The Wire

The world is mourning the death of Civil Rights Icon Rosa Parks. Some 50 years after she held her seat on the bus, international human rights activists and world leaders have expressed their grief and gratitude to this remarkable woman. There has been solidarity with the civil rights movement of America and the struggle of Indigenous Australians. It is from this place that we acknowledge the life and achievements of Rosa Parks as another warrior. Denise Griffins Coordinator of the National Network of Indigenous Women’s Legal Services tells how she identifies with Rosa Parks. Rosa Parks came to prominence when she refused to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama, December 1, 1955. This act of defiance spearheaded a year-long bus boycott in the racially segregated town. The protest ended only once the Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation was unconstitutional. This landmark decision combined with the Supreme Court’s declaration that separate schools for blacks and whites were inherently unequal demonstrated a change in America. Long time human rights campaigner Margaret Reynolds applauds Rosa’s achievements.