My aunt e-mailed to tell me that Rosa Parks died yesterday at 92. She said that she remembered that I did a project on her life and times when I was younger. If my presentation on Rosa Parks (there were several, in fact, one in which I dressed up to play her role) made an impact on my aunt, who lived on the other coast when I was in elementary school, it was only because Rosa Parks left such an impression on me.
She was 42 on the day that she sat on her bus and politely gave the driver permission to call the police and have her arrested because, on that day, she would not give up her seat. She was charged with disorderly conduct because she sat quietly, primly, and said, “you may do that,” rather than stand up and herd to the back of a bus with the others who were asked to move. She said, “I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. I was not old…no, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” Tired enough to wake up and say something, do something. To stand up for the first time, by sitting down.
November 9, 2005 at 8:03 AM
I loved the last line of this blog. Thank you for mentioning Rosa’s death, and, her mind-boggling strength with which she looked up into a healthy white man’s face and quietly but firmly said,”No”. Saying no because she was “tired of giving in.” Standing up by sitting down. Somehow, your elementary school project did make me aware and amazed with Rosa Lee. Even when I lived 3000 miles away. (Did you really dress up as her an play her role for the class? Sounds so cute — wish I had a picture)