美国名人黑人民权行动主义者罗莎·帕克斯.docx

美国名人黑人民权行动主义者罗莎帕克斯RosaParks,1913-2005:MotheroftheAmericanCivilRightsMovementplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:33repeatByNancySteinbach2009-3-7VOICEONE:mPatBodnar.VOICETWO:AndmSteveEmberwithPEOPLEINAMERICAinVOASpecialEnglish.Today,wetellaboutRosaParkszwhohasbeencalledthemotheroftheAmericancivilrightsmovement.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:RosaParksUntilthenineteensixties,blackpeopleinmanypartsoftheUnitedStatesdidnothavethesamecivilrightsaswhitepeople.LawsintheAmericanSouthkeptthetworacesseparate.Theselawsforcedblackpeopletoattendseparateschools,liveinseparateareasofacityandsitinseparateareasonabus.OnDecemberfirst,nineteenfifty-five,inthesoutherncityofMontgomery,Alabama,aforty-twoyearoldblackwomangotonacitybus.Thelawatthattimerequiredblackpeopleseatedinoneareaofthebustogiveuptheirseatstowhitepeoplewhowantedthem.Thewomanrefusedtodothisandwasarrested.ThisactofpeacefuldisobediencestartedprotestsinMontgomerythatledtolegalchangesinminorityrightsintheUnitedStates.ThewomanwhostarteditwasRosaParks.Today,wetellherstory.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:ShewasbornRosaLouiseMcCauleyinnineteen-thirteeninTuskegee,Alabama.Sheattendedlocalschoolsuntilshewaselevenyearsold.ThenshewassenttoschoolinMontgomery.Shelefthighschoolearlytocareforhersickgrandmother,thentocareforhermother.Shedidnotfinishhighschooluntilshewastwenty-one.RosamarriedRaymondParksinnineteenthirty-two.Hewasabarberwhocutmen'shair.Hewasalsoacivilrightsactivist.Together,theyworkedforthelocalgroupoftheNationalAssociationfortheAdvancementofColoredPeople.Innineteenforty-three,MissusParksbecameanofficerinthegroupandlateritsyouthleader.RosaParkswasaseamstressinMontgomery.Sheworkedsewingclothesfromthenineteenthirtiesuntilnineteenfifty-five.ThenshebecamearepresentationoffreedomformillionsofAfrican-Americans.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:InmuchoftheAmericanSouthinthenineteenfifties,thefirstrowsofseatsoncitybuseswereforwhitepeopleonly.Blackpeoplesatinthebackofthebus.Bothgroupscouldsitinamiddlearea.However,blackpeoplesittinginthatpartofthebuswereexpectedtoleavetheirseatsifawhitepersonwantedtositthere.RosaParksisfingerprintedafterrefusingtomovetothebackofabus.RosaParksandthreeotherblackpeoplewereseatedinthemiddleareaofthebuswhenawhitepersongotonthebusandwantedaseat.Thebusdriverdemandedthatallfourblackpeopleleavetheirseatssothewhitepersonwouldnothavetositnexttoanyofthem.Thethreeotherblacksgotup,butMissusParksrefused.Shewasarrested.SomepopularstoriesaboutthatincidentincludethestatementthatRosaParksrefusedtoleaveherseatbecauseherfeetweretired.Butsheherselfsaidinlateryearsthatthiswasfalse.Whatshewasreallytiredof,shesaid,wasacceptingunequaltreatment.Sheexplainedlaterthatthisseemedtobetheplaceforhertostopbeingpushedaroundandtofindoutwhathumanrightsshehad,ifany.VOICETWO:AgroupofblackactivistwomeninMontgomerywasknownastheWomen'sPoliticalCouncil.Thegroupwasworkingtoopposethemistreatmentofblackbuspassengers.Blackshadbeenarrestedandevenkilledforviolatingordersfrombusdrivers.RosaParkswasnotthefirstblackpersontorefusetogiveupaseatonthebusforawhiteperson.ButblackgroupsinMontgomeryconsideredhertobetherightcitizenaroundwhomtobuildaprotestbecauseshewasoneofthefinestcitizensofthecity.Thewomen'sgroupimmediatelycalledforallblacksinthecitytorefusetorideoncitybusesonthedayofMissusParks'strial,Monday,Decemberfifth.Theresultwasthatfortythousandpeoplewalkedandusedothertransportationonthatday.Thatnight,atmeetingsthroughoutthecity,blacksinMontgomeryagreedtocontinuetoboycottthecitybusesuntiltheirmistreatmentstopped.Theyalsodemandedthatthecityhireblackbusdriversandthatanyonebepermittedtositinthemiddleofthebusandnothavetogetupforanyoneelse.VOICEONE:MartinLutherKingJr.TheMontgomerybusboycottcontinuedforthreehundredeighty-onedays.ItwasledbylocalblackleaderE.D.Nixonandayoungblackminister;MartinLutherKing,Junior.Similarprotestswereheldinothersoutherncities.Finally,theSupremeCourtoftheUnitedStatesruledonMissusParks'scase.Itmaderacialseparationillegaloncitybuses.ThatdecisioncameonNovemberthirteenth,nineteenfifty-six,almostayearafterMissusParks'sarrest.TheboycottinMontgomeryendedthedayafterthecourtorderarrived,Decembertwentieth.RosaParksandMartinLutherKing,Juniorhadstartedamovementofnon-violentprotestintheSouth.ThatmovementchangedcivilrightsintheUnitedStatesforever.MartinLutherKingbecameitsfamousspokesman,buthedidnotlivetoseemanyoftheresultsofhiswork.RosaParksdid.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:1.ifebecameincreasinglydifficultforRosaParksandherfamilyafterthebusboycott.RosaParksandPresidentClintonafterhepresentedherwiththePresidentialMedalofFreedomin1996Shewasdismissedfromherjobandcouldnotfindanother.SotheParksfamilyleftMontgomery.TheymovedfirsttoVirginia,thentoDetroit,Michigan.MissusParksworkedasaseamstressuntilnineteensixty-five.Then,MichiganRepresentativeJohnConyersgaveherajobworkinginhiscongressionalofficeinDetroit.Sheretiredfromthatjobinnineteeneighty-eight.Throughtheyears,RosaParkscontinuedtoworkfortheNAACPandappearedatcivilrightsevents.Shewasaquietwomanandoftenseemeduneasywithherfa