In 1944, 11 years before her fateful decision on a Montgomery Bus, Rosa Parks was investigating a vicious crime. As an emissary for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, she had traveled to rural Alabama to meet with Recy Taylor, a young woman who had been sexually assaulted by six white men. It would be difficult enough to convince an Alabama court that even one of these men was guilty, but Rosa was undeterred. She formed a committee to defend Recy in court, flooding the media with testimony and sparking protests throughout the South. When a jury failed to indict the attackers, Parks demanded the governor assemble a new grand jury. She wrote, “I know that you will not fail to let the people of Alabama know that there is equal justice for all of our citizens.”
Pada tahun 1944, 11 tahun sebelum peristiwa Bus Montgomery, Rosa Parks sedang mengusut kasus kejahatan yang keji. Sebagai utusan dari National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, ia berangkat ke pedesaan Alabama untuk bertemu Recy Taylor, wanita muda yang telah dianiaya oleh enam orang pria berkulit putih. Sulit untuk membuktikan ke pengadilan Alabama bahwa para pria tersebut bersalah, namun Rosa tak terpengaruh. Ia membentuk komite untuk membela Recy di persidangan, membanjiri media dengan kesaksian, dan memicu protes dari seluruh wilayah Selatan. Saat para juri gagal menuntut para terdakwa, Parks mendesak Gubernur untuk membentuk dewan juri baru. Ia menulis, “Saya tahu bahwa Anda tak akan gagal meyakinkan rakyat Alabama bahwa mereka semua berhak mendapat keadilan.”
Throughout her life, Parks repeatedly challenged racial violence and the prejudiced systems protecting its perpetrators. But this work came at an enormous risk— and a personal price.
Sepanjang hidupnya, Parks aktif menentang kekerasan rasialis serta sistem yang melindungi para pelaku kekerasan rasialis. Namun aktivitasnya ini berisiko tinggi— dan harus dibayar mahal.
Born in 1913, Rosa was raised by her mother and grandparents in rural Alabama. But outside this loving home, the fear of racial violence cast a long shadow. The Ku Klux Klan frequently drove past their home, and Jim Crow laws segregated public spaces. At 19 she settled in Montgomery and married Raymond Parks, a barber who shared her growing fury at racial injustice. He was involved with the local chapter of the NAACP; a role many avoided for fear of persecution.
Dilahirkan tahun 1913, Rosa dibesarkan di pedesaan Alabama. Meski dibesarkan penuh cinta, ketakutan akan kekerasan rasialis terus membayangi. Ku Klux Klan sering lewat dekat rumah mereka, dan Jim Crow membuat aturan pemisahan ruang publik. Di usia 19 tahun ia pindah ke Montgomery dan menikah dengan Raymond Parks, seorang tukang cukur yang juga membenci ketimpangan ras. Raymond adalah anggota NAACP setempat; peran yang dihindari banyak orang karena riskan persekusi.
At first Raymond was eager to keep Rosa safe from the potential dangers of activism. But as she grew more incensed at the limitations imposed on African Americans, she could no longer stand by. When she officially joined the NAACP in 1943, Parks and Johnnie Rebecca Carr were the only women in the Montgomery chapter. She began keeping minutes for their meetings, and soon found herself elected secretary of the chapter— formally beginning her secret double life.
Awalnya Raymond ingin menjauhkan Rosa dari bahaya aktivisme. Namun, keterbatasan bagi warga Afrika Amerika kian menyulut amarahnya, sehingga Rosa tidak bisa tinggal diam. Saat bergabung dengan NAACP pada tahun 1943, anggota wanita di cabang Montgomery hanya Parks dan Johnnie Rebecca Carr. Ia mulai dari membuat minuta rapat, sampai tak lama kemudian terpilih menjadi sekretaris cabang— dan kehidupan gandanya pun dimulai.
By day, Rosa worked as a seamstress to support her mother and husband. By night, she researched and documented numerous civil rights cases, from local policy disputes to high-profile murder cases and hate crimes. As secretary, she prepared public responses on behalf of the Montgomery chapter, battling the harsh sentencing, false accusation and smear campaigns frequently used against African Americans. In addition to her legal work, Parks was a brilliant local strategist. As advisor to the NAACP youth group council, she helped young people navigate segregated systems including voter registration and whites-only libraries. Through the cover of the NAACP, Parks strived to bring clandestine civil rights activities into the open. She advocated for civil disobedience training and spoke out against racial violence, particularly the murder of Emmet Till.
Siang hari, Rosa bekerja sebagai penjahit untuk menghidupi ibu dan suaminya. Malamnya, ia mendokumentasikan berbagai kasus hak-hak sipil, mulai dari sengketa kebijakan lokal hingga pembunuhan dan kejahatan kebencian. Sebagai sekretaris, ia mempersiapkan respons publik atas nama NAACP cabang Montgomery, berjuang melawan hukuman berat, tuduhan palsu, dan kampanye kotor yang sering dihadapi warga Afrika-Amerika. Selain itu, Parks adalah seorang ahli strategi yang cemerlang. Sebagai penasihat dewan pemuda NAACP, ia juga membantu para pemuda untuk mengatasi segregasi sistem yang meliputi pendaftaran pemilih dan perpustakaan khusus kulit putih. Melalui NAACP, Parks berusaha menjadikan perjuangan hak sipil menjadi lebih terang-terangan Ia menganjurkan pelatihan pembangkangan sipil dan bicara tentang kekerasan rasialis, terutama pembunuhan Emmett Till.
In 1955, her refusal to move to the back of a segregated bus helped ignite the grassroots movement she had hoped for. Parks was arrested and jailed for her one-woman protest, where she was visited by local activists. Together they planned a twenty-four hour bus boycott. It lasted for three hundred and eighty-one days.
Pada tahun 1955, penolakannya untuk pindah duduk ke bagian belakang bus mendorong pergerakan akar rumput yang ia harapkan. Parks ditangkap dan dipenjarakan atas protes tunggalnya tersebut, tempat kemudian ia bertemu dengan aktivis setempat. Bersama-sama mereka merencanakan pemboikotan bus selama 24 jam. Pemboikotan tersebut bertahan selama 381 hari.
Park’s simple act had transformed nascent civil rights activism into a national movement. In 1956, the boycott ended when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of desegregating public transport. But this victory for the movement had come at a great cost. Rosa had been receiving vicious death threats throughout the campaign, and was unable to find work in Montgomery because of her political reputation.
Tindakan sederhana Parks telah mengubah aktivisme hak-hak sipil yang baru lahir menjadi suatu gerakan nasional. Pada tahun 1956, pemboikotan berakhir saat Mahkamah Agung menyetujui desegregasi dalam transportasi publik. Namun, kemenangan gerakan ini mesti dibayar mahal. Rosa mendapat ancaman mati selama masa kampanye, dan karena reputasi politiknya, tak bisa mendapat pekerjaan di Montgomery.
In 1957, she moved to Detroit to continue working as a seamstress, until being hired by Congressman John Conyers to help support his burgeoning civil rights campaigns. Ever vigilant in the fight against racial inequality, Parks remained active for the next 40 years. She wrote several books, traveled across the country giving talks to support other activists, and established an institute for the education of young people in her late husband’s memory. Today, Rosa Parks is remembered as a radical spirit who railed against the most powerful people and policies. Her call to action continues to resound: “knowing what must be done does away with fear.”
Pada tahun 1957, ia pindah ke Detroit untuk kembali bekerja sebagai penjahit, hingga akhirnya direkrut oleh anggota Kongres John Conyers untuk mendukung kampanye hak-hak sipilnya. Selalu waspada dalam perang melawan ketimpangan ras, Parks tetap aktif sampai 40 tahun berikutnya. Ia menulis sejumlah buku, memberikan ceramah untuk mendukung aktivis lainnya, dan mendirikan sebuah lembaga untuk pendidikan anak-anak muda untuk mengenang mendiang suaminya. Saat ini, Rosa Parks dikenang sebagai sosok radikal yang menentang orang dan kebijakan paling kuat. Seruannya untuk bertindak terus bergema: “Mengetahui apa yang harus dilakukan menghilangkan rasa takut. ”