Thank you, Rosa December 1, 2005 ~ 9:46 am
Posted by Julie in : Deep Thoughts , trackbackFifty years ago today, American history changed when one woman refused to give up her seat to a white man. Sometimes I wonder what that white man, who obviously felt entitled to the seat, thought when it happened. Probably rage. How dare this black woman take away something that was his right? He probably felt more rage later on when the right to that seat belonged to whoever got it first, regardless of skin color, but there was nothing he could do about it. The world changed when Rosa Parks said she wasn’t going to get up.
All those rights that we take for granted today came to us because somewhere, someone stood up for it (or refused to stand up for it, as the case may be). Someone fought to get that right. They fought, suffered, and sometimes died to make the world a little better so that their children and their children’s children wouldn’t have to. And many times we forget all the struggle that came before us. We take for granted that everyone gets an equal opportunity at a bus seat, or a vote, or a job.
New York City and other large cities have declared today Rosa Parks day so that we will be reminded. The seat behind the driver is reserved for Rosa on all city busses today, and the motto of the day is “No business as usual” to remind us that we can make a difference by a simple action.
I wonder today which white men with entitlement issues I could shake up by telling them that no, I’m not going to stand for their bullshit any longer. President Asshat comes to mind. But no, today is a day for simple actions, not grand gestures. What can I do to make a difference? Ask yourselves that, too. Let’s get the bus moving, people.
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