“In this modern world don’t we need to laugh, more than we’ve ever needed too before in history?” Dame Edna, Just for Laughs 2005
“Absolutely, Dame Edna.” Antony Simpson, 15th November 09
On today in 1955 in the state of Alabama a black woman called Rosa Parks sat on a “black seat” on the bus. Rosa had worked a long day as a seamstress (a job sewing and making clothes). In these times it was the law was that a black person had to give up their seat for a white person, if a white person couldn’t find a “white seat”. This was called the segregation law, which also stated that black and whites had to sit on specific areas of the bus. Black people didn’t have equal rights to white people.
A white man was unable to find a “white seat” and the bus driver demanded that Rosa Parks gave up her seat to the white man. Rosa refused and the bus driver had her arrested. Rosa was found guilty of breaking the law and ordered to pay $14. This doesn’t sound like a lot of money but was significantly more in those days when pay was lower. Rosa was bailed out of jail by her friend Mr. Nixon, a civil rights leader.
The majority of black people successfully boycotted the buses for 13 months, finding alternative ways to and from work. The bus companies relied on the money from their mistreated black passengers. The boycott came to an end when the United States Supreme Court ruled that the segregation laws were not legal. This perhaps wouldn’t have happened without Rosa Parks standing up to what she felt was wrong. In 1992, Rosa Parks said of the bus story: “The real reason of my not standing up was I felt that I had a right to be treated as any other passenger.”
Today Rosa Parks’ story is taught to children worldwide in primary schools. This is so that we never forgot how minority groups (such as black people) have been treated in the past: unfair and unequal. This is the same reason I post the story of Rosa Parks, let’s never forget our history and let’s certainly never repeat it.
Blog about equality again soon,
Antony
I recently finished reading Dear Me: A Letter to My Sixteen-Year-Old Self. Celebrities have written letters to their sixteen year old selfs in aid of the Elton John AIDS Foundation. For each book sold a minimum of £1 goes to the charity.
Contributors include: Will Young, Sir Elton John, Alan Carr, Jonathan Ross, Peter Kay, Jackie Collis, Annie Lennox, Stephen Fry, Liz Smith, Emma Thompson, John Barrowman, Paul O’Grady and many more.
The hard-back book with glossy pages contained hand written letters, typed letters and photos of some the contributors at the age of sixteen. Their messages to themselves included: words of warning, regrets, messages of hope, reassurance that things would be ok, a need to conquer their fears and worries. The book made me laugh, cry and think about myself as a sixteen year old.
Interestingly a friend who knew me at sixteen CS recently got back in touch via Facebook. We had a long phone conversation (over two and a half hours) and are planning to meet for a coffee.
After a lot of thought about myself at sixteen and after speaking to CS I decided to write my own letter to my sixteen year old self. I have wrote my own letter to myself at sixteen (there a a few missed words – must start checking all my writing and edit it properly), here it is:
I would highly recommend you buy Dear Me: A Letter to My Sixteen-Year-Old Self for yourself and possibly for a Christmas / Yule present for some of your family or friends. I promise you and them will love it.
Blog soon,
Antony
On this date in 1996 at the young age of thirty three Eva Cassidy died. She had been experiencing an ache in her hips which she thought was due to painting, by the time they discovered the cancer it had spread throughout her body. She had an incredible voice and with that Eva you have died but not been forgotten. Rest in peace.
Edited on Sunday 7th May 17: changed Youtube videos as previous videos deleted off YouTube.
