Seventy years ago this past Monday, the American people witnessed a defining moment in American history, a moment of defiance, dignity and courage that changed the nation and the world.
Feeling “fed up” and having made up her mind to never move again, Rosa Parks was arrested on Dec. 1, 1955 for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger, thus violating a Montgomery, Ala., law for segregated seating on buses. Following the infamous Plessy Supreme Court in 1896, which established the separate-but-equal doctrine, that racial segregation had become the “Southern solution” to the problem of the races, giving additional emphasis to the notion that Black lives didn’t matter.
Additionally, by 1955, the 42-year old Parks was a member of the NAACP and was involved in the civil rights issues in Montgomery. Later that year on Dec. 1, the plan was put into motion with Rosa Parks taking her seat on the front line for change, having made up her mind to never again. She later said, “It was time for someone to stand up or, in my case, to sit down.”
By refusing to give up her seat, the country witnessed a true American patriot demonstrate her devotion to the betterment of our nation, making America stand up to the ideals of liberty and justice for all. And with the subsequent conviction of Mrs. Parks and with the backing of the NAACP, the Black community in Montgomery formed the Montgomery Improvement Association with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as president, launching him into national prominence.
After several mass meetings, Blacks were asked not to ride the buses to work, to town, to school, or anywhere, thus setting the stage for the Montgomery Bus Boycott, campaigning to end segregation while opening the first chapter in the Civil Rights Movement, also known as the Freedom Movement.
Armed with nonviolence and patience, the boycott organizers engaged in fundraising, organized carpools and conducted weekly church meetings, with much of Montgomery coming out in support of Rosa Parks. The next year, in December 1956, the Supreme Court ruled that Alabama’s laws requiring segregation in public transportation was unconstitutional, while striking a serious blow to the “Southern solution” to the problem of the races — racial segregation. So, what started out as just another arrest proved to be anything but another arrest. Parks’ arrest became a pivotal catalyst for social change in America, eventually leading to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights of 1965.
Later in life, after moving to Detroit, Rosa Parks served on Congressman John Conyers’ staff for 23 years. And in 1999, President Clinton recognized Mrs. Parks with the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor, the highest honor awarded to an American civilian. Rosa Parks died at the age of 92 on Oct. 24, 2005.
Today, as we pause to remember Rosa Parks, let us summon enough courage to speak up and defend what we know to be right.