Rosa Parks T-Shirt Project
INFORMATION SHEET
HOW IT ALL STARTED
There was a recent incident in which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. This issue sparked off a huge debate amongst Americans, not to mention provoked much interest in the civil rights of Blacks, the subsequent acts taken by the State government, and expressing the views of Alabamans in general.
We are not embarking on this project to judge the act in any way; rather we feel that it brought a very important issue – the civil rights of Blacks – to prominence. Thus we were inspired to spontaneously start this initiative in an effort to promote active participation in citizenship, which we believe would eventually lead to less racism in society.
OUR BELIEFS
o The capacity to which our society can become more tolerant is immeasurable
o Increased communication between Whites and Blacks is essential for society to improve and progress as a whole, and lead to a more harmonious and united society
o Citizens should bear in mind the responsibility of keeping to legal boundaries in going about their daily lives
o Sensitivity to people of other races is essential to the concept of racial harmony
OUR AIMS FOR THIS PROJECT
o To push for the concept of less racial discrimination in society where Whites and Blacks can interact on a level platform, bearing in mind the need to adhere to the segregation laws and Jim Crow laws (which prevent Blacks from voting) while doing so.
o Galvanize the Blacks of today to rise up from their apathy and despair they are stereotyped as having and take an active role in peacefully campaigning for desegregation (even if any laws might exist restricting peaceful assembly and demonstration), as well as participate actively in the reforming of our society
o To ultimately help create a more racially-cohesive, united society where everyone has a part to play in active citizenship
THE CONTEXT OF “ROSA PARKS” IN OUR PROJECT
We would like to remind the public that even though Rosa Parks has become our mascot and symbol for the project, we are in no way attempting to judge or condone the Rosa Parks incident. Rather, we are using the accidental fame of Rosa Parks to spark interest in our project; they also serve as a reminder that legal boundaries are important and should be adhered to even while fighting racism and racial discrimination.
[Ed: If you don't get it, read the post below.
If you still don't get it, consider:
- Why would someone make a Rosa Parks T-shirt in the 21st century?
- Why would the T-shirt makers have Singaporean-style caveats about obeying the law?
- Why does it refer to the incident as "recent"?]