Statement on the Death of Rosa Parks
10/25/05
Dear friends,
Please join me in honoring civil rights hero Rosa Parks, who died yesterday
at the age of 92. She will be remembered as a tenacious fighter for human
dignity and freedom. Many of us remember, or have read about, how Mrs. Parks
was arrested and jailed for not moving to the back of the bus in Montgomery
, Alabama on Dec. 1, 1955 . Her bravery was a defining moment in the civil
rights movement; a movement that showed the power of nonviolent protests and
elevated Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. to national prominence.
But with time and distance we sometimes lose appreciation
for just how courageous Mrs. Parks’ single act of defiance was. She
galvanized the entire country and put the issue of race relations right
where it needed to be - at the forefront. Her courage sparked a 381-day
bus strike by the black community that nearly bankrupted Montgomery 's public
transit system. The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately declared the law allowing
segregation on buses unconstitutional.
In interviews Mrs. Parks said she thought of herself
as "just a person
who wanted to be seated on the bus .... a person who wanted to be free."
Her heroism has touched the heart of this country as few others have, before
or since.
She taught us to see greatness in ourselves. Each of us has the power to
make a difference.
We must strive to honor her every day by rolling up our sleeves and making
a positive difference in the lives of the people of Seattle . It is the example
that Mrs. Parks set for all of us.
Sincerely,
GREG NICKELS
Mayor
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