October 26. 2005
Page A3
il?‘’ÏJnrtlaub (ßbscruer
Unmatched Legacy
continued
fro m Front
blacks across the nation.
After she died Monday at age
92, Parks was remembered asaquiet
woman of steely resolve, whose
simple act helped spark the biggest
movement for social change in
American history.
' “But that was 50 years ago,” said
Bruce Gordon, president of the
National Association for the Ad­
And now with the median age of to me, ‘Why did you sit in the back
Lewis lamented that, in the last students to enroll at the Univer­
vancement of Colored People. “A
lot has changed in 50 years.”
African-Americans at 30, accord­ o f the bus? Why didn’t you just go three weeks, several women civil sity of Alabama in 1963.
"And now Rosa Parks,” he said.
Many young people either don’t ing to the Census Bureau, more up front?’ I said ‘I didn’t want to rights pioneers have died: C.
know civil rights history or don’t than half of the nation’s black com­ get killed,” ’said Earl G. Graves Sr., Delores Tucker, the first black “ It’s so important for people to tell
know why it matters, he said. Parks, munity was bom after the end of 70, publisher of Black Enterprise women to be Pennsylvania’s sec­ their stories over and over again.”
Johnson, who teaches black his­
who worked to educate youth about legally sanctioned racial discrimi­ Magazine. "He looked at me and retary o f state; Constance Baker
the struggle of black people, once nation.
blinked."
Motley, the first black and the first tory to teenagers in the W ashing­
chuckled that children sometimes
Parents who were active in the
“ Young people have to be reig­ woman to serve as a federal judge ton, D.C. area, agreed.
asked her if she knew Sojourner movement say they sense a dis­ nited," he added.
"W e use history as our guide to
in the southern district o f New
Truth and Harriet Tubman, former connect when speaking with their
Said Gordon: "It ought to renew York; and Vivian Malone, who help young people make better
slaves who lived generations be­ children.
in people the recognition that indi­ defied A labam a G ov. G eorge choices and better decisions,” she
fore her.
“I remember my son once said vidual actions make a difference.” W allace as one of the first black said.
Parks Stood with Courage, Dignity
When Rosa Parks died Monday at the age of 92, the nation looked back with great fondness at her legacy:
“ Rosa Parks was a w om an o f great courage,
grace and dignity. H er refusal to be treated as
a second class citizen on a M ontgom ery bus in
1955 struck a blow to racial segregation and
sparked a m ovem ent that broke the back o f J i m
C r o w .... She w as an inspiration to me and to
all w ho w ork for the day w hen we wi 11 be one
Am erica. May God bless her soul and may she
rest i n peace.” — F orm er P residen t C lin ton .
“She m ust be looked upon as not ju st the
m other o f the m odern civil rights m ovem ent;
she m ust be looked upon as one o f the m others
o f the N ew A m erica, o f the N ew S outh.” —
Rep. Joh n Lewis, D -Ga.
"R osa Parks has shown the aw esom e pow er
o f right over might i n history ’ s long journey for
peace and freedom .” — Rev. J esse Jackson.
“Fifty years ago in M ontgom ery, Ala., this
hum ble seam stress stood up to injustice by
refusing a bus d riv er’s order that she give up
her seat for a white man. Her show o f defiance
w as an act o f personal courage that m oved
m illions, including a young preacher nam ed
M artin L uther K ing.” - P residen t G eorge
B ush.
She loved people with a passion, and when
she took that seat on that bus that day, she took
a seat for al 1 o f us.” — C lara Luper, a retired
tea ch er who led a g ro u p o f teen agers in a
sit-in at a dow n tow n O klahom a C ity dru g
store c o u n ter in 1958.
Rosa Parks smiles during a ceremony where
she received the Congressional Medal of
Freedom in a Nov. 28, 1999 photo. (AP photo)
“ I rem em ber her as an alm ost saint-like
person. And 1 use that term with care. She was
very hum ble, she w as soft-spoken, but inside
she had a determ ination that was quite fierce.”
“ I truly believe that there’s a little
bit o f R osa Parks in all A m ericans
who have the courage to say enough
is enough and stand up for what they
believe in. She did sucha small thing,
but it w as so courageous for her as
a hum ble person to d o .” — Rep.
C harles Rangel, D -N .Y.
“T he nation lost a courageous
woman and a true Am erican hero. A
half century ago, Rosa Parks stood
up not only for herself, but for gen­
erations upon generations o f A m eri­
cans. H er quiet fight for equality
sounded the bells o f free­
dom for mi 11 ions.” -— Sen.
E d w a r d K e n n e d y , D-
Mass.
“I think Rosa Parks was
truly a historic figure w ho
singularly on D ecem ber 1,
1955, tore dow n the walls
o f A m erican segregation
and apartheid. O ne o f the
highlights o f my life was
m eeting and getting to
know h e r ... a g e n tle
w om an w hose single act
changed the m ost pow er­
ful nation in the world.” —
Rev. A l Sharpton.
and som etim es steadied herself on my arm .
Rosa Parks said that her legacy o f quiet strength
was passing to the youth o f this nation.” — U.S.
H ouse S p ea k er D en n is H astert.
STERLING
SAVINGS BANK
Rosa Parks in a 1950s era bus in 1995, four decades
after her act o f civil disobedience. (AP photo)
A Montgomery, Ala. Sheriff’s
Department booking photo of Rosa
Parks taken on Feb. 22, 1956.
_____________________________________
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E dito r M ic h a e l L e ig h to n
R eporter : Katherine Blackmore
D is t r ib u tio n M anager : M ark W a sh in g to n
C reative D ir e c to r : P a u l N e u fe ld t
O f f ic e M anager : K a th y L in d e r
E ditor - in -C h ie f . P ublisher :
“ I fondly rem em ber presenting her with the
Congressional Gold M edal o f Honor in June o f
1999 in the U nited States Capital Rotunda. At
the age o f 86, she stood to accept the m edal
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Rosa Parks is fingerprinted by Dep. S he rriff D.H. Lackey in Montgomery, Ala., on Feb.
22, 1956, two months a fte r refusing to give up her seat on a bus for a white passenger
on Dec. 1, 1955. (AP photo)
— Rep. John C onyers, D-
M ich.
“ In her ow n sim ple way,
Rosa Parks changed the his­
tory o f our nation. She forced
us to recognize the dignity o f
every person. She w as a
prophet — a com m on in­
strum ent o f G od inviting us
and challenging us to a new
vision o f solidarity, equality
and justice. W e were blessed
to have her as citizen o f D e­
troit.” — C ardin al A dam
M a id a , A r c h b is h o p o f
D etroit.
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