Rosa Parks (1913-2005)

Parks was a 42-year-old seamstress and a member of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in December 1955, when a white man demanded her seat on a city bus. She refused, despite rules requiring blacks to yield their seats to whites. She was jailed for her act of defiance and fined $14.

Her arrest triggered a 381-day boycott of the bus system organized by King. It led to a 1956 Supreme Court decision that said discrimination in public transportation was unconstitutional.

(As a bonus, all that walking during the bus boycott contributed to the cardiovascular health of Montgomery's African American citizenry. [wink, grin.])

As ya'll know, I'm a cold-hearted cynic, but something about Mrs. Park's story always struck a cord with me. Thank you Rosa for being a model of how the smallest peaceful gesture far outweighs the gradiose. Rest in peace.

Pat Kirby