December 2, 2017

Sixty-two years ago this week, a brave seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama uttered one word that changed history. On the evening of December 1, 1955, when a bus driver told Rosa Parks to hand over her seat, she looked him in the eye and she told him “No”. No, she was not going to give up her seat because of her color, or the color of her skin.

Rosa Parks remained strong and stayed in her seat, to defend the truth etched into our Declaration of Independence that all of us, regardless of the color of our skin, are created equal by God.

Her courageous act inspired a young Christian pastor, the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr, along with thousands of others in Montgomery to join the movement and boycott the city bus service.

After 381 days, the city ordinance was finally overturned. Soon, millions of others across the country joined the Civil Rights Movement and helped secure the freedom and equality that is every American’s birthright.

Today, our nation is better, our country more just and our people more united, because of the bravery of Rosa Parks.

Rosa Parks’ legacy continues to inspire our citizens to pursue a better tomorrow, and to build a country where every American child, no matter their skin color, can live without fear, dream without limits, and take their rightful place in the great story of our nation.

Thank you. God bless you, and God bless America.