She sat down, that we might stand up

Today, America mourns a giant.



Rosa Parks, whose act of defiance on a Montgomery, Alabama city bus in 1955 ignited the civil rights movement, became more than merely a symbol of racial inequality and injustice. She served as a reminder to all of us — regardless of color, ethnicity, or gender — that what we do as individuals matters; that the actions of a single human being can alter the course of history.

In the words of the Neville Brothers song:

Sister Rosa Parks was tired one day
After a hard day on her job.
When all she wanted was a well deserved rest
Not a scene from an angry mob.
A bus driver said, "Lady, you got to get up
'Cause a white person wants that seat."
But Miss Rosa said, "No, not no more.
I'm gonna sit here and rest my feet."

Now, the police came without fail
And took Sister Rosa off to jail.
Fourteen dollars was her fine,
Brother Martin Luther King knew it was our time.
The people of Montgomery sit down to talk
It was decided all God's children should walk
Until segregation was brought to its knees
And we obtain freedom and equality.

Thank you, Miss Rosa
You are the spark,
You started our freedom movement
Thank you, Sister Rosa Parks.