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Oct. 26, 2005 We lost an American heroine this week. The Joan of Arc of the civil rights movement. Rosa Parks passed away. But, her legacy will never leave us. For a few moments on December 1, 1955, she reminded all of us that we are created equal with certain inalienable rights. Some people take a stand. She kept her seat. And, America has not been the same since, thank God. Bus #2857 is on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. But, Rosa Parks will always be #1 in our hearts when it comes to respecting all people regardless of race, color or religion. On that fateful day, the bus driver, James Blake, moved the "coloreds" sign back behind Ms. Parks and ordered her to move back behind it so a white man could have her seat. Rosa stayed parked. She did not budge. Later she wrote, "People always say I didn't give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn't true. I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. I was not old, although some people have an image of me as being old then. I was forty-two. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in." As a white man growing up in America, I could not even imagine what Rosa and her race had to endure before integration was enforced as law. My dad was in the military and I went to Catholic schools, mostly in California, so I was not exposed to the sickening racism of the 50's and early 60's. The idea of separate hotels, bathrooms, dining entrances, water faucets and bus seats were not a part of my experience. I remember talking to a black gentleman in Austin, Texas, who drove the shuttle to the airport. He told me that several times in his job he was not even allowed to touch the luggage of certain white people who did not want their belongings "contaminated." It made me nauseous to hear him say it. I never had a first-hand clue what minorities went through back then. Even though prejudice still exists, the laws supporting do not. The courage of Rosa Parks was extraordinary. The known story is that she was a seamstress. But, most people do not realize she was also the secretary to the NAACP in Montgomery, Alabama, the scene of her sit-in. She was a committed freedom lover and was willing to pay the price for her action. She was arrested and the publicity of the case, accompanied by a 381 day boycott of busing in Montgomery, spurred the Supreme Court. of the United States to rule segregated bus service was unconstitutional. Amen. One lady. Who was tired of being told to sit in the back of the bus because of the color of her skin, changed history forever. Heroes are sometimes born, but most of the time they are made. Rosa Parks made her heroism happen. Because of her courage, at the risk of imprisonment or even death, she erased a stigma that reflected badly on all Americans, no matter what our culture or color. Because of Rosa Parks, I am proud to be a citizen of this country and I would like to believe had I been on that bus, I would have sat with her. For there is no justice in prejudice and no comfort in compromise. Hatred out of fear is unjustified and intolerance out of ignorance is unacceptable. Rosa Parks was not just a woman who stirred my sense of fairness; she was a person who moved my soul towards wanting to follow her example of acceptance and fairness. Because she was "tired" of giving in to those who hated her color, I am spiritually renewed in believing no one is better than anyone else. Thank you, Rosa. There will be a golden throne for you in heaven to sit on. And, no one will ever ask you to move from it. ------------ About the author: Pat Hurley has won three Emmy awards for writing, hosting and producing television shows. He resides in Southern California. Email: coolhumor@sbcglobal.net Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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