Posted on 11/02/2005 10:23:18 PM PST by NormsRevenge
DETROIT, United States (AFP) - Former president Bill Clinton and African-American leaders joined thousands of mourners who swayed in their pews, singing "We Shall Overcome" and other gospel standards in a final tribute to Rosa Parks at the funeral of the civil rights icon.
Thousands who were unable to squeeze into the huge church's overflow rooms waited patiently outside for a chance to say goodbye to Parks, known as the "mother" of the US civil rights movement, who died on October 24 aged 92.
Inside the church, soul music legend Aretha Franklin hushed the assembly with her moving rendition of "The Impossible Dream." The extraordinary funeral service stretched on for more than seven hours.
Black activists such as Louis Farrakhan, head of the Nation of Islam group, and Reverend Jessie Jackson were also among the scores of speakers at the enormous Greater Grace Temple, an African Methodist Episcopal church.
Clinton told the 4,000 mourners inside the church that Parks -- who sparked civil rights protests by refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man in 1955 -- had "struck a lethal blow to the foundations of legal bigotry."
"Rosa Parks sparked the most significant social movement in US history," the former Democratic president said.
"Let us never forget that in that single act and a lifetime of grace she showed us every day what it meant to be free. She made us see and agree that everyone needs to be free."
A host of politicians and preachers used the pulpit to call for further action on civil rights in America, including Clinton's wife, Senator Hillary Clinton.
"We all need to remember we can have our own Rosa Parks moment every time we stand up for someone who is being mistreated," the New York Democratic senator said. "While we're at it, lets make sure that every vote counts and every vote is counted. This must be a time of change and a call to action."
Notably absent from the massive delegation of politicians was any senior official from the White House.
There has been a nationwide outpouring of tributes to Parks, whose act of defiance on a Montgomery, Alabama bus on December 1, 1955, caused her arrest and a boycott of the bus company led by Martin Luther King Jr., which grew into a national movement and the eventual ending of racial segregation laws.
Following her death, she became the first woman whose body was allowed to lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, a tribute usually reserved for presidents and eminent public servants.
Tens of thousands of people, including President George W. Bush, filed past Parks's coffin in the large circular room under the Capitol's dome for the public viewing Sunday and Monday.
Bush had ordered US flags to be flown at half-staff worldwide Wednesday in her honor.
In Detroit, an estimated 20,000 people filed past the coffin in a museum prior to the funeral service.
The list of honorary pallbearers for Wednesday's service included Clinton and another former president, Jimmy Carter, boxer Muhammad Ali, sports legends Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods and entertainment mavens Bill Cosby and Oprah Winfrey. Only Clinton attended the service.
The church was also filled with more than 2,000 ordinary citizens, some of whom had waited all night to secure their seats.
Dossie Hunter, 74, arrived before dawn but refused to be daunted by the chilly nip in the air. She grew up in Selma, Alabama, and said she knew from experience the kind of hate and discrimination that Parks had struggled against.
"I never met her in person but I didn't want to miss this celebration. I'm from the south myself and I know what happened down there," said Hunter, smiling under a fluffy white hat.
"Most of us wouldn't be where we are now if it hadn't been for people like her."
Walter Perkins, a Chicago high school principal, said he felt blessed to have had the opportunity to attend several appearances by Parks in his city.
"I learned activism is very important because you never know how that one small act can evolve into a whole movement," Perkins said of the former seamstress's act of civil disobedience.
"Young people have lost our sense of history, we have to redouble our efforts to teach them."
Parks was buried in a private ceremony at a Detroit cemetery alongside her late husband and mother.
She moved to Detroit in 1957 because of death threats she and her family received in the racially divided South.
Oh oops. you did.
Notably absent from the massive delegation of politicians was any senior official from the White House.
Never mind that Rosa Parks' casket was in the Capitol Rotunda earlier, a rare instance when a private citizen is afforded such an honor... and President Bush did pay his respects, amongst others.
"We all need to remember we can have our own Rosa Parks moment every time we stand up for someone who is being mistreated," the New York Democratic senator said. "While we're at it, lets make sure that every vote counts and every vote is counted. This must be a time of change and a call to action."
I think this whole ordeal was overdone. Just like everything the media does these days. They over hype and over do everything until it makes the event cheap.
This whole "we are the world" celebrity crap has got to end. I wouldn't want any of those publicity whores at my funeral.
I completely agree!!!
It was a 7 hour event.. 22 speakers..
Paul Wellstone , RIP, may be spinning out of envy.
I'm not completely clear on whether Rosa Parks was approached by Civil Rights leaders before her bus trip or not. If so, Ms. Parks was but one candidate among others who would refuse to give up their seat.
What Rosa Parks did, or perhaps more accurately what people focused on due to her refusal, did change things in this nation for the better. Parks part in it should be remembered. I am not inclined to grant her sainthood.
Our founding fathers laid the groundwork for people like Parks and King to achieve their goals. Our founding fathers in many instances gave up their personal standing, in order to push this new nation into being. Some of them died in poverty, losing everything.
The revolutionary war soldiers died bringing this nation into existance. The Civil War itself saw many die at least in part to better the lot of the black slave. Where is the cannonization of those men, mostly white northerners. Our military men and women kept this nation free and sovereign since. They died for every citizen.
Rosa parks focused her efforts on bettering the lot of a small fraction of our citizens. That should not be taken as an attempt on my part to dismiss her efforts. It should be taken as an attempt to bring things back into perspective.
There are aspects of the civil rights movement that I admire. There are aspects of the civil rights movement that I dispise. You see, the civil rights movement is still active today. In most instances it's efforts are counter to Martin Luther King's ideology.
King did good works. Rosa Parks played a part in the civil rights movement that improved the lives of Black Americans. In that I respect Parks and King. I do not see them as important to the nation as our founding fathers or the people who have died to keep this nation and it's Constitution viable for all.
This wouldn't need to be said if there wasn't a movement to destroy the reputations of our founding fathers, and to loft King and even Parks up in their stead.
I utterly reject that attempt and find it proposterous.
Now that you mention it, the usual suspects were at his funeral as well.
I didn't see Algore though. Maybe he's too large to be mobile these days.
As a guest on Bill Bloviating O'Reilly put it this evening, Blacks have alot to be proud of in regard to holding this nation to equality.
I totally agree with that sentiment as it is the spirit of America, to hold our country to it's foundation of equality and justice.
And Blacks have also fought in every war to defend this country. Absolutely.
As a guest on Bill Bloviating O'Reilly put it this evening, Blacks have alot to be proud of in regard to holding this nation to equality.
Perhaps you can enlighten us as to how successful the blacks would have been during the civil war WITHOUT their white northerner ambudsmen. I do not seek to state that whites held the high moral ground at all times. That would be preposterous. It is also preposterous to state that blacks held this nation to equality. They raised the issue and many came running to support them. Those people were NOT black, and without them blacks would have not succeeded in their goal.
I totally agree with that sentiment as it is the spirit of America, to hold our country to it's foundation of equality and justice.
And blacks did not do this alone, so please quit with the historical rewrite. You know as well as I do that many well-known whites went into the south to support racial equality. This was NOT solely a black effort. Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy... these are a couple of names of people who supported blacks in their quest to gain equality. Many celebrities did as well. Perhaps you've heard of the Underground Railroad. Did you think that effort was solely black driven?
And Blacks have also fought in every war to defend this country. Absolutely.
Will, I didn't deny that blacks contributed to many of our war efforts, so thanks for pointing out the obvious.
The Civil War was not a black driven effort. It was a white northerner and southerner enterprise. Yes, blacks did join up, but once again it would have been impossible for blacks to carry on the effort against the south without the white northerners. It was hard enough as it was with the full force of the north brought to bear.
Please point out the black signators to the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. And please understand how successful blacks would have been without these documents.
That was a dumbasstic thing to do. These two and their followers go to the back of the bus by choice. It gets them freebies, and they get to cry victim.
Why not have people like Candaleeza or Colin Powell speak on her behalf instead? They chose to go to the front of the bus, just like Rosa wanted.
Wow. You are very aggressive and defensive about that statement.
I agreed that Blacks had something to be proud of. I did not imply or say that this was a negative to Whites in any way.
Does one negate the other?
AP: Thousands Attend Funeral for Rosa Parks
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1514210/posts
Sometimes he seemed to be slurring his words, in my opinion, like one who has the beginning signs of some neurological illness.
I didn't believe his story about being moved at age 9 to want to sit at the back of the bus. I think it's another "churches burning in Arkansas" or "future wife finally getting a first name at age 6" tale.
So, Rosa Parks stood up to Democrat oppression and is now a Democrat icon?
Rosa Parks was for some time before her heroic action, a memeber of the NAACP and part of the voter registration movement. This was an event that had been in the planning for some time. That does not diminish what she did, but she was not a lone woman who had this idea just pop into her head one day.
When the story of Rosa Parks is told, it is told as if a little soul against the whole world decided one day that she had had enough, and wasn't going to take it any longer no matter the cost.
If that were the case, the aclaim would be merited. Even if she were part of a larger effort, she should be acknowledged as being a part of a large effort that achieve good results.
As a part of a larger effort, why should Rosa Parks be placed in the Capital to lay in state? Why not every person who was an integral part of that effort?
Singling Parks out for recognition seems over the top to me.
The republican party is the "MOTHER and FATHER" of the civil rights movement.. and that.. when they were NOT in control of Congress.. Parks was just a poster girl..
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.