Today's DAR
Over this Thanksgiving weekend, Michigan Daughters braved wintery conditions to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat on an Alabama bus. This was the first featured commemorative event of the Storage Administration. Regrettably, President General Ginnie Storage was unable to attend, and as her appointee, I was honored to represent the National Society, joined by Historian General Cindy Staiffer Addison, immediate past Treasurer General Dr. Sherry Edwards, Vice President General Kelly Van Wormer, Past Vice President General Beth Garner, National Commemorative Events Chair Peggy King Scully and National Chair of Auditing Deann Newman.
70th Anniversary of Rosa Parks’ Refusal to Give Up Her Seat on an Alabama Bus
Rosa Parks’ arrest on December 1st for violating the state’s public accommodations segregation law ignited the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a powerful catalyst for the civil rights movement. When public discord surrounding the incident caused her and her husband Raymond to lose their jobs, the Parks’ relocated to Detroit in 1957. Mrs. Parks remained active in the civil rights movement, as well as other causes for freedom, until her death at age 92 in 2005.
On Sunday November 30th, Daughters assembled at Woodlawn Cemetery for a community Ceremony of Remembrance. Reverand Doctor Wendell Anthony of Fellowship Baptist Church provided personal observations about his friend’s faith and courage. A bronze plaque paying tribute to Mrs. Parks’ contributions was dedicated and installed near her final resting place in the chapel that bears her name. Members of the state E Pluribus Unum Committee offered readings and remarks honoring Mrs. Parks and the ceremony ended with a lovely rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Following the ceremony, State Regent Dawn Brady hosted a dinner for distinguished Daughters and guests.
On Saturday December 1st, more than two hundred Daughters toured The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn to view the “With Liberty and Justice for All” exhibit. The centerpiece of the exhibit is the very bus on which Mrs. Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger. At a luncheon celebration held in the Museum’s Lovett Hall, I delivered greetings and remarks on behalf of Mrs. Storage and reflected on how this commemoration furthers the mission of our National Society. State Commemorative Events Co-Chair Lamara Schrode presented a brief history of Mrs. Parks’ life and experiences. Smithsonian Senior Curator Emeritus Dr. William Pretzer shared the story of how Cleveland Avenue Bus 2857 was rescued from an Alabama field, refurbished, and found a permanent home at The Henry Ford in 2002.
At the close of the commemoration, Louisa St. Clair Chapter arranged a special tour of the Jackson House, The Henry Ford’s newest acquisition for its iconic outdoor museum, Greenfield Village. Dr. and Mrs. Sullivan Jackson hosted Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and other civil rights leaders in their Selma home to strategize for passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
On behalf of President General Ginnie Storage, kudos to the Michigan State DAR for a truly meaningful commemoration and for “illuminating” a significant milestone of American history.
