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What's Wrong With The Rosa Parks Myth

Decent Essays

In black communities, black women frequently push the boundaries of cultural and societal growth. Despite obstacles and discrimination, they succeed academically and contribute substantially to the arts and culture. Black women influence society and the world, driving advancement and reshaping the cultural landscape through activism, education, music, art, and other mediums. However, they are subject to a unique form of discrimination termed “Misogynoir,” coined by Black feminist scholar Maya Bailey to describe the discrimination black women face at the intersection of their blackness and their sex. Due to this misogynoir, black women are often robbed of the recognition they deserve for their hard work and are seen as less capable than their …show more content…

Many people are only aware of the story of Rosa Parks as a tired old seamstress who refused to give up her bus seat, thus sparking the Montgomery bus boycott. However, this portrayal is a gross oversimplification. Rosa Parks was a zealous community activist who was elected secretary of the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP. Parks did not stumble into advocacy and resistance when she remained seated; she knew exactly what to do. But instead of being known as the community organizer and advocate she was, she is remembered simply as the woman who sat. This oversimplification robs Rosa Parks of the historical notoriety she …show more content…

Colvin, who was taking the bus home from high school, was told by the bus driver to vacate her seat, and when she refused, she was forcibly removed by two officers. Colvin explained that she was inspired by the black historical figures she had just learned about, saying, “It felt like Sojourner Truth was on one side pushing me down, and Harriet Tubman was on the other side of me pushing me down. I couldn't get up.” But why wasn’t this bright, brave young woman chosen to be the figurehead of the boycott? The misogynoir notion that black women had to have light skin, "good hair," and piety created the idea of what a respectable black woman should look like, causing erasure for women like Claudette

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