A statue was unveiled yesterday of the great Rosa Parks, a humble woman who took it upon herself to refuse a simple injustice. At the unveiling, many luminaries were on hand, including none other that President Obama. Noted the president, "She defied the odds and she defied injustice. She lived a life of activism, but also a life of dignity and grace. And in a single moment, with the simplest of gestures, she helped change America and change the world."
Park's story is well-known in the U.S. In 1955, after a day of hard work and the regular tribulations of life, Parks sat near the front of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. At the time, racial segregation in the state dictated that blacks sit at the back of the bus. Parks refused to move when asked and became an icon to generations of civil rights activists with her simple gesture.
"So we place her here, in a chamber where many fought to prevent a day like this," House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said. "For when the trappings of ceremony come down, people from all walks, backgrounds and beliefs will pass through here.... It will be an ordinary routine, but one that about half a century ago would have been improbable. I can think of no more perfect way to capture the vision of a more perfect union ... and to continue what Rosa Parks started."
"With this statue, we affirm that the courage and the cause of Rosa Parks not only earned her a place in the hearts of all Americans, but a permanent place among the other figures in this hall of national memory. This simple carpenter's daughter from Tuskegee is honored as a national hero. What a story. What a legacy. What a country," noted Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Park's story is well-known in the U.S. In 1955, after a day of hard work and the regular tribulations of life, Parks sat near the front of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. At the time, racial segregation in the state dictated that blacks sit at the back of the bus. Parks refused to move when asked and became an icon to generations of civil rights activists with her simple gesture.
"So we place her here, in a chamber where many fought to prevent a day like this," House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said. "For when the trappings of ceremony come down, people from all walks, backgrounds and beliefs will pass through here.... It will be an ordinary routine, but one that about half a century ago would have been improbable. I can think of no more perfect way to capture the vision of a more perfect union ... and to continue what Rosa Parks started."
"With this statue, we affirm that the courage and the cause of Rosa Parks not only earned her a place in the hearts of all Americans, but a permanent place among the other figures in this hall of national memory. This simple carpenter's daughter from Tuskegee is honored as a national hero. What a story. What a legacy. What a country," noted Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
