DAY 4: RISING UP BY SITTING DOWN

"Mugshot" Photo of Rosa Parks holding rectangular plate that reads "7053"

Booking photo of Rosa Parks

Photo of Claudette Colvin

Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was born 110 years ago on this date. She is most widely known for sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott when she refused a bus driver’s order to vacate a seat for a White passenger. Rosa suffered greatly for her heroic actions; she was fired from her job as a seamstress and for many years received vitriol and even death threats. She moved to Detroit and found work there, but continued advocating for justice throughout her life.

Congress has referred to Rosa as “the mother of civil rights.” But speaking of mothers, today we honor another brave young woman who has more in common with Rosa than most people know: today we honor Claudette Colvin, who refused to get up from the White section of a Montgomery bus… nine months before Rosa did. Others who had also been protesting segregation through bus sit-ins in prior years included Bayard Rustin, Irene Morgan, Lillie Mae Bradford, Sarah Louise Keys, Aurelia Browder, Susie McDonald, and Mary Louise Smith.

A testament to youth courage and impact, Claudette was only 15 years old when she was arrested for her sit-in, and yet she did not enjoy the same public support for her actions because at the time, she was unmarried and pregnant, which meant she would not be considered a proper face of the movement. By contrast, Rosa Parks had been carefully selected and prepared for her protest—she attended an activism training program and was the Secretary of the Montgomery branch of the NAACP, who selected Rosa for this role because of her high likelihood of being seen favorably as a Defendant in a legal case of this nature.

The truth is that each of these women and their networks of supporters all made invaluable contributions to the movement for civil rights. Taking their lives into their hands by performing such a simple act meant they had to be willing to be murdered at the hands of the government or an angry mob (which often overlap) to make things better for the whole. And there was nothing quick about it: The Montgomery Bus Boycott lasted 381 days. For those thirteen long months, the 17,000 Black people in Montgomery walked to work or got rides from the very few Black residents who owned cars.

See below for more photos from the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Black carpool drivers offering rides. Photo credit: the Montgomery Advertiser.

Rosa Parks riding a Montgomery bus the day the buses were integrated.

The map of the bus Rosa rode the day of her protest.

Black carpool drivers offering rides. Photo credit: the Montgomery Advertiser.

Rosa Parks riding a Montgomery bus the day the buses were integrated.

The map of the bus Rosa rode the day of her protest.

Rutland Sculpture Trail

“Martin Freeman,” designed by Mark Burnett and carved by Don Ramey, 2020, Center Street Marketplace Park.

Photo of a sculpture of Martin Freeman, designed by Mark Burnett & carved by Don Ramey.

Have you toured the sculpture trail yet? This is a path in the Rutland downtown that features mixed media art and marble carvings by regional artists. It includes a sculpture of Martin Henry Freeman, America's first black college president, as well as pieces honoring Black Americans who were among the first to fight in the Civil War. Learn more here: Rutland Sculpture Trail

Yesterday’s Pop Quiz

Yesterday, we asked you “How old was Phillis Wheatley when her first book of poems, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, was published in 1773?” Here’s how you answered:

The answer is A. In yesterday’s e-mail, we told you that Phillis led “an extraordinary life…” but what we left out was that her life was quite brief: She was enslaved at 7, published at 20, and gone at 31.

Let’s back up a bit: She was emancipated shortly after being published, and she went on to marry a freed Black man named John Peters, who was a grocer. John had a lot of debt, and they lived in poverty. Over the next few years, John and Phillis had three children, all of whom died during infancy or early childhood. Soon after John was imprisoned for debt, Phillis died at the age of 31.

Her story did not end how many of would have wanted, but she serves as a reminder to us that we can’t always control the circumstances around us, but we can control how we respond to the circumstances around us. Phillis endured immeasurable pain, and also unprecedented success, and also everything in between.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Pop Quiz question about the long legal road to justice…

Coming up

Check out some of the events happening throughout Black History Month 2023.

Now through 2/12 – “Bov Water” play at Northern Stage

What: A running production of a new play in which “four generations of Black women breathe and bathe in a past that’s both intentionally and accidentally forgotten. Challenging and discovering their own narratives from the Civil War to the 1960s to modern-day America, these strong and inquisitive souls wrestle to unearth a family’s past and build resilience for the future.”

Logistics: This play is running until Feb 12th. Performances are at the Barrette Center for the Arts, located at 74 Gates St. in White River Junction. Learn more here: Bov Water

2/4 – Black Artist Market

What: A weekend event that offers “a craft fair where all merchandise is made by a Black creative.” There will also be food and music.

Logistics: This event is being held on Saturday Feb 4th from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at The Kemp Center, located at 372 N Winooski Ave. in Burlington.

2/5 – “Afro-Caribbean Brunch for Black History Month”

What: The Archives partners with Exclusive Vermont Events to host an event featuring live music, art, and games aimed to help you “celebrate Black history, culture and excellence through food, music, and the arts.”

Logistics: This event is being held on Sunday Feb 5th from 12:00-4:00 p.m. at The Archives, located at 45 Main St. in Winooski. Learn more here: Afro-Caribbean Brunch

2/9 – Panel Discussion on Police Violence

What: The Vermont branches of the NAACP partner with ACLU of Vermont to host a panel discussion with five family members whose loved ones were lost to police violence and who are a part of the Love Not Blood Campaign.

Logistics: This free, hybrid event is being held on Feb 9th at 6:00 p.m. with two options to join: [1] at the Pavilion Building located at 109 State St. in Montpelier, or [2] via Zoom. Learn more and RSVP here: Voices From the Front

2/16 – “Soul Food: Honoring Black Voices in Music”

What: A late-night musical experience that “honors Black music of yesterday and today.”

Logistics: This free event is being held on Feb 16th from 9:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m. at Club Metronome, located at 188 Main St. in Burlington. Learn more here: Soul Food

This Week’s Raffle

Each week, we will draw 3 names from the list of those who signed up for this e-mail series. We hope you win (yes, you!). The drawings are random; we use the True Random Number Service, which will pick 3 numbers each week from the sign-up list. You don’t need to do anything from here—we’ll e-mail you if you’re a lucky winner.

This is an installment in the State of Vermont’s 28-day Black History Month e-mail series, offered by the Vermont Human Rights Commission and the Vermont Office of Racial Equity. The Human Rights Commission protects people from unlawful discrimination in housing, state government employment, and public accommodations. Learn more about the HRC here. The Office of Racial Equity provides guidance and oversight to identify and mitigate systemic racism in state government. Learn more about the ORE here. Did you receive this e-mail from a friend? Want to sign yourself up for the remainder of the month? Subscribe to this list here.

Copyright (C) 2023 State of Vermont Office of Racial Equity. All rights reserved.

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