Death of a Hero

[Xuande]

Rosa Parks died yesterday. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/25/AR2005102500094_pf.html) She was one of several black Americans arrested for refusing to give up their bus seats to whites. Her arrest sparked a huge boycott of the Montgomery bus system, and her case reached the Supreme Court, which ruled segregated transit illegal throughout the country.

[NERD]

While I don't aim to take away from Rosa Parks, I always thought if it wasn't her, it would've been someone else who'd stand up and trigger this whole thing. Actually, similar incidents took place twice before. After all, Brown v. Board of Education was only a year ago.

[MeneerDijk]

A hero indeed. When i read the site you linked it reminded me of what a relatively short time ago segregation was enforced by law. And unfortunately people still judge on skin-color.

[that guy]

While I don't aim to take away from Rosa Parks, I always thought if it wasn't her, it would've been someone else who'd stand up and trigger this whole thing. Actually, similar incidents took place twice before. After all, Brown v. Board of Education was only a year ago.

You're right. There was a woman who was arrested before her, but she was either pregnant, or an unwed mother -- I forgot which. Anyway, they did not want her to be the face of the movement, so...

Still, it showed guts.

[NERD]

Rosa Parks was the subject of a discussion in my African American Literature class today. My professor was mentioning the role of her husband, Raymond Parks, who was into the civil rights movement, and someone who one influential to Mrs. Parks. Mrs.Parks was also a card-carrying member of NAACP, so that probably was something too. He was just telling us that we should look more into the circumstances behind the events of the icon instead of being fixated by that.

She had guts, I'm not taking that away. But am I being too optimistic by believing someone else would've stood up too?

By the way, the Alabama Bus Boycott was something that pushed MLK as a civil rights leader.

[that guy]

Rosa Parks was the subject of a discussion in my African American Literature class today. My professor was mentioning the role of her husband, Raymond Parks, who was into the civil rights movement, and someone who one influential to Mrs. Parks. Mrs.Parks was also a card-carrying member of NAACP, so that probably was something too. He was just telling us that we should look more into the circumstances behind the events of the icon instead of being fixated by that.

She had guts, I'm not taking that away. But am I being too optimistic by believing someone else would've stood up too?

By the way, the Alabama Bus Boycott was something that pushed MLK as a civil rights leader.

That guts statement wasn't directed towards you; it was sort of a general "say it 'cause it should be said" thing. Sorry if it seemed that way :D!

I grew up around southerners. They don't deify her like most people do. She became famous for doing what people did almost daily. It was a brave thing to do, but it was just as brave when the others did it.

[NERD]

I'm from the South, Georgia to be exact, so maybe that's why I don't deify her. I've seen my share of inspiring, tough women who just go on and do what they need to do. Rosa Parks was someone like that, I believe.

Of course, some people don't like her period. Maybe they are racists.

[Xuande]

I'm a Southerner myself. I wouldn't say she's deified, but she is definitely an icon of the civil disobedience and civil rights movements. Like I said, she wasn't the only one who resisted giving up a bus seat, but it happened to be her particular case that sparked the boycotts and led to the City of Montgomery v. Rosa Parks decision.

It's not just among black civil rights activists that she's celebrated, either. Disability rights activists, at least around here, often refer to her as an inspiration as well (sometimes black activists take umbrage at this, but it seems perfectly legitimate to me). Georgia is especially backwards with respect to the rights of people with disabilities. Institutions here remain packed with people who would be quite happy to and capable of living by themselves free from prison conditions, but are discouraged and even prevented from doing so because then the institutions wouldn't make as much money.

[Roxie]

I'm from the South, Georgia to be exact, so maybe that's why I don't deify her.
wait, that would the be reason to deify her.

It wasn't the first time she refused to move, y'know. The first time she was thrown off of the bus.