(THE PICKET) – The name Rosa Parks brings images of a slight woman in a pillbox hat who says, “No, I will not move” to mind for most people. No one can question the historical figure Parks became, but what we miss in our short story is the journey to that point.
The Rosa Parks Story film presented Friday, Oct. 2, through the writer in residence program and the Shepherdstown Film Society painted a different and more complete picture.
Before the film, a section of the poem “Rosa Parks” by Nikki Giovanni was read, pointing out other events that led to Parks’ decision. The film starring Angela Bassett told the story of an educated woman affected by the adversity she faced growing up. She was a woman with a history of involvement in civil rights before even deciding to stay in her seat.
It also gave an emotional ride like no other, giving us pieces of personal relationships that feel real under the very Hollywood romance with which they were constructed. You have an understanding and a feel for Parks as she makes her decisions and has to live with the consequences.
The film was followed by an audience participation discussion led by Shepherd University history Professor Dr. Julia Sandy. Dr. Sandy pointed out that she hoped the film made us think differently about Parks, what she faced and the consequences of her actions then and today.
Several members of the Shepherdstown community shared opinions and personal stories of things they had experienced during the 1960s civil rights movement. Some of them rode in segregated buses or faced other issues.
These stories brought the film closer to home. Parks didn’t take her stand hundreds of years ago, but in less than a human lifetime from ours today.
“Remember, it takes a lot of people to enact a social change, many of whom you never hear of,” Dr. Sandy said after the film. “We know the story of Rosa Parks, but we do not know the stories of those who caused her to make her choice.”