ROSA PARKS, WHO IS KNOWN AS THE "MOTHER" OF THE AMERICAN
CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, TRAVELED FROM HER HOME IN
MICHIGAN TO WASHINGTON, D-C, (THIS WEEK) TO RECEIVE
(3/12/97) THE LATEST OF MANY AWARDS.
ON DECEMBER FIRST, 1955, AN AFRICAN AMERICAN SEAMSTRESS
IN MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, REFUSED TO STAND UP AND
SURRENDER HER SEAT AT THE FRONT OF A BUS TO A WHITE MALE
PASSENGER AND MOVE TO THE BACK - AS THE LAW THEN STATED
SHE MUST DO. SHE WAS ROSA PARKS, AND NOW, WHEN SHE
ENTERS A PUBLIC GATHERING, EVERYONE STANDS UP AND
APPLAUDS HER, AS A SIGN OF RESPECT.
SEVERAL STANDING OVATIONS GREETED MRS. PARKS IN
WASHINGTON, WHEN SHE ACCEPTED A LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
AWARD FROM THE AMERICAN PUBLIC TRANSIT ASSOCIATION.
ANOTHER WELL-KNOWN FIGURE IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT,
JOSEPH LOWERY, THE PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN
LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE - WHO IS ALSO CHAIRMAN OF THE
BOARD OF THE ATLANTA, GEORGIA, METROPOLITAN RAPID
TRANSIT AUTHORITY - PRESENTED THE AWARD:
"FEW PERSONS WHO LIVE ON THIS PLANET ARE CHOSEN TO
CHANGE THE COURSE OF HISTORY. JOAN OF ARC, MOTHER
THERESA, HARRIET TUBMAN, SOJOURNER TRUTH ARE NAMES THAT
COME TO MIND. BUT WE CAN'T STOP THERE; WE MUST ADD THE
NAME OF ROSA PARKS. HER BODY REMAINED IN HER SEAT, BUT
HER SOUL STRETCHED UP TOWARD HEAVEN, AND THE COURSE OF
HISTORY WAS CHANGED."
TRANSPORTATION PLAYED A LARGE ROLE IN THE STRUGGLE FOR
CIVIL RIGHTS. AFTER THE ARREST OF ROSA PARKS, AFRICAN
AMERICANS - AND SOME WHITE SYMPATHIZERS - BEGAN
BOYCOTTING PUBLIC BUSES IN MONTGOMERY, TO PROTEST THE
STATE AND CITY LAWS THAT REQUIRED BUSES TO SEGREGATE
PASSENGERS BY RACE. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JUNIOR, WAS
APPOINTED SPOKESPERSON FOR THE BUS BOYCOTT, WHICH LASTED
OVER A YEAR. FINALLY, IN LATE 1956, THE U-S SUPREME
COURT HELD THE SEGREGATION LAWS INVALID AS VIOLATIONS OF
THE CONSTITUTION'S 14TH AMENDMENT, AND ONCE MORE
REJECTED THE DOCTRINE OF 'SEPARATE BUT EQUAL FACILITIES'
THAT HAD PREVAILED SINCE THE 1800S.
AT THE AWARDS CEREMONY, FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATOR
GORDON LINTON, ONE OF THE TOP FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS, CITED THE ROLE OF BUSES,
TRAINS, SHIPS AND OTHER MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION IN
HELPING PEOPLE REACH "THE PROMISE OF AMERICA." AND MR.
LINTON, WHO IS AFRICAN AMERICAN, SAID MRS. PARKS' ACTION
CERTAINLY MADE A PERSONAL DIFFERENCE FOR HIM:
"BECAUSE SHE CHOSE TO SIT WHERE SHE SAT, I CAN STAND
WHERE I STAND."
MR. LINTON SAID A MYTH HAS EVOLVED THAT ROSA PARKS ACTED
BECAUSE HER FEET WERE TIRED. THIS WASN'T REALLY THE
REASON, HE SAID, POINTING OUT THAT AT THE TIME, SHE AND
HER HUSBAND WERE ACTIVE IN THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR
THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE, THE NATION'S OLDEST
CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION.
"NOT BECAUSE HER FEET WERE TIRED, BUT BECAUSE SHE WAS
TIRED. NOT PHYSICALLY TIRED, BUT SHE WAS TIRED OF
SEEING PEOPLE ABUSED, TIRED OF SEEING PEOPLE
DISRESPECTED, TIRED OF SEEING PEOPLE DENIED THEIR
OPPORTUNITIES, THEIR BIRTH-GIVEN RIGHT, TO PARTICIPATE
IN THE FRUITS OF THIS COUNTRY."
WHEN SHE ACCEPTED HER AWARD, ROSA PARKS - NOW A TINY,
WHITE-HAIRED LADY OF 84 - LOOKED BACK ONLY BRIEFLY TO
THAT DAY IN 1955, AND TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS PROGRESS THAT
HAS OCCURRED SINCE.
"I'M JUST GRATEFUL THAT I HAVE BEEN SPARED TO SEE THIS
DAY."
INSTEAD, MRS. PARKS SPOKE OF THE PRESENT, AND ASKED FOR
SUPPORT FOR THE ROSA AND RAYMOND PARKS INSTITUTE FOR
SELF DEVELOPMENT WHICH SHE FOUNDED IN 1987 WITH THE GOAL
OF HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE AGES 11 TO 17 ACHIEVE THEIR
HIGHEST POTENTIAL. AND SHE LOOKED TO THE FUTURE:
"WE STILL HAVE PROBLEMS AND WE STILL HAVE CHALLENGES TO
FACE, SO I AM GLAD TO BE ABLE TO STAND BEFORE YOU AND
SAY THAT I AM GOING TO FACE WHATEVER CHALLENGE WE HAVE."
OVER THE YEARS, ROSA PARKS HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS
HONORARY DOCTORATE DEGREES AND HUNDREDS OF OTHER AWARDS,
INCLUDING THE HIGHEST AWARD GIVEN TO A U-S CITIZEN, THE
MEDAL OF FREEDOM. THIS LATEST CEREMONY CONCLUDED WITH A
CHALLENGE BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE CONFERENCE OF MINORITY
TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS, RONALD BARNES, TO EVERYONE
PRESENT:
"HOW MANY MRS. PARKS DO WE HAVE IN THIS AUDIENCE? I
CHALLENGE EACH OF YOU TO INDIVIDUALLY WORK TO REMOVE ALL
THE RACIAL, GENDER AND RELIGIOUS BIASES FROM ALL OF OUR
YOUNG PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY."
ROSA PARKS, SAID MR. BARNES, 'SOUNDED A CIVIL RIGHTS
BELL HEARD AROUND THE WORLD' THAT HASN'T STOPPED RINGING
YET.
12-Mar-97
Source: Voice of America