25 October 2005

Rosa Parks dead at 92

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.]

The world has lost another true hero.

1 comment:

  1. 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!

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