Moral clarity comes in small packages do not at first seem to be the vehicle by which justice arrives. But Rosa Parks was such a lady, and her cause of social justice stirred a nation and resulted in fundamental changes that make our nation a better place to live.
On the opposite side of the historic divide, figures that held power, prestige, and social influence in their grasp declined the opportunity, for whatever reason, to undo injustice and stamp out racism and bigotry. Thomas Jefferson, understanding the heavy weight of slavery on the nation, felt that a future generation would take up the job of eradicating slavery. After the Missouri Compromise he was so dejected by the decision that he predicted the Civil War that would consume the nation. And yet he never had the inner strength to stand up for the end of slavery in a public way.
President Buchanan understood the failure of the institution of slavery but resigned himself to the confines of the Constitution, as he interpreted it, and made no course correction for the nation on the eve of the Civil War. The power of the White House rested in his hands but he blinked, and as a result the Confederates felt emboldened, and the abolitionists grew stronger in their distaste of slavery and national impotence on ending the disgrace of owning another human being.
But a slight unassuming woman decided that after a long day of work she would not move from her seat on a bus. Rosa Parks was already in the back of the bus, but as more white riders boarded she was requested to make room for one of them. She refused, and history shows how the brave action of one person changed the national dynamics forever.
We often look, perhaps too often, to the holders of power to make changes for our society. Perhaps we need to look in the mirror and reflect on what we can do in our own small ways that may set in motion the hopes we wish for in our country.
I suspect there is a little Rosa Parks in many Americans, and her lasting legacy would be further enhanced if more of us discovered it, and employed it in our daily lives.