Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Rosa Parks, Rest in Peace
Ron Drake, a member of Salon's Table Talk community, wrote this tribute to Rosa Parks.
God bless Rosa Parks. My existence is an expression of the hope that she and black people like her gave to parents like mine. Her sacrifice assured them that their children would live to see a better day. Her bravery assured them that Emmitt Till did not die in vain. Her courage assured them that this nation just might live out the true meaning of its creed: That all men are created equal. Her faith assured us that race is a lie. I can't convey the hope and the optimism that Rosa Parks's simple act engendered in black people. All I can say is that I am living proof of the faith of my parents in the American Dream. They bore my younger brother and me with every confidence that our character--the values that they instilled in us--would see us through. Look at where my parents came from: "You can't." "You won't." "Don't you dare." "You'd better not." Rosa Parks was the refutation of all of that. I feel my connection to that denial of racism and despair. God bless Rosa Parks. God bless the nation that made her possible. The goodness that mourns her is still who we are, despite all the obstacles thrown against us. God bless America.
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