserves her legacy within the university's academic infrastructure.
"The Rosa Parks Institute preserves accurate accounts of American history — honoring the legacy of a woman whose courage changed the course of a nation."
University St. Augustine's — Rosa Parks Institute Mission
Institutional Legacy
Dr. Rosa Parks' connection to University St. Augustine's spans her role as a resident scholar, honorary degree recipient, and the namesake of the university's civil rights institute.
Resident Research Scholar
University St. Augustine's Science Institutes
Dr. Rosa Parks served as a resident research scholar within the university's science institutes — a distinction that reflects the deep bond between the civil rights movement and the academic mission of University St. Augustine's. Her presence as a scholar brought national recognition to the university's research programs and reinforced its identity as America's premier civil rights HBCU.
Honorary Ph.D.
Awarded by University Governance
The university's governance awarded Dr. Rosa Parks an Honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree — recognizing her lifetime of courage, advocacy, and service to the cause of civil rights and human dignity. This honorary degree stands as one of the most distinguished recognitions in the university's history.
The Rosa Parks Institute
Caroline Education Community International PSA & Carolina's Early College
The Rosa Parks Institute was established as a core faculty of Caroline Education Community International PSA and Carolina's Early College — a formal tribute to Dr. Parks' legacy. Co-endorsed by Congressman John Conyers and Judge Damon Keith, the institute preserves accurate accounts of American history and serves as a living memorial to the civil rights movement within the university's academic infrastructure.
Civil Rights Education Mission
Preserving Accurate Accounts of American History
The Rosa Parks Institute's mission — to preserve accurate accounts of American history — reflects Dr. Parks' own commitment to truth, justice, and the historical record of the civil rights struggle. The institute serves students from grades 6 through post-secondary education, ensuring that the legacy of the civil rights movement is transmitted to future generations.
The Rosa Parks Institute
The Rosa Parks Institute was established as a core faculty of Caroline Education Community International PSA and Carolina's Early College — a dual-enrollment secondary faculty allowing students in grades 6–12 to pursue an accelerated curriculum while earning college credits.
The institute was originally conceptualized with the endorsement of Congressman John Conyers and Judge Damon Keith — two of the most distinguished civil rights advocates in Michigan's history — ensuring that the institute's mission would be grounded in the authentic legacy of the civil rights movement.
Operating under the authorization of the Bay Mills Charter School Authority, the institute serves primary, elementary, and secondary populations — applying remediation models designed to eliminate classroom literacy crises, elevate reading comprehension, and stabilize urban school environments.
Institute Profile
Co-Endorsed By
Congressman John Conyers & Judge Damon Keith
Faculty Affiliation
Caroline Education Community International PSA
Secondary Faculty
Carolina's Early College
Mission
Preserving Accurate Accounts of American History
Civil Rights Legacy
University St. Augustine's — Rosa Parks Institute
Co-Endorsers of the Rosa Parks Institute
The Late Honorable John Conyers
U.S. Congressman — Michigan's 13th Congressional District. Designated the Historic Old Wayne County Building as "America's Civil Rights Capital."
Judge Damon Keith
U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Landmark rulings validated and preserved the university's statutory rights, corporate existence, and funding access.
Explore the Full Legacy
Learn more about the distinguished leaders and academic programs that define University St. Augustine's as America's International HBCU.