As the country celebrates the 100th birthday of my Aunt Rosa (Rosa Parks), I would like to extend a sincere thanks to every person around the country and world who celebrate the legacy of my aunt. As I travel around the country speaking to people of all ages and backgrounds, I enjoy helping people understand the significance of her legacy – from our right to choose where we want to sit on any type of public transportation or accommodation to our ability to courageously stand strong for what we believe in, even in the face of adversity. The historic civil rights events involving my aunt and a whole generation of people from many backgrounds truly collectively launched the realization of the American Dream – “that all men are created equal and endowed by the Creator with certain unalienable rights”, as promised by the Constitution of the United States of America! And so, as we celebrate Aunt Rosa’s 100th birthday, leave a space in your heart for the generation following us: always remind them about what our country was like in the turbulent 18th, 19th and 20th centuries and what type of courage it took to stand against injustice. Let us always remember the legacies of our American Heroes – Mary McCloud Bethune, Irene Morgan, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Fannie Lou Hamer, Malcolm X, Dr. King and many, many others. Please join us, the family of Rosa Parks in celebrating the legacies they left for us all. Auntie Rosa always said “Future generations stand upon the shoulders of all American Heroes!”
Rhea McCauley is an artist and speaker who has dedicated her life to the legacy of her Aunt Rosa. If you are interested in hearing more about the Rosa Parks, her family and/or legacy, please let us know. Send email to: jfondon@unityfirst.com or call (413) 221-7931.
