Fortunately a recent book and new documentary by the same name provide a much fuller and accurate picture. The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks tells the story of a woman who was engaged in the struggle for racial justice long before and long after she was arrested on the bus. Along with her husband Raymond, Rosa Parks was active in the NAACP since the 1940’s. As just one example of her work with the NAACP, she traveled through rural Alabama investigating the circumstances around the racially motivated rape of a Black woman named Mrs. Recy Taylor in September 1944. Just a few months before she was arrested in Montgomery, Mrs. Parks attended the Highlander Folk School along with Dr. King where they were trained in non-violent direct action. The second photo posted above shows Rosa Parks at the Highlander Folk School along with Septima Clark who was another long time activist for racial justice. After her famous arrest and the subsequent bus boycott , both Rosa and Raymond Parks faced severe backlash from the white community including constant threats and losing their jobs. Because of this ongoing harassment, they left Montgomery and moved to Detroit where they had other family. Mrs. Parks came to oppose the forms of racial injustice in the North which she called “the promised land that wasn’t.” For the rest of her long life, she continued to stand up for racial justice locally, nationally, and globally. The foundation for such a courageous witness was her life long Christian faith nurtured in the AME Church.
At the time of her death in October 2005 at the age of 92, Rosa Parks became the first Black woman to lie in honor at the US Capitol. My wife and I were among the thousands who stood in line for hours to walk by her casket as a way to give thanks for her witness of faith and courage that changed our nation. Sixty seven years after that fateful day of December 1, 1955 it is important to remember the life of Rosa Parks not just for resisting racial segregation that day but for standing up for racial justice throughout her life. Her witness is also an enduring example of staying faithful to the ongoing call for racial justice.
The first video posted below is the trailer for the documentary that is available on the Peacock streaming service. The second video is a recent episode of Democracy Now that goes into greater depth and includes an interview with the book’s author and several clips from the documentary. The book is available from major book sellers.