I have today been contemplating

[polmaven]

the greatness of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as should we all, (and not only on this day set aside for his honor), and a question has entered my mind.

February 4, 2012, will mark the 99th birthday of the late, great Rosa Parks. She, with her incredible bravery, did so much to further....begin, even....the civil rights of African Americans in this country, and yet I am willing to put forth that very few, if any mention will be made of that event. I am willing to put forth that few mentions will be made on the 100th anniversary next year.

Why is that, do you think?

My own opinion is that it is her gender that is in the way. I am trying to come up with a single "DAY", much less a holiday, honoring a woman in this country.

Rosa Parks' legacy, IMHO, deserves to be honored in this country. I believe she literally and deliberately put her life on the line for every American, male, female, white, black or Asian.

I may be ranting because of all of the uproar regarding sexism we have been seeing in this forum during the past few days, but, well, it has been on my mind, and so I am putting it out for discussion here.

If I am off base, your opinions may help me to sort it out.


OK...Rant over!

[barbtries]

1. we son't have to wait long.

my money says she will be remembered. not with all the fanfare of MLK day, but not forgotten certainly.
i disagree that her gender is an issue. but that is just a feeling not prepared to argue one way or the other.

[Magoo48]

2. Pacifica Radio is replaying some of MLK's speeches today.

The first thought I had was...nobody speaks like this today. He was so unequivocal, so powerfully articulate behind his stance. No matter the listener's leanings, he went away knowing precisely where Martin stood. Today, everything that isn't completely bat-shit is so measured and so strained that it's painful to listen to.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. Her birthday falls during Black History Month

so don't worry...

There were and still are thousands, tens of thousands, and hundreds of thousands who were and still are unheralded in the cause for civil rights. She is more well known obviously, but no one should forget all the other "foot soldiers" who continue to labor on even today.

With respect to that "single day" of honoring a woman - "Mother's Day".

As FYI, Susan B. Anthony's birthday is February 15 and a number of states do have a holiday in her honor on her birthday:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_B._Anthony_Day


And at least she, Hellen Keller, and Sacagawea have had coins minted in their name. But so far, no Black women that I know of are or ever have been on a coin or on the Supreme Court for that matter.