I awoke this morning to some sad news: Rosa Parks, the matriarch of the civil rights movement, is dead. She died of natural causes at her home in Detroit. She was 92 years old. [Read story.]
My first notification of Mrs. Parks' death came from a South African newspaper. It is a very sad day for those of us who cherish Human Rights in the United States. Mrs. Parks' life belies the general opinion by white Americans that the only issue in re race in America is slavery. The struggle she reignited epitomized the reality of the endemic racism in American society. It will be interesting to see the official (government) response to this American freedom fighter's death. There have been precious few politicians who were willing to place their political futures on the line in the defense of democracy in America for blacks. In fact, the general response from white politicians has historically been "you(blacks) want to move to fast". Interestingly, that is not the strategy America uses in its effort to push "democracy" on the rest of the world. Since America has no shame in naming buildings and building monuments for racists, what would be an appropriate recognition for the contribution of Rosa Parks to the still incomplete job of making America a country which recognizes the Human Rights of all Americans? America has no consciousness related to the conscious denial of Human Rights to black Americans since 1865!
My first notification of Mrs. Parks' death came from a South African newspaper. It is a very sad day for those of us who cherish Human Rights in the United States. Mrs. Parks' life belies the general opinion by white Americans that the only issue in re
ReplyDeleterace in America is slavery. The struggle she reignited epitomized the reality of the endemic racism in American society. It will be interesting to see the official (government) response to this
American freedom fighter's death. There have been precious few politicians who were willing to
place their political futures on the line in the defense of democracy in America for blacks. In fact, the general response
from white politicians has historically been "you(blacks) want to move to fast". Interestingly, that is not the strategy America uses in its
effort to push "democracy" on the rest of the world.
Since America has no shame in naming buildings and building monuments for racists, what
would be an appropriate recognition for the contribution of Rosa Parks to the still incomplete job of making America a
country which recognizes the Human Rights of all Americans?
America has no consciousness related to the conscious denial of
Human Rights to black Americans since 1865!