Write Lightning is a blog from writer Deb Thompson.
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Mon, Oct 31 2005
Thoughts On Rosa Parks
I've heard about Rosa Parks all my life and I've been fascinated by her quiet determination to "sit down" for her rights. To the men reading this I would say that it's been especially important for women to have someone such as Ms. Parks held before us as an example. It's getting easier for young females now, but not so many decades ago, while little boys grew up with plenty of strong, very famous male icons and heroes to look up to it usually took an extremely well-educated, well-financed, outspoken (even aggressive) woman to get more than a line or two in the history books we all studied together. The famous female icons of our youth were usually beautiful young actresses or strong wives of statesmen who were smart enough to use their "sidekick" placement to an advantage. Maybe that's part of why Rosa Parks has meant a lot to me—not so much because of the race issues but because of gender issues.
Rosa Parks didn't run for president. She didn't become a film star or university professor and she didn't garner her bus ride of fame into a chance to endorse commercial products. She lived the rest of her life as she had lived the earlier part of her life, with quiet dignity. She did find ways to make her status mean something to others who might come after her and might need courage to buck the system when the system seemed to be working in an orderly fashion but was based on a false premise.
You good men out there have your presidents and quarterbacks, generals and movie moguls. You have your fighter pilots and your cowboys. If we women take this time to praise and enjoy the legacy of Rosa Parks, just understand and know that she appeals to us as one of those rare, famous female heroes who knew how to live life as both a woman and a lady.
posted at: 06:05 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry
I've heard about Rosa Parks all my life and I've been fascinated by her quiet determination to "sit down" for her rights. To the men reading this I would say that it's been especially important for women to have someone such as Ms. Parks held before us as an example. It's getting easier for young females now, but not so many decades ago, while little boys grew up with plenty of strong, very famous male icons and heroes to look up to it usually took an extremely well-educated, well-financed, outspoken (even aggressive) woman to get more than a line or two in the history books we all studied together. The famous female icons of our youth were usually beautiful young actresses or strong wives of statesmen who were smart enough to use their "sidekick" placement to an advantage. Maybe that's part of why Rosa Parks has meant a lot to me—not so much because of the race issues but because of gender issues.
Rosa Parks didn't run for president. She didn't become a film star or university professor and she didn't garner her bus ride of fame into a chance to endorse commercial products. She lived the rest of her life as she had lived the earlier part of her life, with quiet dignity. She did find ways to make her status mean something to others who might come after her and might need courage to buck the system when the system seemed to be working in an orderly fashion but was based on a false premise.
You good men out there have your presidents and quarterbacks, generals and movie moguls. You have your fighter pilots and your cowboys. If we women take this time to praise and enjoy the legacy of Rosa Parks, just understand and know that she appeals to us as one of those rare, famous female heroes who knew how to live life as both a woman and a lady.
posted at: 06:05 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry
