It’s Black History Month here in America and when you think about the folks who put their lives on the line in order to form a more perfect union, you can not help but think about the Godmother of the civil rights movement, Rosa Parks. She came, she sat, she conquered.

But what you might not know is that in 1994, our great American hero was robbed in her home and assaulted, leaving her in great need. Something else you might not know is that this quiet patriot came to her aid in a huge way and never, ever told anyone about it.

Following the death of Michael "Mike" Ilitch, the founder of Little Caesars Pizza, several of his acts of kindness have been revealed, including the fact that he paid Rosa Parks' rent for decades. Ilitch is described as someone who “was always there to give us whatever we needed because he wanted greatness and happiness for all of us.”

Sometimes it benefits the world to take a stand (or a seat) and other times it's the good deed gone unannounced that serves the world in all the right ways. We at The Upside are grateful for both.

Read the full article from Essence.com here.