Sunday Funday Monday Leftover Knowledge Drip
Every Monday at 7pm central, TipsyRoo and I host (except when we don't) a live community event where, collectively, we solve a NY Times Sunday crossword puzzle (without using internet search engines!). Each week following the episode either I, or the community, will select a clue/answer from that puzzle and I will delve further into the history & look for fun facts.
Drip #8: Rosa
Puzzle Date: February 20th, 1994
Puzzle Theme: The Cost of Living
Episode: 48, recorded live on February 22nd, 2021
Clue: Parks of Alabama
Answer: Rosa
INTRO
Delving into Rosa's history and sharing what I find isn't meant to be an exhaustive resource. Instead, this and the other "drips" are meant to be an intriguing overview that encourages the reader to dig in further. However, I do worry that I'll leave out crucial information or present what I find in an ignorant manner. My intent here is to do no harm and hopefully provide someone with more information than I seemed to have learned over the years.
I don't know if the information's been pushed out of my storage, society and the teaching of history has once again failed me, or if my white privilege is showing. I suspect a combination of the three, heavily influenced by the latter. Having the privilege of being able to ignore this is exactly why I chose to dig in.
ROSA
Rosa Parks wasn’t some troublemaker, criminal, or unruly woman. She was a human being tired of the racial injustice that was, and still is, prevalent in the United States and what happened to her was the story we heard about. But for every story we hear, how many go unreported or ignored?
My understanding of the Rosa Parks story was that she refused to give up a seat on a bus which led to her being arrested which led to segregation "ending". But this all too common white-washed understanding leaves out many important details.
DETAILS, SUCH AS
This wasn't a one-time incident. In an October 14th, 1981 interview, Rosa answered the question, “What went through your mind when you refused to give up your seat to a white man?” with “My resistance to being mistreated on the buses and anywhere else was just a regular thing with me and not just that day.”
Rosa had been a victim of and fighting racial injustice for her life prior to (and after!) the Montgomery, Alabama bus incident and her refusal to give up her seat wasn’t because she was physically tired (as is often mentioned). As she said herself, In her autobiography, My Story:
“People always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn’t true. I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. I was not old, although some people have an image of me as being old then. I was forty-two. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.”
From 1943 to 1957, Rosa was the secretary for the Montgomery NAACP chapter.
1944, as the NAACP secretary, she investigated the gang rape of Recy Taylor. - AB: this is an infuriating incident. Even AFTER the rapists (six white men) confessed to authorities, they were found NOT GUILTY!
The 1970s, according the Wikipedia, were a decade of health issues and family loss.
In the 1980s, she rededicated herself to civil rights and educational organizations forming a scholarship foundation and institute for self development.
1992 published her autobiography titled, Rosa Parks: My Story
1995 published her memoir titled, Quiet Strength
Rosa died on October 24th, 2005 in her home in Detroit, MI. City officials in Montgomery and Detroit announced on October 27, 2005, that the front seats of their city buses would be reserved with black ribbons in honor of Parks until her funeral. On the evening of October 29th, 2005, her coffin was transported to Washington D.C. (in a bus similar to the one where she made her protest). In D.C., her coffin lay in honor in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol (the first woman and second black person to lie in honor here). On October 31st, 2005, a memorial service was held and televised.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Learning about Rosa Parks was one of those surprised but not surprised moments.
Surprised, because there's so much more to this than just the bus incident but not surprised because black people have been telling everyone about racial injustice for DECADES. And while progress has been made, too many systems in place today are inherently racist; it's important to understand where we were and make changes for the better rather than turn a blind eye to that which continues hurting others.
You or I may not be able to make a large-scale difference, but we can decide to be better about our own actions and the actions of those around us.
Small changes for the better can lead to an improvement for all.
REFERENCES
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_Parks
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/rosa-parks
https://www.loc.gov/collections/rosa-parks-papers/about-this-collection/?loclr=twloc
Sunday Funday Monday is the brain-child of TipsyRoo that I’ve been honored to be a part of as he continues to enjoy my dumb jokes. Past episodes can be found on YouTube. But it’s a much better viewing experience when viewed live. The puzzle’s a catalyst for interacting with the community, creating shared experiences, and fun learning or sometimes just a whole pile of dumb jokes.
