Steven Reed Montomgerys mayor had this to say about Rosa Parks “Today, on the second official Rosa Parks Day, we honor a seamstress and a servant, one whose courage ran counter to her physical stature. She was a consummate contributor to equality and did so with a quiet humility that is an example for all of us.” 

Looking back on how the movement supported the demands for equality can give us insight to what levels of success have occurred as a result.

 Capital High School’s history teacher, Joe DeBruyne  shared his thoughts and opinions on the complex time period around the Civil Rights Movement.

The combination of obtaining equality based upon the accomplishments achieved Impactful American Activist, Rosa Parks, known for her defiance in the face of racial inequality, was honored with a statue in Montgomery, Alabama this week. This moment needs recognition as the South has been systematically eliminating statues honoring racists from its parks and city halls, raised for the sole purpose of intimidating people.

through The Civil Rights Movement, makes this conversation relevant and something we should care about. The roots of segregation are still present in our society today and we need the flexibility to see our society’s flaws for what they are and vow to fix them. Keep in mind, that today, when talking about the degree of inequality people experience , it now includes all races and genders.

DeBruyne thought back to what comes to mind when thinking about that time, “I think of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr…[Parks] stuck to her beliefs, and stuck up for herself.”

Rosa Parks was a very strong woman and she did not let anyone tell her what to do. She is often referred to as the “mother of the freedom movement.”

Parks became a civil rights icon after she refused to give up her bus seat for a white man on December 1st, 1955. Her arrest later spurred African-American activists to boycott the city public bus system for more than a year.

Current civil rights topics DeBruyne feels “defines America in the future” are, “our nation’s inability to move on from the bias that goes on.” He goes on to explain that the most important ideological change from the movement was that, “Everyone is treated equally and seen equally.”

“I would like to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free… so other people would also be free.” Rosa Parks.