

Those are the words of the late Rosa Parks, who died Monday at the age of 92. But they weren't just words she spoke. They were words she lived by.

"I knew someone had to take the first step and I made up my mind not to move."

She was 42 at the time, a seamstress who refused to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Ala. Even though the law of the land there required her to relinquish her seat, she did not. Instead, she ended up in jail. And the civil rights movement was ignited.

Her jailing sparked a 381-day bus system boycott. And to the forefront of the civil rights movement it brought a reverend by the name of Martin Luther King Jr.


Parks had no idea that refusing to give up her seat would result in a bus boycott. She had no idea it would add fuel to the nation's civil rights movement. The thought that someday she would be considered a national icon, a treasure, "the mother of the civil rights movement," was nowhere to be found. But she knew, knew it in her bones, what she must do.


Dec. 1, 1955 changed our nation. Her stance and the subsequent response to it coupled with Parks' quiet dignity and unwavering resolve to do what she believed was right, sparked others to take action as well.

"I am leaving this legacy to all of you … to bring peace, justice, equality, love and a fulfillment of what our lives should be. Without vision, the people will perish, and without courage and inspiration, dreams will die — the dream of freedom and peace."

Parks lived her life serving her country. For years she worked as an aide to U.S. Rep. John Conyers. After retiring in 1988 she devoted even more time to the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development. Parks never sought the limelight. She always knew the fight for freedom and equality were bigger than any one person. And that is why she was tireless when it came to sharing her experiences with others, particularly young people. She understood the importance of remembering the past so as individuals, communities, a nation, we can move forward to a better and brighter future.

Rosa Parks lived her life as a model for others. We can carry on her legacy by doing the same.