Mrs. Rosa Parks: A Forever Icon

Rosa Parks being fingerprinted by Deputy Sheriff D.H. Lackey after being arrested on February 22, 1956, during the Montgomery bus boycott.

BY CHERIE BUCKNER-WEBB

On April 15, 1993, Boise State University and the Boise Peace Quilt Project joined forces to present “A Tribute to an American Heroine, Rosa Parks.” The auditorium was filled to capacity with folks who came to honor her and demonstrate their admiration, love and respect for a woman who devoted her life to social justice and, at 80 years of age, continued her quest.

The festivities truly befit the title later bestowed by upon Mrs. Parks by the United States Congress: “The first lady of civil rights.” Tributes were delivered by Gov. Cecil Andrus, Boise State University President Charles Ruch and the Boise Peace Quilt Project. The newly established Rosa Parks Scholarship was introduced and BSU’s Symphonic Winds ensemble played “A Movement for Rosa,” a song composed by Radford University Associate Professor of Music Mark Camphouse.

The following day, I had the opportunity to spend extended time with Mrs. Rosa Parks, the woman I admired most in the world. Note: In my cultural tradition, we do not refer to an elder by her first name. We refer to them as Miss, Mrs., Sister, Aunt or Auntie as a show of respect. My eighth grade English teacher would chide me for using “Mrs.” with a woman’s first name, but in this case, popular culture wins!

Heralded as the “Mother to the Movement,” her delicate, petite stature, melodic voice and warm demeanor almost disguised her iron will–but this woman had changed the conscience of the nation! It was our first meeting, yet Mrs. Parks came into the room, took both my hands, pulled me close, and bestowed a kiss on my cheek. It instantly felt like being with family, and we interacted as such throughout the day. She asked questions; growing up as a Black girl in white Idaho, and about our culture and political climate. She was earnestly interested in Idaho, having spent little time in the West.

When I asked how she was able to take such risks, she said, “I didn’t think of risks, I did the right thing.”

She shared stories of her family both during slavery and post-Emancipation including the atrocities suffered by Blacks at the hands of whites and witnessing the Ku Klux Klan riding by her home at night. She shared that her great-grandfather was a white plantation owner who sired a child with her grandmother, who was likely mixed-race. After both grandparents died, the white overseer beat and starved her grandfather. Justifiably, her grandfather had intense hatred for white people and instilled in his family that they must not put up with bad treatment from anyone, anywhere. That message was written on the heart, spirit and conscience of young Rosa. With amazing resolve, throughout her life she did not let fear override her quest for justice.

Education was greatly valued by her family, but the schools for Black students were small, over-crowded, distant, and without books, heat, windows, desks, qualified teachers or running water. Plus, classes were only held on a limited basis as Black children were required to work in the fields. Segregation reigned. But nothing deterred Rosa’s desire to learn. Much of the schooling for young girls focused on domestic sciences like cooking, sewing and caring for the sick, home and family. One of her greatest lessons occurred while attending Miss White’s school, taught, ironically, by a white woman. Mrs. Parks learned she was a person with dignity and self-respect, and that she should not lower her expectations because she was Black. She was taught to be ambitions and to believe she could achieve what she wanted in life, reflecting the teachings of her grandparents and parents. Following the 11th grade, Rosa left school to tend to her sick mother. She did not graduate from high school until after her marriage to Raymond Parks at age 20. Only 19% of Black teenagers attended high school in the 1930’s, it’s clear Mrs. Rosa Parks displayed an iron will long before December 1st, 1955–the day she refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on the bus in Montgomery, Alabama. And just to set the record straight, she clarified to me she was not fatigued that day, nor was she old (at 42), as some sources reported. Rather, “she was tired of giving in.” Mrs. Parks knew the consequences could be dire, but she remained seated until arrested. Her arrest led to the Montgomery bus boycott which lasted for 381 days. Mrs. Parks and her husband lost their jobs, received death threats and were compelled to move to Detroit for safety. Her personal determination and the boycott were proven successful when the U.S. Supreme Court declared segregation on public transportation unconstitutional on November 13th, 1956.

Mrs. Rosa Parks spent a lifetime fighting injustice, often at great peril. She was actively engaged in the civil rights movement a decade before refusing to give up her seat on the bus. She served as secretary of the NAACP Alabama State Conference conducting interviews and seeking justice for victims of discrimination and witnesses to lynchings. She fought diligently for the right of Blacks to vote and ardently supported Brown vs. Board of Education, the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case where the justices ruled unanimously that racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional. She joined with many civil rights icons to participate in the March on Washington, participated in the Selma-to-Montgomery March and helped to elect Rep. John Conyers, who she worked for for 23 years. In 1989, she attended the dedication of the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama.

Mrs. Rosa Louise McCauley Parks remains an inspiration and a guide, lighting the path to equality for not just for Blacks, but for all Americans. When I asked how she was able to take such risks, she said, “I didn’t think of risks, I did the right thing.” For me, it’s as if she wrote those words on my heart.

Today, Mrs. Rosa Parks the warrior, strategist, humanitarian, indefatigable collaborator and provocateur for justice continues to inspire my steps in the world. When I am weary, I remember that day, how she took my hands in hers. Her soft voice echoes in my memory and her undaunted courage gives me strength to “keep on keeping on.” My spirit cries, “Yes, Lord, yes, you remain a forever blessing, Mrs. Rosa Parks.”

About the author

The Honorable Cherie Buckner-Webb is an Idaho State Senator, Certified Professional Coach, Consultant and Motivational Speaker