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I believe this will be my final post on the Rosa Series but more will come on how change took place in history.
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The events that took place before and after Rosa’s arrest were many. Ordinary people came together, discussed strategy, voted on how to roll out change and who would be the “faces” of the emerging movement. At the time, Martin Luther King Jr. was a young man ready to be at the forefront of the movement, as were others.
The year prior to Rosa’s arrest, the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously ruled that American schools could no longer separate children by colour. However, this ruling was in principle only at the time. The states had not yet put this into practice. Some states violently fought the ruling for two decades after.
Does that make the ruling wrong? No. Some knew what was inherently right. The laws had now reflected that but the societal mindset had yet to change. It took time to accept the ruling.
After Rosa’s arrest, she became known as the mother of the civil rights movement.
The movement itself carried on over the years. I would even argue, that like a wildfire it picked up wind, transcended borders and time, because deep within our hearts, we know what is right.
I know there are more good-hearted people than not. This is overwhelmingly true. It is my hope that we will learn from Rosa and from those remarkable beginning days. I say to you, “wake up, Rosa! Wake up the Rosa in you. You the person, you the business, you the school, you the community, you the court, you the government.” I truly believe in the goodness in humanity.
It does not matter your background,
It does not matter your differences,
It does not matter your politics,
It does not matter your religion,
Who we are at the core is the same,
We are more similar than not,
Six degrees of separation.
The Children of the Movement
Remember your childhood. Remember the child you used to play with who was different from you. See this world through the eyes of a child. Rosa was the mother, but you are the children. The children of the movement.
Differential treatment continues today because of one’s background, colour, culture, religion, gender, abilities and/or other reasons. Overrepresentation of certain groups exist in prisons, in poverty, and/or other areas.
You have a purpose in this movement. Each one of you carries a piece of the puzzle. As you come together in discernment, those pieces fit together and the picture becomes clear. Collapse your pedestals and use your gifts to create change. Be the greatness I see in you. Learn from those beginning days and from the mother of the civil rights movement. Collectively look at the root cause of the problems, create sound blueprints with action plans to address the root causes that will result in sudden change.
Rosa did exactly this – she observed the problems, she listened to the needs, she studied and she worked together with others to bring about those changes. Together they left a mark in history that we can all learn from. Anchor yourself in this sound roadmap. A roadmap that has its roots in Rosa.
[Post Credits: research gathered from NAACP and University of Colorado Boulder – Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine online sources. As I continue to learn, my research corrects statements from previous posts and expands upon them.]