Thought For The Day – Wednesday 5th February 2025
The Spirit of Rosa
The second picture above shows “The Rosa Parks Memorial”. This is a sculpture by Thomas Jay Warren, installed at the Veterans Courthouse, Essex County, New Jersey in the United States of America.
One person can make a positive difference. One person can positively change the world.
The 4th February 2025, yesterday, marked 112 years since the birth of Rosa Parks.
Many bus companies in America yesterday reserved a seat for Rosa on what is known as Transit Equality Day, in honour of Rosa Parks.
It was in Montgomery, Alabama, in the United States of America, when Rosa Parks, on the evening of 1st December 1955, seventy years ago later this year, refused to give up her seat on a bus for a white person.
Rosa stood up to racism, negative prejudice and negative discrimination.
In so doing, this humble, hard-working and unassuming seamstress created and weaved a beautiful garment and tapestry that would change history.
Though there were individual “freedom riders” before Rosa, Rosa’s seemingly small action was the catalyst for “The Montgomery Bus Boycott”, where the black community refused to use busses until the law was changed. The protest, led by a then not nationally or internationally known Christian Baptist minister in Montgomery called Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, pictured with Rosa below, lasted 381 days.
As a brilliant quote articulates: “Because Rosa sat down, Martin stood up”.
Rosa passed away on the 24th October 2005, aged 92, twenty years ago this autumn
Quotes from Rosa:
“You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right.”
“Each person must live their life as a model for others.”
“I would like to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free…so other people would also be free.”
“To bring about change, you must not be afraid to take the first step. We will fail when we fail to try.”
“Memories of our lives, of our works, and our deeds, will continue in others.”
Short Rosa interviews: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76kS_7qanH8
A wonderful 2018 “Doctor Who” episode movingly told Rosa’s story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0bpwm2m/doctor-who-20052022-series-11-3-rosa
