March 2, 1995
Nearly 40 years ago, 13 years before I was born, Rosa Parks sat down on a bus and had a hand in my future.
The civil rights pioneer who visited campus a week ago, stood up that day for her and every other African American's rights.
Her presence had me in tears.
If it wasn't for the small, frail-looking woman, I wouldn't be here, attending this university, preparing for a career of my choice. Ms. Parks means a great deal to me.
She represents my freedom.
In the '50s and '60s many of my foremothers and forefathers fought tooth-and-nail so that I, an American citizen, would be considered free, as promised by the Declaration of Independence. Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., Medgar Evers and many -- many -- other African-American freedom fighters died for that purpose, while others are still, to this day, behind cold, steel bars.
Some are even sitting on death row.
Now, in the '90s, the African-American community has the rights our grandparents struggled to achieve. It took a great deal of blood, sweat and tears to claim those rights but, unfortunately, there are still many within the community who can't seem to utilize those liberties.
There is something terribly wrong here.
Although there are more African-American men in college than in prison today, there are still too many in jail. There are also too many African-American women going to prison or bearing the burden of single parenthood, trapped in the vicious cycle of welfare.
This is not the freedom our foreparents intended for us. The founders of this country stood on the backs of the African people to build this country and 439 years later, nothing seems to have changed.
This is definitely not what Ms. Parks worked for in the '50s and still continues to work for today.
This nonsense has to stop.
The question is than how do we stop a problem that has been festering for centuries? Some people believe the answer is through violence.
I disagree.
Rosa Parks got us this far with a nonviolent approach during a time in which violence was regularly used in an attempt to control African Americans.
Today, violence is unnecessary, and can only lead to the destruction of the community.
Because of the sacrifices people like Parks have made, African Americans can wield power in the voting booth and on the steps of Capitol Hill. We now have the unimpeded right to vote. As a community, we need to use it often and we need to use it wisely.
But we don't.
Over the years, the African-American community has become increasingly disenchanted with the government. After fighting so long and so hard for the right to vote, not enough of us do. Instead of turning our backs on politics, we should form a political block and lobby.
There is power in numbers.
A strong political group, not affiliated with any party, could place its own representatives in the legislature. It should not allow its community to be represented by slick, fat-cat politicos who don't have its interests at heart. These kinds of politicians have personal agendas, which are formed by special interest lobbyists; they shouldn't be trusted with our welfare.
Rosa's struggle should not be in vain.
We can fight policy, not with gunfire, but with the power of the vote.