Rosa Parks

Today an amazing historical figure passes away…. and I for one am very humbled by her life. In my life I have been inspired by many amazing people – who were willing to stand up for their beliefs.

Rosa Parks died on Monday evening at age 92 of natural causes, her life was incredibly inspiring for most, and is often referred to as the mother of the civil rights movement. In 1955, at the age of 42 she made a decision to ride the bus home. In 1955 the Jim Crow laws were in effect and it was bus rules that if a white person wanted your seat, and you are black you must give it up to them – heck the Jim Crow laws made it regulatory for segregation of nearly everything… restaurants, bathrooms, water fountains…. Rosa Parks was tired, had a long day and just wanted to sit down, so when someone told her to give up her seat… she refused. She was jailed and fined $14. The interesting thing is she was the third person that year to have been brought up on that charge.

Now, why would a woman not willing to give up her seat is called the “mother of the civil rights movement?” Because she stood up for something she believed in, peacefully, gracefully, and not to show off. Her sense of morals and ethics is what drove her – and people saw an injustice, they knew that something wrong had been done, and they joined her at a new level to create equality in a world that was treating them unjustly.

In her grace and wisdom she said “"At the time I was arrested I had no idea it would turn into this," Mrs. Parks said 30 years later. "It was just a day like any other day. The only thing that made it significant was that the masses of the people joined in." Amazing what can happen when masses of people join in… I mean the two woman before her earlier that year had done the same thing, and yet Rosa Parks stands out, because why? Yes because of masses of people.

Every day we do something… everyday we live as the people we are, with the standards to show others who we are – many of us are Christians with “masses of people” who believe in the same “movement” and many times we disagree on things and go about achieving the same things in a different manner… but what would happen that within our efforts to just be who we are, and stand up for what we believe in a graceful, elegant, peacefully, and not a showy manner? How many people could be reached and touched by something we do so casually already? In that aspect, how many people are we shutting out by the opposing actions of our “bad” side… if we knew every day we had the potential to reach masses by our simple actions, and yet never knew what or where that action would be, would we act differently?

Many people who have interviewed Rosa Parks, spoke mainly of her humility, the acknowledgement that she started something so great was so humble… Many of us hear the greatness of what she accomplished, but how often do we also acknowledge the struggle she endured until death… for those who do right, there is no rest – only the enduring belief that we are, one step at a time accomplishing something for a power greater than us. Did you know that after standing up for her beliefs she struggled with finding work in her hometown of Alabama and moved to Detroit in 1957… for two years she endured harassment and threats until moving to Detroit. In 94 her home was invaded and she was beat and he took $53… Amidst what we saw as greatness she still struggled with being a human being, to be treated respectfully… what many of us would call “life.” It will be the same way for everyone – we may at times achieve some level of what another judges as “great” but we will struggle with our humanity, and continue to deal with all the emotions and truth that life itself will have to offer us.

Rosa Parks left many things to think about, it is profound to me that one of the tidbits of wisdom she left with us is this: "I am leaving this legacy to all of you ... to bring peace, justice, equality, love and a fulfillment of what our lives should be. Without vision, the people will perish, and without courage and inspiration, dreams will die - the dream of freedom and peace."