Rosa Parks: Mother of the Civil Rights Movement

I was 7 years visiting my grandparents for the summer as I had done for the last couple of years. My grandfather, a pastor was invited to attend other churches, conventions and on occasion give a sermon as a guest at other churches. This visit would not be like any other church visit. Who I would meet would later have an influence in my life, as I grew older. This person is Rosa Parks. She was attending St. Matthews A.M.E. Church. I had the privilege to meet and sit with her.

Being 7 years old, I knew very little about how her refusing to give up her seat helped to shape history for African Americans fight for their civil rights. Not knowing who she was might have been a good thing. My grandmother introduced us and I sat with her for the service. She signed my program. To this day, I still have it tucked away in my trunk. Every once and awhile I will pull it out and reflect on that experience.

I don't remember what we talked about. Maybe I was in awe of who she was after all and got too excited. What I do remember was what amazes me now is how approachable she was, how humble and friendly she was. Here is an African American woman who made history one day in the 1950's, attending church and praying with all of us average people. As I grew up, I read and watched TV about the 1960's, civil rights leaders like Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., and the stories of people like you and me of all backgrounds trying to make a difference in this country. Rosa Parks was always mentioned.

She inspires me today, in the state of our country and world being a woman and a person of color. To stand up for myself, but also for those who are not able to speak up for themselves and do for themselves. There is much work that still needs to be done on equality for all people through non-violence. Eliminating the use of "isms" to oppress individuals and groups of gender, class, and race to name a few. How this can be done is by watching, listening, and reflecting through being exposed to these issues going on and talking about it to bring awareness.

I was saddened to hear of Rosa Park's passing for we all have lost a great leader and role model. Her physical presence may be gone, but her spirit lives in all of us who met her, heard stories told of her by the previous generation or read about her in history books. Rosa Parks will continue to make history long after her passing for I will continue to tell her story and the legacy she has left for all Americans in the struggle for equality.