• In 1965, Parris established, ran, and guided the community coalition that resulted in the construction of Colonial Drive Elementary school.

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• As the chief spokesperson for the Richmond Heights Citizens Committee, she organized and led the coalition that halted the construction of a de-facto segregated elementary school.

• In 1965 she presented a petition with 1,400 signatures from the residents of Richmond Heights and Colonial Drive to the Dade School Board.

• They demanded Colonial Drive be built instead of building Richmond Heights Elementary another segregated school.

• When the Dade School Board refused to meet their demands, she led the protest that halted the construction of Richmond Heights Elementary.​

• She and 200 others picketed the construction site and even went as far as circling bulldozers until they were forced to stop working

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• After continued protests, negotiations, and demands for an integrated elementary school for the children of Richmond Heights, Dade School Board dropped its plans to build Richmond Heights Elementary.

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• In 1966 Colonial Drive Elementary School was built instead. 

• It was  the first integrated school built from the ground up in South Dade County

• Parris' children were among the first attendees and the first Black safety patrols at Colonial Drive Elementary.

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