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ROSA PARKS - James' Comments

I turned on my computer yesterday, October 25, 2005 and read the headlines that Rosa Parks, one of the bravest proudest women I know of had died. My heart skipped a beat and I felt sad for the loss, yet proud to have lived when she lived and proud of everything she had accomplished for the world.

ROSA PARKS made a life changing "positive choice" when she made the choice, the decision to stand up for what is right, for what she believed in - equality and fairness. She was right not to give her seat to a man just because his skin was a different color. I don't know about you, but my mom always tells me to give my seat on the bus to women, children and older people. Rosa Parks didn't care what people thought or what she would have to face, she was brave and she was strong.

As kids we have to make choices and decisions every day when we are bullied or are tempted to bully because someone hurt us or we want to fit in. The right decision is to be fair and kind to others, to include them. To be the best person you can be and it's not easy to do what's right and fair, but we CAN DO IT!

ROSA PARKS said, " Older blacks have tried to shield young people from what we have suffered... We must double and redouble our efforts to try to say to our youth, to try to give them an inspiration, an incentive and the will to study our heritage and to know what it means to be black in America today".

I am half Canadian and half American. I am half black and half white. All children; American, Canadian and from all heritages and races need strong role models who have integrity, passion and morals. People who make us proud and strong and believe in a better world. ROSA PARKS was the courageous spark and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. supported her and brought her message of equality and fairness to the world so we could understand. We can't forget these lessons. We have to be fair and kind to each other, to every single person who crosses our path, We have to try and when we fail, we have to apologize and try again.

We all have a responsibility to "Carry The Torch" for Canadian, American and International Heroes. I want to carry the torch for Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Lincoln Alexander, my godfather Stanley Grizzle, Mr.Gairey, Harry Jerome, Herbert Carnegie, Sam Burke and a million other Heroes we don't know about.

I want children like me to know that I had obstacles and hard times, I still do, but I overcame them and they can to. We can do great things and make positive choices, especially with Heroes like Rosa Parks leading the way!

Heroes are not perfect, but they don't let that stop them. They do what is right anyway. You can be a Hero also! Make that choice to be fair and kind to others. Treat people equally. Thank you ROSA PARKS for making a better future for all of us.