by sitting she stood up.

October 24, 2005 7:05 PM

Rosa Parks, RIP
posted by amberglow (194 comments total)

... In one of her last lengthy interviews with the Detroit Free Press in 1995, she spoke of what she would like people to say about her after she passed away.

"I'd like people to say I'm a person who always wanted to be free and wanted it not only for myself; freedom is for all human beings," ...
posted by amberglow at 7:06 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by brundlefly at 7:07 PM on October 24, 2005

Was just about to post this too.

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posted by stopgap at 7:09 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by wheelieman at 7:10 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by id at 7:11 PM on October 24, 2005

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What an amazing woman.
posted by spinifex23 at 7:12 PM on October 24, 2005

Respect.
posted by cleardawn at 7:13 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by yhbc at 7:15 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by ericb at 7:16 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by VulcanMike at 7:16 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by deborah at 7:17 PM on October 24, 2005

An example of when the ordinary transforms into the truly extraordinary -- all in truth, all in grace.
posted by ericb at 7:18 PM on October 24, 2005

more from the Free Press, with excerpts from her autobiography--lots of great stuff there--...Mandela later told Keith that Parks was his inspiration while he was jailed and her example inspired South African freedom fighters. ...
posted by amberglow at 7:19 PM on October 24, 2005

But that one life lived to stand-up, so that others could live in equality and freedom.
posted by ericb at 7:20 PM on October 24, 2005

More coverage here, here, here, here here and here.
posted by tapeguy at 7:22 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by Stynxno at 7:25 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by caddis at 7:27 PM on October 24, 2005

Rosa Parks Scholarship Foundation
posted by amberglow at 7:29 PM on October 24, 2005

lets try to make this a thread of just periods nothing else after this .
posted by wheelieman at 7:29 PM on October 24, 2005

Wow. Faster than CNN....
posted by ParisParamus at 7:30 PM on October 24, 2005

and The Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development
posted by amberglow at 7:30 PM on October 24, 2005

I was just reading this article about the new Boondocks animated series which features "controversial" jokes about Rosa Parks. ("Sit down!" she yells at Parks. "That's what you're known for anyway.") I wonder if they'll have to pull the episode now...
posted by fungible at 7:32 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by CrayDrygu at 7:34 PM on October 24, 2005

She wasn't the first to do what she did, but that doesn't make it any less courageous.


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posted by spock at 7:35 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by Chanther at 7:36 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:36 PM on October 24, 2005 [1 favorite]

*salutes*

RIP, great one.
posted by jonmc at 7:37 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by pivotal at 7:37 PM on October 24, 2005

"Sister Rosa", by the Neville Brothers
From the album Yellow Moon

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
'Cause 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 God's children should walk
Until segregation was brought to its knees
And we obtain freedom and equality, yeah

Chorus

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

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posted by chuq at 7:37 PM on October 24, 2005

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RIP.
posted by gaspode at 7:38 PM on October 24, 2005

From Rita Dove's piece on Rosa Parks for Time Magazines 100 Heroes and Icons series:

"History is often portrayed as a string of arias in a grand opera, all baritone intrigues and tenor heroics. Some of the most tumultuous events, however, have been provoked by serendipity...One cannot help wondering what role Martin Luther King Jr. would have played in the civil rights movement if the opportunity had not presented itself that first evening of the boycott — if Rosa Parks had chosen a row farther back from the outset, or if she had missed the bus altogether."
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 7:39 PM on October 24, 2005

Aaron McGruder is a fan of controversy,which is why he wrote her in to the episode in the first place, but this might be too much too soon. Best pull the episode.

















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posted by furiousxgeorge at 7:39 PM on October 24, 2005

She put the face on the injustice.

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posted by five fresh fish at 7:41 PM on October 24, 2005

Something to think about: "The Myth of the Tired Rosa Parks" (PDF)
posted by spock at 7:44 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by Decypher at 7:45 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by kyleg at 7:49 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by nelleish at 7:50 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by realcountrymusic at 7:53 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by mai at 7:54 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by jepler at 7:59 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by fillsthepews at 7:59 PM on October 24, 2005

Thank You, Spock. I really dislike normal coverage or writing of Ms. park's life. She shouldn't be known as "the woman who got tired." She was politically active and much more savvy in public discourse than she is given credit for.

That fact makes her passing all the sadder.
posted by piratebowling at 7:59 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by jesourie at 8:00 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by DragonBoy at 8:02 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by stevejensen at 8:03 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by cogat at 8:04 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by alpinist at 8:05 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by MillMan at 8:06 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by tepidmonkey at 8:13 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by hughbot at 8:14 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by BaxterG4 at 8:15 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by tkchrist at 8:17 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by ugf at 8:19 PM on October 24, 2005

What was up with her suit against Outkast?
posted by soiled cowboy at 8:19 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by gurple at 8:20 PM on October 24, 2005

What are we going to do without these people to remind us?
posted by By The Grace of God at 8:24 PM on October 24, 2005

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A Movement for Rosa, for wind ensemble, by Mark Camphouse, performed by the USAF band.

Would that the rest of us were as daring in the defense of justice.
posted by musicinmybrain at 8:25 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by nola at 8:25 PM on October 24, 2005

Thanks spock.
A bit more context on Parks' activist background prior to the bus boycott.
" Before refusing to give up her bus seat, Parks had spent 12 years helping lead the local NAACP chapter. The summer before, Parks had attended a 10-day training session at Tennessee's labor and civil rights organizing school, the Highlander Center..."
posted by cushie at 8:26 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by Superfrankenstein at 8:27 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by trip and a half at 8:28 PM on October 24, 2005

requiescat in pace

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posted by AllesKlar at 8:30 PM on October 24, 2005

Rosa Parks is the answer to "What can one person do?"
posted by Cranberry at 8:31 PM on October 24, 2005

Another thing to think about: Rosa Parks associating herself with the Million Man March, led by the antisemitic Farrakhan and male-only.

Still...

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posted by ed at 8:33 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by wakko at 8:33 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by Ruki at 8:34 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by litlnemo at 8:35 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by fenriq at 8:35 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by H-Bar at 8:36 PM on October 24, 2005

We have lost a truly great American. Her simple act of defiance made our country a better place, and showed how any of us can make a real difference if we have the courage and conviction to do so. Thanks for mentioning the Highlander Center, cushie - I had planned to do that before I saw your link.
posted by wadefranklin at 8:39 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by grapefruitmoon at 8:39 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by Skygazer at 8:40 PM on October 24, 2005

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While I greatly respect the woman, I still need to say it...

"Unfortunately, there was a mix-up with the funeral arrangements... all the best plots were already taken, so she'd have to move to the back of the cemetary."
posted by insomnia_lj at 8:40 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by punch_the_mayor at 8:50 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by sugarfish at 8:56 PM on October 24, 2005

I never do this.

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posted by BackwardsCity at 8:57 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by lester at 8:57 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by pixelsmoke at 8:58 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by alteredcarbon at 9:01 PM on October 24, 2005

Rosa Parks Museum and Library
posted by Cassford at 9:01 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by scheptech at 9:04 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by May Kasahara at 9:07 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by MrBadExample at 9:08 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by cyrusdogstar at 9:08 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by scruss at 9:12 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by bunglin jones at 9:17 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by anomie at 9:21 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by Wufpak at 9:22 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by Mikey-San at 9:27 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by Astragalus at 9:29 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by pieisexactlythree at 9:31 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by matteo at 9:38 PM on October 24, 2005

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God bless her, and may she rest in peace.
posted by teferi at 9:44 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 9:47 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by jba at 9:50 PM on October 24, 2005

Rosa Parks is the answer to "What can one person do?"

Cranberry, you should read the PDF linked by spock. It was, in fact, what an entire community did, carefully choosing Parks as the perfect symbol. She wasn't even the first person to be arrested. By marshalling their forces, sticking together as a group over the course of a year of personal hardship, the community of Montgomery was forced to concede -- and the civil rights movement was given a morally energizing victory, one that still resonates today, where many others have been forgotten.

In many ways we don't have a language for community action; we need to have symbolic heroes.
posted by dhartung at 9:50 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by toxic at 9:57 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by Soliloquy at 10:00 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by oaf at 10:09 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by coldon at 10:18 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by Orrorin at 10:19 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by maryh at 10:21 PM on October 24, 2005

I mentioned this to my 16 yo daugter and she was very shaken. I feel good that Rosa Parks has that place in history, and at least some of America's youth revere her.

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posted by Danf at 10:27 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by thewittyname at 10:27 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by ubersturm at 10:31 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by Lynsey at 10:45 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by jonp72 at 10:45 PM on October 24, 2005

<3
posted by Eideteker at 10:46 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by mdeatherage at 10:47 PM on October 24, 2005

Rest well, Mrs. Parks... and thank you.

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posted by Aster at 10:47 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by entropy at 10:51 PM on October 24, 2005

but why did she not like that Outkast song?
posted by j-urb at 10:52 PM on October 24, 2005

I add my dot (.) to express my sincere condolences for her death




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posted by CRESTA at 11:03 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by phrostine at 11:18 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by furiousthought at 11:19 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by jenovus at 11:21 PM on October 24, 2005

A woman who did more good for more people through one simple inaction than most people will ever do in a lifetime.

A woman who, even outside of the one simple thing that has made her so well known, simply DID more good for more people than most people will ever do in a lifetime.

She will not be forgotten
posted by Stunt at 11:22 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by Rumple at 11:31 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by blastrid at 11:37 PM on October 24, 2005

She made America a better place. Thank you Rosa.

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posted by Loudmax at 11:40 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by Happydaz at 11:52 PM on October 24, 2005

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posted by Acey at 12:19 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by Kiell at 12:31 AM on October 25, 2005

She shouldn't be known as "the woman who got tired."
posted by piratebowling at 7:59 PM PST on October 24 [!]

I think that part of the story makes her all the more empathetic. Just a tired woman coming home and forced to stand. The dehumanization inherent in the act of making her (or anyone) stand up just because of her skin color becomes glaringly apparent.
She's just a human being, she gets tired, just like you. Why treat her differently?


That she pulled that symbol off while being such an organizer shows just how savvy she was.


Rest in peace noble one.


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posted by Smedleyman at 12:32 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by dazed_one at 12:38 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by vac2003 at 12:44 AM on October 25, 2005

With blisters on her feet, she walked the road each day
Montgomery, Alabama '55
Singing, "Justice is going to flow down like a river
Our children would no longer be deprived"

Rosa's heart was heavy, but she would never cry
For her people she would stand and hold the line
Armed with the power of songs and simple dignity
She swore, "The voice that would surrender won't be mine"

Woman singing a freedom song, woman showing us the way

Rosa never took that bus, but walked on through the rain
She prayed for the power to make her stand alone
Soon voices filled the streets from the country's back rooms
Spirits raised by the courage of just one

Rosa Parks had a dream and it lifted her
Of simply how much better life could be
She lit the flame and the fire is still burning
Inside every heart that's longing to be free

Luka Bloom, Freedom Song
posted by swordfishtrombones at 12:51 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by sambosambo at 1:26 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by DakotaPaul at 2:00 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by HuronBob at 2:20 AM on October 25, 2005

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A slightly different take on the Rosa Parks story

I think there are some people who like the idea of the whole bus boycott being founded on the idea of a tired, passive women who won't get up out of her seat because she's too tired to do so. At least, I think that's a good way to explain how the story has developed as it has. Rosa Parks wasn't old, she wasn't passive, and although she was a seamstress she was educated, a member of the NAACP and had just taken a race relations class a few days before her refusal to move.

And she wasn't sitting at the front of the bus, either. She was sitting in the front row of the "coloreds" section, the white section had filled up, and a white man wanted to force her to stand so he could sit. At that point she refused.

Rosa Parks' decision to stay seated was a political decision, not one taken lightly. And she should be thanked all the more for that.
posted by Deathalicious at 2:49 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by biffa at 3:07 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by michswiss at 3:28 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by alumshubby at 3:31 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by bouncebounce at 3:57 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by eriko at 4:13 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by jlkr at 4:23 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by darsh at 4:28 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by moonbird at 5:02 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by monkey!knife!fight! at 5:11 AM on October 25, 2005

I'm glad Rosa Parks dared to make the country I live in a better place. I live in a better country, thanks to Rosa Parks' actions and those like her.




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posted by Colloquial Collision at 5:16 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by headspace at 5:28 AM on October 25, 2005

Thanks for not making this a flamewar. Rosa you will live on.
posted by wheelieman at 5:29 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by Tarrama at 5:30 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by the cuban at 5:34 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by Benway at 5:38 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by OmieWise at 5:41 AM on October 25, 2005

:sigh:

The whole Outkast v. Rosa Parks thing.

"Rosa Parks" is a song on Outkast's Aquamini (1998). Her name appears nowhere in the actual lyrics of the song, though the chorus makes reference to moving to the back of a proverbial bus. Never-the-less, Rosa Parks sued to have "all references to her removed from future versions of the record." Outkast was dismissed from the suit in 2004, and a subsequent suit named BMG and Arista Records. The matter was settled in 2005 with an agreement that Outkast and their labels would develop educational materials in cooperation with The Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development.



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posted by grabbingsand at 6:10 AM on October 25, 2005

I met her as a kid in Alabama, she was the sweet, kind, grandmotherly little old lady you can imagine she was. RIP.
posted by Pollomacho at 6:13 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by graymouser at 6:22 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by prostyle at 6:27 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by infidelpants at 6:42 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by Faint of Butt at 6:43 AM on October 25, 2005

<3.
posted by gorgor_balabala at 6:50 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by warbaby at 6:52 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by Goofyy at 6:54 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by unreason at 6:55 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by killdevil at 7:10 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by kalimac at 7:19 AM on October 25, 2005

The Outkast lawsuit had nothing to do with Parks and everything to do with her court-appointed guardian.
posted by Saucy Intruder at 7:31 AM on October 25, 2005

What sad news to wake up to.
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posted by cookie-k at 7:41 AM on October 25, 2005

... Your legacy will live on in us and all those who we endeavor to touch.
posted by amberglow at 7:46 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by voltairemodern at 7:47 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by Miss Bitchy Pants at 7:48 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by mr.marx at 7:51 AM on October 25, 2005

Nor did she refuse to give up her seat because she was tired, as many in her legion of admirers told the story. She was not any more weary that day than usual.
"No," she said, "the only tired I was, was tired of giving in."

posted by matteo at 7:52 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by effwerd at 7:54 AM on October 25, 2005

Also see : "Rosa Parks Misremembered":

"Over the days to come, we'll hear a lot of very-much deserved prasie for Parks' refusal to abide bigotry and her courage in the service of a cause. Unfortunately, we'll also hear a new round of recitations of the stubborn myth that Parks was an anonymous, apolitical woman who spontaneously refused to yield to authority and in so doing inspired a movement."

In fact, she was the secretary for the Montgomery NAACP. She was a seamstress and an activist both.

A week priior to Rosa's famous, a pregnant black teenager had been arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white. Rosa would have been highly aware of that. She was the NAACP person Montgomery blacks went to with personal tales of racially based abuse.

Parks' act was courageous, but I wonder about that pregnant teenage girl who - it is very likely - gave Rosa her inspiration.
posted by troutfishing at 8:14 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by tristeza at 8:21 AM on October 25, 2005

what a woman.

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posted by mrplab at 8:21 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by mzurer at 8:32 AM on October 25, 2005

Indeed an inspirational figure whose influence can still be felt today, it is very sad that Rosa Parks has died. However -and this may seem a tad callous- it seems like people had been talking about Parks like she'd already been dead for decades. I mean, I know for me personally, if it weren't for that Outkast legal scuffle not too long ago, I probably would have forgotten she was even still alive until now.

regardless... RIP
posted by Malachi Constant at 8:44 AM on October 25, 2005

Her story is a great one in the simplicity of a single action as a catalyst for others, that's certain.

I remember as a kid, hearing the story - which I remember pretty correctly to be four black bus riders, and all four were asked to stand up to offer their seats to a packed bus of white passengers. All four paused, and only Rosa was the only one to not give her seat up.

Given the significance of the simple step I've always wondered, in sort of a petty bitchy way, how screwed out of success and attention do you think any of those other three black bus riders must have felt for doing nothing? I say this totally as a cow, trust me - but there has to be an extent of jealousy and bitterness there. No matter how noble the deed, there is always jealousy from others. It's a funny joke to think, at least. Has there ever been a profile of the three other black riders on the bus that day? Were their names recorded? Certainly their presence had to add to her courage; I somehow don't think she would have done what she did without other black riders on the bus at that day. You know?
posted by Peter H at 9:06 AM on October 25, 2005

Aha - I caught part of that name : the woman who refused to give up her seat a week prior to Rosa Parks' action :

The woman's last name was Coleman. I missed the first. Apparently, the NAACP had considered backing her for the legal challenge but it was decided that she had too many liabilities - notably she was an unwed mother.

So, the NAACP picked Rosa.
posted by troutfishing at 9:10 AM on October 25, 2005

Also, it's very funny to think that the simplicity of the action would have been ruined if another one of the bus riders stood in their seat out of protest, too. History and social movements reward the individuals, not the teams.

Also, yes, the Outkast Aquemeni album is wonderful. Highly recommended. I was surprised Rosa complained; I'm happy it's was her handlers and not her that did so. It's a great song.

(on preview, interesting point troutfishing)
posted by Peter H at 9:12 AM on October 25, 2005

Rosa Parks had, also, a prior record of acts of great courage - she had, for example, worked on compiling testimony of black women raped by white men : incendiary stuff for the time.
posted by troutfishing at 9:13 AM on October 25, 2005

I just heard a superb WBUR ( Public Radio out of Boston ) radio piece on Rosa Parks ( The show is "On Point" ) during which Thomas Brinkley added amazing biographical details from Parks' life.

She really was an amazing woman.
posted by troutfishing at 9:17 AM on October 25, 2005

When my girlfriend woke me at 6:30 this morning to tell me of the news, we held each other in a moment of silence. I see these dots here and it chokes me up. I'm at work, so I won't allow a tear to escape me, but thinking of her impact and her undying place in history makes me smile in my sorrow.
posted by JonasParker at 9:45 AM on October 25, 2005

Claudette Colvin
posted by amberglow at 10:11 AM on October 25, 2005

Rosa Parks is the answer to "What can one person do?"

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posted by elpapacito at 10:18 AM on October 25, 2005

One person can do Rosa Parks?

"Ah ha, hush that fuss, everybody move to the back of the bus..."

Sorry to see another of Detroit's treasures go.
posted by klangklangston at 10:31 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by taosbat at 10:34 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by edgeways at 10:42 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by Sijeka at 11:44 AM on October 25, 2005

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posted by daninnj at 12:25 PM on October 25, 2005

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posted by ktoad at 12:33 PM on October 25, 2005

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posted by wells at 12:36 PM on October 25, 2005

Rosa
by Rita Dove

How she sat there,
the time right inside a place
so wrong it was ready.

That trim name with
its dream of a bench
to rest on. Her sensible coat.

Doing nothing was the doing:
the clean flame of her gaze
carved by a camera flash.

How she stood up
when they bent down to retrieve
her purse. That courtesy.
posted by ronv at 1:57 PM on October 25, 2005

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posted by Finder at 2:14 PM on October 25, 2005

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posted by poorlydrawnplato at 5:38 PM on October 25, 2005

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posted by cbrody at 7:00 PM on October 25, 2005

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posted by robcorr at 7:47 PM on October 25, 2005

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posted by TheDonF at 3:34 AM on October 26, 2005

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posted by PY at 11:08 PM on October 31, 2005