I NEVER LIKED ROSA PARKS

ROSA PARKS DIED RECENTLY AT THE AGE OF 92 -- SHE WAS 32 YEARS OLDER THAN I AND WE NEVER MET, BUT I HAVE HAD A DISLIKE FOR THIS WOMAN FOR OVER 51 YEARS.
I WAS ALWAYS THE BIGGEST KID IN MY CLASS UNTIL I REACHED NINTH GRADE AND EVEN THEN, I WAS AMONG THE BIGGEST THREE BOYS IN THE SCHOOL. ROSA PARKS WAS A SMALL WOMAN, I COULD PUT HER IN MY HIP POCKET AND HARDLY FEEL THE WEIGHT OF CARRYING HER AROUND.
WHEN FRANKIE CREWS AND I, GOT INTO AN ARGUMENT AND ALMOST CAME TO BLOWS, I RAN HOME AND TRIED TO ENLIST MY FATHER TO MY CAUSE -- DAD'S SILLY ADVICE - FIGHT FRANKIE -- MY REPLY, FRANKIE IS BIGGER AND STRONGER THAN ME - FRANKIE CAN BEAT ME -- DAD'S FOOLISH REPLY, SO YOU GET BEAT, FIGHT ANYWAY.
THAT DAY, I ADDED MY FATHER TO THE LIST ALONG WITH ROSA PARKS, I DID NOT LIKE HIM EITHER.
A YEAR LATER, ON MY WAY TO THE APOLLO MOVIE THEATRE ON FULTON STREET, AN OLDER GUY TOLD ME THAT I WAS THE PERSON WHO BEAT UP HIS LITTLE BROTHER AND HE WOULD DO LIKEWISE TO ME, UNLESS I GAVE HIM MY 25 CENTS, WHICH WAS FOR ADMISSION TO THE MOVIE. HE WAS BIGGER AND STRONGER, SO, IT WAS NOT A VERY DIFFICULT DECISION FOR ME, HE GOT THE QUARTER.
WHEN MY SISTER, CATHY A.K.A. "SISTA," NOTICED THAT I WAS BACK HOME 15 MINUTES AFTER I LEFT FOR THE MOVIE, SHE FOUND OUT WHY AND MARCHED ME DOUBLE TIME BACK UP THROOP AVENUE TO LOOK FOR THIS 25 CENT FELON. WE DID NOT FIND HIM, MOST LIKELY, HE WAS IN THE MOVIE, WHILE WE WERE WALKING THE STREETS.
SISTA HAD FIRE IN HER EYES AND THIS GUY WOULD HAVE TAKEN A HORRIBLE BEATING FOR THAT QUARTER - I WAS GLAD FOR HIM THAT WE DID NOT CROSS PATHS THAT DAY.
UNFORTUNATELY, I HAD TO ADD SISTA TO MY LIST OF UNPOPULAR PEOPLE.
IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, ROGER MILLER PUNCHED ME IN THE BACK DURING CLASS AND CHALLENGED ME TO A FIGHT AFTER SCHOOL. I WAS BIGGER THAN ROGER MILLER, BUT THAT WAS THE PROBLEM -- MY DECATUR JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL UNDERSTANDING OF THE LAWS OF PHYSICS, AS TAUGHT BY GIL WORTSMANN AND ROBERT SYLVESTER WILSON, TOLD ME THAT SIZE HAD A DIRECT CORRELATION WITH STRENGTH AND POWER -- SO WHY WAS SMALLER ROGER MILLER HOT TO FIGHT A BIGGER GUY - WHAT DID HE KNOW?
BEING FAIRLY INTELLIGENT AND LESS THAN COURAGEOUS, I STAGED THE CONFRONTATION FOR FRIDAY, IN FRONT TO THE MAIN ENTRANCE / EXIT TO THE SCHOOL.THIS PROVIDED A STEADY FLOW OF FACULTY TO TELL US TO BREAK IT UP - TO GO HOME.
SO, THE FIGHT DID NOT EVER TAKE PLACE AND I MANAGED TO SAVE FACE AND IN BEDFORD-STUYVESANT, BROOKLYN, THAT WAS MOST IMPORTANT. AFTER THE WEEKEND, THE INCIDENT WAS OLD NEWS AND NO MENTION WAS MADE OF IT BY ANYONE. I THINK IT WAS ALL ABOUT SOME GIRL ROGER LIKED, WHO SAID SHE LIKED ME BETTER - I NEVER HAD A DISLIKE FOR ROGER, SINCE I ESCAPED THE BATTLE AND WON THE GIRL'S AFFECTION ( WHOEVER SHE WAS - I NEVER FOUND OUT ).
ANYWAY, THE LIST OF FOLKS I WAS NOT PLEASED WITH GREW FROM ROSA PARKS TO INCLUDE, MARTIN LUTHER KING, MALCOLM X, MEDGAR EVERS AND THOUSANDS OF OTHER MEN AND WOMEN OF VARIOUS ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS, WHO TOOK A STAND AGAINST RACISM -- WHO FOUGHT BACK - WHO CHANGED THINGS FOR THE BETTER - WHO WERE AFRAID, BUT DIDN'T ALLOW FEAR TO TURN THEM AROUND.
THESE PEOPLE BROKE MY SCIENTIFIC RULE ABOUT SIZE AND POWER, THEY TOOK ON GIANTS - THE CITY COMMISSIONERS - THE KLAN -THE POLICE - THE GOVERNORS - THE MAYORS - THE PRISON SYSTEM -- THE LONG HELD TRADITIONS OF AMERICA HISTORY.
THESE WARRIORS OFTEN LOST THEIR BATTLES, BUT THEY SHOWED THAT:

THE GIANTS COULD BE CHALLENGED -
THE GIANTS COULD BE INTIMIDATED -
THE GIANTS WERE NOT ABOVE THE FRAY -

THE FOLKS WHO FELL, DEMONSTRATED THE COURAGE THAT WOULD BE NEEDED BY THOSE WHO FOLLOWED AND WERE ABLE TO AT LEAST HOLD THE GIANTS AT BAY --- THEIR DEFEAT IS STILL A LONG WAY OFF.
ROSA PARKS SET AN ERA OF THESE WARRIORS IN MOTION, WITH HER ACT OF DEFIANCE AND SHE SENT THE MESSAGE TO ME, THAT I WAS NEVER THE BIGGEST PERSON, I WAS NEVER HALF HER SIZE -- I HAVE LIVED A LIFE OF COMFORT, BENEFITING FROM THE SACRIFICE OF OTHERS -- KNOWN AND UNKNOWN -- I HAVE BROUGHT NOTHING TO THE TABLE, BUT I HAVE PARTAKEN OF THE BOUNTY THEY LABORED TO SUPPLY.
I CHERISH AND RESPECT ALL THAT THESE NOBLE WARRIORS HAVE DONE - BUT I DISLIKE THE TORCH THEY HOLD SO HIGH - I SEE MYSELF ALL TOO CLEARLY IN THEIR GLORIOUS LIGHT. I STAND FAR TOO SHORT AND TRANSPARENT IN THEIR
BRIGHT LIGHT.

**************************************************************************************** TWO LINES I HEARD TODAY --->>>

ROSA PARKS SAT DOWN AND STOOD UP FOR US ALL ********************
ROSA PARKS WAS AN ORDINARY WOMAN,
WHO DID AN EXTRAORDINARY THING.
**************

GOD BLESS ROSA PARKS AND ALL THOSE WHO FOUGHT AND NOW FIGHT, FOR THE VALUES SHE PERSONIFIED.