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.”
Godine 1944, 11 godina pre sudbonosne odluke u autobusu u Montgomeriju, Roza Parks je istraživala svirep zločin. Kao predstavnik Nacionalne asocijacije za unapređenje obojenog naroda, putovala je u ruralnu Alabamu kako bi upoznala Risi Tejlor, devojku koju su šestorica belaca seksualno napastvovala. Bilo je teško ubediti sud Alabame da je bar jedan od ovih muškaraca kriv, ali Roza je bila odlučna. Organizovala je odbranu za Risi na sudu, što je preplavilo medije svedočanstvima i izazvalo proteste širom Juga. Kako porota nije podigla optužnicu protiv napadača, Parksova je zahtevala od guvernera da oformi novu veliku porotu. Napisala je: „Znam da nećete izneveriti narod Alabame i da ćete pokazati da postoji jednaka pravda za sve građane.“
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.
Parksova se ceo život uporno protivila rasnom nasilju i sistemu punom predrasuda koji je štitio prekršioce zakona. Ali ovakav rad je sa sobom nosio i ogroman rizik i cenu koju je lično platila.
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.
Rođena 1913, Roza je odrasla uz mamu, baku i deku u ruralnoj Alabami. Ali van ovog toplog doma, rasno nasilje je bacalo tamnu senku. Članovi Kju-kluks-klana su često prolazili kraj njihovog doma, a zakoni Džima Kroua su nametali segregaciju javnih mesta. Sa 19 godina se doselila u Montgomeri i udala za Rejmonda Parksa, berberina u kome je kipteo istovetan bes zbog rasne nepravde. Bio je član lokalnog ogranka Nacionalne asocijacije za unapređenje obojenog naroda,
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.
a tu ulogu su mnogi izbegavali iz straha od odmazde. Rejmond je u početku želeo da sačuva Rozu od mogućih opasnosti aktivizma. Kako je sve više u njoj buktao bes zbog ograničenja nametnutih Afroamerikancima, Roza nije više mogla da stoji po strani. Kada se 1943. pridružila ovoj asocijaciji, Parksova i Džoni Rebeka Kar su bile jedine žene u ogranku u Montgomeriju. Počela je kao zapisničar na njihovim sastancima, a ubrzo je bila izabrana da bude sekretarica tog ogranka, čime je zvanično počeo njen tajni dvostruki život.
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.
Roza je danju radila kao krojačica da bi finansijski pomogla majci i suprugu. Noću je istraživala i beležila brojne slučajeve građanskog prava, od neslaganja oko lokalnih propisa do istaknutih ubistava i zločina počinjenih iz mržnje. Kao sekretarica je pripremala javne komentare u ime ogranka u Montgomeriju, boreći se protiv svirepih kazni, lažnih optužbi i besramnih kampanja često usmerenih protiv Afroamerikanaca. Pored bavljenja pravom, Parksova je bila i izuzetan lokalni strateg. Kao savetnik saveta mladih Nacionalne asocijacije za unapređenje obojenog naroda, pomagala je mladima u borbi protiv sistema segregacije, uključujući borbu za pravo glasa i protiv biblioteka isključivo za belce. Pod plaštom Nacionalne asocijacije za unapređenje obojenog naroda, Parksova je težila da tajne aktivnosti za građanska prava izbaci na videlo. Zalagala se za obuke građanske neposlušnosti i javno govorila protiv rasnog nasilja, pogotovo u slučaju ubistva Emeta Tila.
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.
Kada je 1955. odbila da pređe u stražnji deo rasno podeljenog autobusa, pomogla je u masovnom pokretanju narodne inicijative. Parksova je zbog svog samostalnog protesta uhapšena i stavljena u zatvor, gde su je posećivali lokalni aktivisti. Zajedno su planirali da otpočnu dvadesetčetvoročasovni bojkot autobusa. Trajao je 381 dan.
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.
Njen jednostavan čin je transformisao tek započeti aktivizam za građanska prava u nacionalni pokret. Bojkot se okončao 1956. kada je Vrhovni sud glasao u korist ravnopravnog javnog prevoza za sve. Međutim, ova pobeda pokreta je imala visoku cenu. Tokom cele kampanje, Roza je dobijala svirepe pretnje smrću, a nije mogla ni da nađe posao u Montgomeriju zbog svoje reputacije.
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.”
Preselila se u Detroit 1957. kako bi nastavila da radi kao krojačica, sve dok je nije zaposlio kongresmen Džon Konjers kako bi mu pomogla sa kampanjama za borbu za građanska prava. Uvek na oprezu u borbi protiv rasnih nejednakosti, Parksova je bila aktivna narednih 40 godina. Napisala je nekoliko knjiga, putovala širom zemlje da bi držala govore podrške drugim aktivistima, i osnovala institut za obrazovanje mladih u sećanje na svog pokojnog supruga. Roza Parks se danas pamti kao borbeni duh naroda koji se žustro borio protiv najmoćnijih ljudi i zakona. Njena krilatica i dalje odjekuje: „Svest o onome što moramo učiniti poništava strah.“