Rosa PARKS Respect/Commeroration Thread

[UTUSN]

Thank you, Miss PARKS.

[DanCa]

1. (moment of silence)

:hug:

[thinkingwoman]

2. May she RIP

and get the seat of honor on her next journey.

[ronnykmarshall]

88. That was beautiful.

Got my tear ducts going again.

[Booster]

3. A truly remarkable woman. Rest in peace, Ms. Parks.

[Walt Starr]

4. Thank you, Ms Parks. Your courage shall shine as a light for eternity.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

41. Courage and Determination

[UrbScotty]

5. Thank you for making our country a better place.

Though you're gone, may your legacy live forever.

[UTUSN]

7. You Said It n/t

[cry baby]

6. A courageous leader, rest in peace.

[BeHereNow]

8. I met Rosa Parks in 1998.

The heart of the world now has a
big hole due to her leaving us.
She was a HUGE spirit and we are
so blessed that she walked among us
during our lifetimes.
May each of us carry her light into the world.

BHN

[UTUSN]

14. You *Met* RP??? Wow! Condolences to You n/t

[BeHereNow]

18. Condolences to me?

Sorry, I don't follow you.
The loss is not mine personally, the
loss belongs to each and every one of us,
Don't you agree?
BHN

[UTUSN]

26. That's Why It's So Personal n/t

[Erika]

15. You are so lucky

She led her life in one classy manner. A true heroine.

[BeHereNow]

22. It was really wild meeting her-

She had been a hero of mine since I was
a little girl.
I went to a Gospel brunch at the House of Blues
in Hollywood.
She was there with a Church Group of some type.
I was sitting on the ground floor with friends and
looked up in the balcony. She was staring at me-
I mean she burned a hole in the back of my head.
She waved and smiled at me, like she knew me- it was really strange.
After the show, I went backstage to say hello to the
musicians who invited me to the show.
There she was again! Waving and smiling at me
from across the room like I was her long lost best friend.
She came across the room to me and gave
me this great big hug- the whole thing blew me away.
Everyone assumed she knew me, but trust me,
I had never met her before. I think I would have
remembered that.
Long story short, we talked for about a half an hour
and frankly, it changed my life forever.
I truly believe she was some sort of Saint.
BHN

[ClintonTyree]

49. What a great story.....

you were lucky to have met and talked with her. Isn't it funny how an event like that can have an everlasting affect on your life? Just like Rosa's refusal to give up her seat, your chance meeting has forever changed your life. I pray you carry on her spirit as best you can in everything you do. :hi:

[Teena]

57. You were so lucky...

I would loved to have met Rosa Parks. People like her are so deeply inspirational.
It is tuly sad that in today's world, not only are we not far enough away from the days of racial descrimination, we are now swimming in a sea of corruption and hate between those who don't see eye to eye on a range of issues. One might think our experience with race problems would have taught us something about getting along better.

[ronnykmarshall]

90. Oh wow! That's so cool.

I agree, she was a Saint.

[peekaloo]

9. Salute.

:patriot:

RIP to a great American.

[Erika]

10. As a child she opened my eyes to racism

I couldn't simply believe that a person could be sent to the back of the bus or ordered to give up their seat based on their skin color. It utterly shocked me and also infuriated me.

She had guts and self-respect. I admire her extremely. We need more of her type.

[skiddlybop]

11. We will always be grateful, ma'am,

for the way you stood up, to your own peril, to say that this country must have only one class of citizenship, first class.

[NoPasaran]

12. Rosa Parks, a great American

Rest in Peace

[Individualist]

13. Rest in peace, Rosa

A very brave lady.

[zulchzulu]

16. Thank you, Sister Rosa...RIP

The Nevilles said and sang it best...

Sister Rosa Parks
by The Neville Brothers
D. Johnson, C. Moore, C. Neville, C. Neville, Jr., J. Neville
L. Neville Irving Music, Inc. obo Neville Music, Inc.
Johnson Music; Wm. Claffey & Associates
(p) 1989 A&M Records
Courtesy of A&M Records under license from Universal Music Enterprises

December 1, 1955, our freedom movement came alive. And because of Sister Rosa you know, we don’t ride on the back of the bus no more.

Sister Rosa Parks was tired one day
after a hard day on her job.
When all she wanted was a well deserved rest
Not a scene from an angry mob.
A bus driver said, "Lady, you got to get up
cuz a white person wants that seat."
But Miss Rosa said, "No, not no more.
I’m gonna sit here and rest my feet."

Chorus
Thank you Miss Rosa, you are the spark,
You started our freedom movement
Thank you Sister Rosa Parks.
Thank you Miss Rosa you are the spark,
You started our freedom movement
Thank you Sister Rosa Parks.

Now, the police came without fail
And took Sister Rosa off to jail.
And 14 dollars was her fine,
Brother Martin Luther King
knew it was our time.
The people of Montgomery sit down to talk
It was decided all gods’ children should walk
Until segregation was brought to its knees
And we obtain freedom and equality, yeah

Chorus
Thank you Miss Rosa, you are the spark,
You started our freedom movement
Thank you Sister Rosa Parks.
We’ll sing it again
Thank you Miss Rosa, you are the spark,
You started our freedom movement
Thank you Sister Rosa Parks.

So we dedicate this song to thee
for being the symbol of our dignity.
Thank Sister Rosa Parks.
Chorus 2x

[deminks]

17. We will always remember your courage, Sister Rosa.

May your soul rest in the Almighty's hands.

[cal04]

19. Thank you Rosa Parks . You will never be forgotten. Rest in Peace

[Faygo Kid]

20. A great Detroiter who belonged to all of us.

Proud to share the same city with Rosa Parks for so many years.

[DearAbby]

21. Rest in Peace Dear Lady...Your actions has made it a better world

[Pepper32]

23. Thank-you for all you have done. R.I.P. Ms. Parks

:cry: You will be missed.

I am truly stunned right now.

I always knew she would leave us one day but it doesn't make it any easier. :(

[brettdale]

24. Well done

Thank you for what you did for civil rights.

[Ilsa]

25. Rest In Peace Ms Parks. You made the world a better place

for everyone!

[Az]

27. She was as nice as she was important to our history

Met her on a number of occaisions and she was always the epitomy of grace. She will be missed.

[CottonBear]

28. Thankk you Miss Parks. You are an American Heroine!

:hug: I loved you!

[newscott]

29. Thank you for your courage.

[DeepModem Mom]

30. A secure place in history! Thank you, Rosa Parks.

[shraby]

31. May she rest in peace.

[goclark]

32. You were a gift to the world

Such grace under pressure.

You taught me to always stand up for what I believed in.

You taught me that a person could be small in stature and be a beacon of Justice for millions of people.

Your living was not in vain.

Rest, rest, rest in peace.

[OneBlueSky]

33. Sister Rosa Parks . . . by the Neville Brothers . . .

Sister Rosa Parks

December 1, 1955, our freedom movement came alive. And because of Sister Rosa you know, we don’t ride on the back of the bus no more.

Sister Rosa Parks was tired one day
after a hard day on her job.
When all she wanted was a well deserved rest
Not a scene from an angry mob.
A bus driver said, "Lady, you got to get up
cuz a white person wants that seat."
But Miss Rosa said, "No, not no more.
I’m gonna sit here and rest my feet."

Chorus
Thank you Miss Rosa, you are the spark,
You started our freedom movement
Thank you Sister Rosa Parks.
Thank you Miss Rosa you are the spark,
You started our freedom movement
Thank you Sister Rosa Parks.

Now, the police came without fail
And took Sister Rosa off to jail.
And 14 dollars was her fine,
Brother Martin Luther King
knew it was our time.
The people of Montgomery sit down to talk
It was decided all gods’ children should walk
Until segregation was brought to its knees
And we obtain freedom and equality, yeah

Chorus
Thank you Miss Rosa, you are the spark,
You started our freedom movement
Thank you Sister Rosa Parks.
We’ll sing it again
Thank you Miss Rosa, you are the spark,
You started our freedom movement
Thank you Sister Rosa Parks.

So we dedicate this song to thee
for being the symbol of our dignity.
Thank Sister Rosa Parks.
Chorus 2x

by The Neville Brothers
D. Johnson, C. Moore, C. Neville, C. Neville, Jr., J. Neville
L. Neville Irving Music, Inc. obo Neville Music, Inc.
Johnson Music; Wm. Claffey & Associates
(p) 1989 A&M Records

[AntiCoup2K4]

34. Thank you, Ms. Rosa Parks, for standing up for what was right.

...for having the courage to face the fascist beasts who oppressed you and acted as though it was normal to believe that some were less than human based on nothing more than skin pigmentation.

Your courage inspired others, not the least of whom was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Be sure to tell him all of us at DU say "Hello". Jesus and Ghandi too. And Jack & Bobby. And John Lennon. And all the others whose lives were cut short because they dared to speak up.

And send us down some of that courage so we can take on the monsters we deal with today, for they want us to stay in the back seats even now.

Rest In Peace, dear lady O8)

[FreedomAngel82]

35. Rest in peace

Never forget! One person can change the future.

[nofurylike]

36. rest in peace Ms Parks

my admiration and gratitude are beyond expression


peace...

[AlGore-08.com]

37. RIP Miss Parks, a truly great American

[Bernardo de La Paz]

38. Rosa Parks made every human a bit more free.

[KT2000]

39. An icon for us

Thank you Ms Parks. You changed the world. You gave us all the example of courage that we should aim for. You were the best of America.
Rest in Peace.

[DarkTirade]

40. Astounding what one little "No." can do.

[MessiahRp]

42. Truly the fighting spirit of Miss Parks...

set the tone for the fight that eventually opened up civil rights to all... even if we can probably always still do better. Thank you for not moving to the back of the bus and helping to move all minorities to the forefront of American justice.

I find it weird when I ride the bus and see kids fighting to sit in the back considering the struggle that occurred in the past over it, but I suppose the best way to look at it is that without Rosa Parks those kids wouldn't have had a choice of where they could sit. It would be whites in front, blacks in back. Hopefully all future generations will learn of and appreciate her struggle and maybe give that some thought when deciding their seat on any public transportation, at any restaurant, or any place in public in general.

Rp

[Skidmore]

43. Well done, Miss Parks.

Thank you for your life well lived.

[MoJoWorkin]

44. She was a light for us all to follow.

There are no words of admiration that can do her justice.

Just look at her face---that smile-- so much beauty, courage and strength in such a petite frame. Big things DO come in small packages.

May she be forever in all our hearts and minds.

[DaytonOHDem]

52. MoJoWorkin that is exactly what I was thinking,

look how beautiful she is and she has the sweetest smile. Who would have thought that this woman who looks like she wouldn't hurt a fly would be the one to get this nation to take notice of the injustice of so many people all those years ago. She is my hero. What a lady.

[Michael_UK]

45. Rest in peace

[ScreamingMeemie]

46. As long as one person speaks your name, you will never die...

Let's make sure we never stop speaking of her. :cry:


For once Mayor Kwame speaks well.

[RepublicanElephant]

47. thank you rosa...

for trying to make this country live up to its promises.
:patriot:

[ClintonTyree]

48. She stood up by sitting down........

I can't take credit for that quote but it certainly is fitting. I actually remember the incident that propelled her into the spotlight. I was a child of five years but, growing up in the north, couldn't understand all the controversy about a woman sitting on a bus. It wasn't until years later that I realized the significance of what she'd done. A brave and wonderful woman, her work throughout her life for racial equality should never be diminished, but she will always be remembered for that single act of defiance that awoke a nation from it's segregated slumber. Today's youth would do well to study her life and the conditions she and so many others lived through during those fledgling days of racial equality.
I'm not a believer in the christian dogma, but if ever there was a woman deserving of a place in heaven, Rosa Parks would certainly fit the bill.
May she rest in peace.

[bklyncowgirl]

50. A true American Hero, Rest in Peace nt

[bliss_eternal]

51. What Rose taught me.

Rosa Parks taught me that anyone can make a difference. She taught me that no matter what your sex or ethnicity, no matter where you live and what obstacles face you--you can make a difference, even when you don't suspect that you will.

You taught me Ms. Parks, that standing up is frequently as easy (or as difficult) as saying,"no."

If not for Rosa Parks there would have been no boycott. Without her actions, Martin Luther King, jr., and all the people she inspired with her act of defiance we would not have had the civil rights movement in this country. If not for that--it would still be illegal for me to be married to my husband.

Thank you Rosa Parks for standing up for all of those that were to come after you--for showing us all what it means to stand up to tyranny, injustice, abuse and maltreatment under the law in the United States of America.

If Heaven exists, I know that you are there. You've finally returned to claim the status you earned here on earth--angel of the weak, the oppressed and all of those that could not, speak for themselves.

Thank you, dear Rosa Parks--I feel that I will eternally be indebted to you for the life I have today.

...May you rest in peace, Rosa Parks.

[Wetzelbill]

53. RIP

[desi]

54. RIP Sweet Gentle Lady

You walk side by side once again with Rev Martin Luther King.

[seeker4ever]

55. and the memory of conservative racism's roots fade...

just like WWII. We loose more living monuments to the truth. Rosa, you kicked ass ma'am! Rest In Peace.

[Mad_Dem_X]

56. Rest in peace, Miss Parks, and thank you

for everything you have done. God bless you. O8)

[swimboy]

58. Dim the lights. Miss Rosa Parks has passed.

Among the most significant men and women of the 20th century. Her courage and determination brought down an institution of ignorance and bigotry. She embodied the power of doing the true and right thing in the face of evil and wrong. Many have been compared to her but her act and impact was singular. She was a blessing to us all.

[BrklynLiberal]

59. An amazing woman. An incredible example to all of us..one quiet moment

of courage can change the world.

[recovering democrat]

60. Thank you for your HARD WORK

Great perspective on this lady from this Kos diary, titled Rosa Parks, Misremembered says it better than I can: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/10/25/34313/055

Key message - "The myth of Parks as a pre-political seamstress who was too physically worn out to move has such staying power not because there's any factual basis but because it appeals to an all-too popular narrative about how social change happens in America: When things get bad enough, an individual steps up alone, unsupported and unmediated, and spontaneously resists. And then an equally spontaneous movement follows. Such a myth makes good TV, but it's poor history.

Movement-building takes hard work, no matter how righteous the cause or how desperate the circumstances.

The pivotal moments of the 60's civil rights movement, as Morris recounts in his book, were not random stirrings or automatic responses. Most of them were carefully planned events which followed months of organizing and were conceived with an eye to political tactics and media imagery. There were even some long meetings involved."

This perspective details the reality of Rosa Parks deserving of our respect. Let us honor ALL the hard work that Rosa Parks put into her life and into the civil rights movement... and

keep it in mind as we face today's challenges also!

[klook]

71. Rosa Parks was a long-time political activist

True, she was a brave individual. But she was also an active participant, with many others, in the Civil Rights struggle. In 1932, she and her husband, Raymond Parks, joined the campaign to save the "Scottsboro Boys," nine young black men convicted--on highly questionable grounds--of the rape of two white teenagers near Scottsboro, Alabama. (The defendants all eventually won their freedom, but it took nearly 20 years to overturn their convictions.)

Rosa Parks was a member of the NAACP at a time when that in itself was a dangerous act in the middle of Klu Klux Klan territory. She was Secretary of the Montgomery branch of the NAACP from 1943-1957, and organized the local Youth Council of the NAACP. She was in the process of organizing a youth conference for the NAACP at the time of her arrest on Dec. 1, 1955.

So the popular image of an ordinary working woman who just suddenly decided not to give up her seat on the bus is completely false.

By the way, she didn't sit down in the White section, either, as the story is often told. She was sitting in the "Colored" section of the bus and refused to give up her seat to a white man when the White section was full. (Three other black passengers relented when the bus driver told them to get up, but Rosa Parks refused.)

I'm looking forward to putting Montgomery Bus Boycott postage stamps on a lot of letters when the "To Form a More Perfect Union" series is issued by the Post Office:


I hope now there will be a national memorial to her, a postage stamp of her own, and maybe even a national holiday on December 1.

[brainshrub]

61. A life well spent.

When someone like Rosa Parks dies, it's bittersweet. On one hand, she lived a long, useful and loving life... on the other, she is no longer with us.

[tamtam]

62. Thank you

For standing up for us.

[Spacemom]

63. Amazing Woman

We need more like her.

[Tsiyu]

64. She set an example for all of us

She had more courage than most, at a time when standing up for herself meant certain abuse by her government and many of her fellow Americans.

But her humanity pushed her to say, "I am just as worthy as you are. I AM the same as you. You WILL treat me with respect. You WILL think about the consequences of your prejudice and your hatred for your fellow man."

She made a difference because she would not accept the abuse.

We could all use more of her brand of bravery.

RIP Fine Lady. :patriot:

[wildeyed]

65. Thank you for your courage and your vision.

Thank you for helping to teach me how to be the best person I can be. How standing for something is, in the end, all you really have and all you will be remembered for. How a small, seemingly insignificant act of courage of can save the world.

[Craig3410]

66. Sorry to see her go.

It's amazing how something as simple as refusing to get up out of a seat could change the world.

The world is a better place thanks to her.

[cloudythescribbler]

67. Extended Comments on Rosa Parks

The key issue to remember about Rosa Parks, in light of various tendencies to rewrite her heroic role in history and to subtly distort it, is that she was always an activist, part of a team, part of a movement and not just someone who spontaneously happened to be too tired to get up.

The spontaneity idea, found in folk songs and exaggerated to varying degrees in movies about her, belies a richer if less readily comfortable truth that she was long a leading activist for Civil Rights, being pictured in a famous foto of Civil Rights leaders in the 40s on the Lincoln Memorial, and having trained at the famous organizers' school in rural Tennessee where Dr King also trained.

There was a case, before Rosa Parks, of a younger person who had been arrested for a similar offense that she ultimately stepped up to the plate to do; but this case was marred by the potential whiff of (subjectively defined) scandal in a the crucially culturally conservative middle class leadership of black Montgomery. Rosa Parks was selected, hand picked by her colleagues, as the perfect test case. She was frail, not young, and had a squeaky clean record. There was nothing anyone could say about her that would disturb the most hidebound of conservative preachers. No beads or lesbian liberation or anything like that -- it was self-conscious respectability all the way. That's how the Civil Rights movement organized, it is how they thought, and it is how they won.

Her role as an organizer fulfilling a role may be less cinematic than some images, but it reminds us of the reality that only careful planning and strategic thinking ever got the greatest citizens' movement of the last half-century anywhere. Talk to any veteran of the Civil Rights movement -- I don't mean people like my parents who participated (as whites) at the fringe. I mean the day to day full time organizers and leaders. They don't reason from cachet; they don't get caught up in this weeks inside-the-beltway gossip. They don't nurture pie-in-the-sky notions that have no possible relevance or impact on ordinary people's lives. And they are not naive about the nature of power or organizing. I have my differences with that approach to politics (mine is a lot less orthodox), but theirs is a way that cannot but be respected, and brought to bear every time we see the wisdom that those organizers had as a matter of course lacking all around us.

Rosa Parks was an organizer whose actions were undertaken in the coldest and savvyest of pragmatic calculations, for the good of freedom on the part of people who were in the struggle for the long haul. To honor her, we must never forget or slight that truth.

[klook]

73. Great post--thanks. (n/t)

[ewagner]

68. Reposted from the first thread

JFK said in his inauguration speech in 1961 (in part)

"The energy we bring to our endeavors will enkindle a flame and the light from that flame will surely enlighten the world."

Truly, Rosa Parks enkindled a flame that enlightened a country.

I am proud to say that I got to teach my son the story of Rosa Parks when we first traveled through Montgomery, Alabama and drove on Rosa Parks Boulevard. It's a part of history that is treated only as a footnote today but it should be taught as a lesson in citizenship; as a lesson in courage; as a lesson in human dignity. Because that's what it was.

RIP Rosa Parks.

[lumberingbear]

69. Gutsy Lady, gentle soul

Rest in Peace Miss Parks.

[melissinha]

70. she worked for Conyers

from Wikipedia:

She moved to Detroit, Michigan in the early 1960s and served on the staff of U. S. Representative John Conyers (D-Michigan) from 1965 until 1988.

I had no idea.

Rest in peace, dear woman. O8)

[myrna minx]

72. Thank you for inspiring a nation to action.

May you rest in peace. :patriot:

[jasmeel]

74. Parks integrity is (was) a rare national treasure

I hope she is remembered as a woman of integrity and conviction and those traits are highlighted in any remembrance of her.

[wryter2000]

75. Amen to that

What we need to do now is make sure to continue the struggle that she did so much to start.

[shadowknows69]

76. The Neville Brothers had a song honoring Rosa

"Thank you sister Rosa, You Were the spark. For starting our freedom movement. Thanks you sister Rosa Parks."

Good chance I have the lyrics messed up it's been a while since I heard it.

[jasmeel]

77. 1956 Rosa Parks interview! Listen and enjoy!

What a great lady and a great interview! There's more of the interview
at Democracy Now's website.

Read interview here: http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/10/25/141 ...
Listen here: http://www.democracynow.org/streampage.pl

ROSA PARKS: I left work on my way home, December 1, 1955, about 6:00 in the afternoon. I boarded the bus Downtown Montgomery on Court Square. As the bus proceeded out of town on the third stop, the white passengers had filled the front of the bus. When I got on the bus, the rear was filled with colored passengers, and they were beginning to stand. The seat I occupied was the first of the seats where the Negro passengers take as they -- on this route. The driver noted that the front of the bus was filled with white passengers, and there would be two or three men standing. He looked back and asked that the seat where I had taken, along with three other persons, one in a seat with me and two across where I was seated. He demanded the seats that we were occupying. The other passengers there reluctantly gave up their seats. But I refused to do so.

I want to make very certain that it is understood that I had not taken a seat in the white section, as has been reported in many cases. An article came out in the newspaper on Friday morning about the Negro woman overlooked segregation. She was seated in the front seat, the white section of the bus and refused to take a seat in the rear of the bus. That was the first newspaper account. The seat where I occupied, we were in the custom of taking this seat on the way home, even though at times on this same bus route, we occupied the same seat with whites standing, if their space had been taken up, the seats had been taken up. I was very much surprised that the driver at this point demanded that I remove myself from the seat.

The driver said that if I refused to leave the seat, he would have to call the police. And I told him, “Just call the police.” He then called the officers of the law. They came and placed me under arrest, violation of the segregation law of the City and State of Alabama Transportation. I didn't think I was violating any. I felt that I was not being treated right, and that I had a right to retain the seat that I had taken as a passenger on the bus. The time had just come when I had been pushed as far as I could stand to be pushed, I suppose. They placed me under arrest. And I wasn't afraid. I don't know why I wasn't, but I didn't feel afraid. I had decided that I would have to know once and for all what rights I had as a human being and a citizen, even in Montgomery, Alabama.

And I was bond bailed out shortly after the arrest. The trial was held December 5 on the next Monday. And the protest began from that day, and it is still continuing. And so, the case was appealed. From the time of the arrest on Thursday night, and Friday and Saturday and Sunday, the word had gotten around over Montgomery of my arrest because of this incident. There were telephone calls from those who knew about it to others. The ministers were very much interested in it, and we had our meetings in the churches. And being the minority, we felt that nothing could be gained by violence or threats or belligerent attitude. We believed that more could be accomplished through the nonviolent passive resistance, and people just began to decide that they wouldn't ride the bus on the day of my trial, which was on Monday, December 5.

[bloom]

78. Dec. 1, 1955 - almost 50 years since the day of her arrest.

I'll bet there were some people who agreed with her cause who said it was the wrong thing to do. Getting attention - breaking the laws - sometimes that's what has to be done.

To Rosa Parks and all past and future people who make a stand(sit) for what's right.

"Rosa Parks was known as the queen mother of the movement. She sat down so that her people could stand up," Lowery said Monday night from his home in Atlanta."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051025/ap_on_re_us/rosa_parks_alabama_3;_ylt=An6X8sOwa5ilX5QapJ9ilQxhKZ4v;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

[TNOE]

79. No doubt an angel from above

R.I.P.

[bostonbabs]

80. because of her courage she left the world a better place....

[SeanQ]

81. Thank you

:toast:

[ultraist]

82. Thank you Rosa Parks!

http://montgomery.troy.edu/museum/busboycott.htm

In Honor of Courage

The Struggle...
In the long struggle against segregation, there was only one "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement." In 1955, a 42-year-old African-American seamstress engaged in a simple act of civil disobedience that launched a pivotal event in the civil rights movement. The seamstress was Mrs. Rosa Parks. The act of disobedience was refusing to yield her seat on a public bus to a white man. The pivotal event was the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Her quiet courageous act changed America, its view of black people and redirected the course of history. Rosa Parks is a symbol to all Americans to remain free.

The Boycott...

On December 5, 1955, four days after her arrest, Mrs. Parks was found guilty and the Montgomery bus boycott began. In response to her conviction, the African-American community in Montgomery boycotted the city bus line. Instead they walked or banded together to organize alternate transportation. The boycott continued strong until 381 days later when the United States Supreme Court ruled the segregation of bus service to be unconstitutional.

[poverlay]

83. Rosa was the bravest and most admirable symbol in the battle

for civil rights. She has well earned her rest. Go in peace and serenity Rosa...

You will be missed.

[Gemini Cat]

84. RIP Ms Parks

She was my friend. I did not know her personally, but she was my friend.
Thank-you and rest well Ms Parks. You will be missed.

[PegDAC]

100. She joins those

Who are gone in the fight for justice.


Many's the hour I've lain by my window
and thought of the people who carried the burden
Who marched in the strange fields in search of an answer
And ended their journeys an unwilling hero

Here's a song to those who are gone with never a reason why
And a toast of the wine at the end of the line
And a toll of the bell for the next one to die

Back in the coal fields of old Harlan county
Some talked of the union, some talked of good wages
And they lined them up in the dark of the forest
And shot them down without asking no questions

Here's a song to those who are gone with never a reason why
And a toast of the wine to the end of the line
And a toll of the bell for the next one to die

And over the ocean, to the red Spanish soil
came the lincoln brigade with their dreams of a victory
But they fell in the fire of Germany's bombing
And they fell 'cause no one would hear their sad warning

Here's a song to those who are gone with never a reason why
And a toast of the wine at the end of the line
And a toll of the bell for the next one to die

In old Alabama, in old Mississippi
Two states of the union so often found guilty
They came on the busses, they came on the marches
And they lay in the jails or they fell by the highway

Here's a song to those who are gone with never a reason why
And a toast of the wine at the end of the line
And a toll of the bell for the next one to die

The state it was texas, the town it was Dallas
In the flash of a rifle a life was soon over
And nobody thought of the past million murders
And the long list of irony(?) had found a new champion

Here's a song to those who are gone with never a reason why
And a toast of the wine at the end of the line
And a toll of the bell for the next one to die.

-Phil Ochs

Rest well, great lady.


:toast: :patriot:

[SeattleRob]

85. RIP

To a great woman who had more courage than most of our current crop of Democratic Party leaders could ever imagine.

Thank you, Rosa!

[Bluzmann57]

86. Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King

They will always be linked in history. Mrs. Parks for refusing to move, Dr./Reverend King for rallying to her cause. How many thousands did they inspire and move? RIP Rosa Parks.

[Sandpiper]

87. She was the proverbial butterfly who started an avalanche

By beating her wings.

RIP Ms. Parks.

You will ever be a reminder to all of us that one person can change the world.

[readmoreoften]

89. Thank you, Ms. Parks, RIP n/t

[Festivito]

91. An honor seat remains in my heart. /nt

[elaineb]

92. A hero and symbol of courage to millions in the US

and billions around the world.

Thank you for helping to bring about such a huge and long overdue change in the conscience of this nation.

God bless you.

[butterfly77]

93. God Bless

May you rest in peace.

[katinmn]

94. Rosa Parks' legacy: Personal Empowerment

I've been aware of Rosa Parks my whole life. I was born two days after the Montgomery Bus Boycott ended so the civil rights movement is something I grew up inside of, or I should say, I grew up on the periphery of the movement.

I was a little more aware of segregation and racism than other kids growing up in lily white northern Minnesota. Not much, but a little. In the early 1950s my parents lived in Alabama when my dad was serving in the Army.

My mom got tears in her eyes when she told me how adult African American men would step off the sidewalk or cross the street so as not to cross paths directly with a white woman when she was walking down the sidewalk. She told me incredulous stories about separate restrooms and drinking fountains marked "Whites Only." It was hard for me as a child to believe it. Even now it makes me both sad and angry to know that our country was that segregated such a short while ago.

I have always sensed that after moving back to Minnesota my parents carried some shame and sadness because of the way whites treated blacks, particularly in the south.

Having experienced the south as "outsiders" just before Rosa Parks challenged the whole nation, my parents knew and taught me that she was a strong, brave and visionary woman and they spoke very highly of her.

Rosa Parks leaves us a legacy of personal empowerment.

Nobody gives it you. You take it.

[WI_DEM]

95. Thanks for refusing to give up your seat

and making it possible so people of color aren't forced to sit in the back of the bus--unless they want to. Your courageous action truly opened the door to the civil rights movement nationally.

[SeanQuinn]

96. Rosa:

You're in a much better place, and I'd like to thank you for bettering life for the future generations of ALL people.

Hopefully there will be more people who will proverbially stay seated in the years to come.

You are an American hero, thank you.

[Cha]

97. Thank you, Rosa Parks, for all

you've done for our history! O8) May you Rest In Peace, now.

[ignatius 2]

98. Farewell to a courageous woman who will be an inspiration to

generations of Americans for many years.

Godspeed,Ms. Parks, may you rest in peace.

[PegDAC]

99. I'm happy that

she got to live for the dedication of the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery this past weekend.
:cry:

[wanpete]

101. Thank you Ms. Parks, for helping me to have many of the rights I

cherish today. Your courage and sacrifice helped build a new America. May you rest with the Heavenly Father in sweet peace...

[journalist3072]

102. Thank you for the gift

When I think of the mothers and fathers of the civil rights movement (Rosa parks, Martin Luther King, John Lewis, etc) I think of the incredible gifts they left us.

And I wonder: what will be my generation's gift to the next generation?

So to Ms. Rosa Parks: I simply say thank you for the gift. Because you sat down, I can stand up and be proud.

Matthew 25:21 (KJV)--

His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

[Mister Ed]

103. Look for her in every African-American face you see tomorrow

They will look to you like ordinary people, just as she looked.

They have all born the same weight she bore.

They have all faced what she faced - all day, every day, throughout their lives.

Extend to each of them the same awe and admiration that you feel for her.

Tomorrow and always, that is the way to honor the memory of Rosa Parks.

[wanpete]

105. Wow Mr. Ed...what a beautiful and profound statement.

thank you. I find great pride and honor in your words. I would only hope more people could see the importance of what you have stated. That is the true legacy of Rosa Parks. She forced America to see African Americans as people.

kick for your sentiment and deep understanding of the meaning of this beautiful life.

[DemonFighterLives]

104. Rest In Peace Rosa!

Thank you for all you've done.

[LWolf]

106. Thank you, Rosa.

May your memory continue to inspire us for generations to come.

:loveya:

[FizzFuzz]

107. Deepest Respect and Appreciation for Ms. Parks

easy to forget that the world is also filled with brave and honest people too.

Happy trails, Ms. Parks....come back soon! :hi:

[AnneD]

108. I have been dreading this day....

the old guard civil rights leaders are dying off and there are fewer leaders to fill their shoes. It is a sad day.