The Moral Character of Rosa Parks

More than anything else, we must apply her belief that one person doing the right thing can inspire countless others to do the same. 

February 06, 2020

“I did not want to be mistreated. I did not want to be deprived of a seat that I had paid for. It was just time...there was an opportunity for me to take a stand to express the way I felt about being treated in that manner. I had not planned to get arrested. I had plenty to do without having to end up in jail. But when I had to face that decision, I didn't hesitate to do so because I felt that we had endured that too long. The more we gave in, the more we complied with that kind of treatment, the more oppressive it became.”

— Rosa Parks

On the evening of Dec. 1, 1955, Rosa Parks performed a seemingly mundane task. She paid her fare to head home along the Montgomery County Bus after a full day of work. As Parks advanced toward the last three rows of the bus to her typical seat, the driver, James Blake, noticed that some white passengers didn’t have anywhere to sit. So, he went toward the rear of the bus and moved the “Colored Only” sign back even farther. Parks would have to relinquish her seat.

"When he saw me still sitting, he asked if I was going to stand up, and I said, 'No, I'm not,'" Parks recalled. “And he said, 'Well, if you don't stand up, I'm going to have to call the police and have you arrested.' I said, 'You may do that.’ And he did.” 

Parks was tired. But not from working all day — she was tired of being mistreated. She was exhausted with the prejudice that dominated the South her entire life. She was not desperate to simply make a stand. She was courageous in her convictions to do what was right. She had no idea where all of this might lead.

On Feb. 4, Rosa Parks would have been 107 years old. She may not be alive today, but her legacy as a pioneering American icon lives on. We can honor her by recognizing her efforts during the Civil Rights Movements and adopting her willingness to show courage. More than anything else, we must apply her belief that one person doing the right thing can inspire countless others to do the same. 

Talk to your team or your employees about Parks’ behavior, her unwillingness to tolerate injustice. Teach them about her resilience, her acts of courage, her determination to triumph against seemingly insurmountable obstacles. We must all honor Parks on her birthday. Reflecting on and then enacting the lessons she taught us is the best way how.

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