Choir Notes

A Timeless Longing for Dignity and Freedom
From Music and the Spoken Word
Delivered By Lloyd D. Newell . Program 4095

On the first day of December, 1955, a prim, middle-aged woman riding a bus home from work made a decision that would shake the country. Rosa Parks, a black seamstress who was tired after a long day's work, refused to give up her seat on the bus so a white man could sit down. As a result she was arrested and jailed. This act of civil disobedience triggered a series of events considered now to be the beginning of the American Civil Rights Movement.

Martin Luther King, Jr. said of Rosa Park's resolve, "It was an individual expression of a timeless longing for human dignity and freedom. She was anchored to that seat (on the bus) by the accumulated indignities of days gone and the boundless aspirations of generations yet unborn. She was a victim of both the forces of history and the forces of destiny."1

Her resolute decision in behalf of dignity and freedom began to tear down the walls of bigotry. Years later Rosa Parks would be awarded the two highest civilian awards in the United States, The Presidential Medal of Freedom and The Congressional Gold Medal. She would be called the Mother of the Modern-day Civil Rights Movement. Part of her success in advancing human rights was found in the quiet strength of her character. Rosa Parks refused to become bitter or vengeful when she was denied justice. Instead she believed that "a heart filled with love could conquer anything" even prejudice.2

And love is something all of us can have. It can motivate us to stand up for what's right, as Rosa Parks did, and promote the common welfare of all peoples. It can inspire us to see past differences and treat all of God's children with dignity and respect. As we do so, we'll find that both people and the times can change for the better.

1 In Douglas Brinkley. Rosa Parks: A Life. (2000). 141.
2 Douglas Brinkley. Rosa Parks. 14.