Introducing 7053

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for civil disobedience. She rightly refused to give up her seat on a public bus for a white passenger. That moment is etched in history as it was the start of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The boycott ended after 13 months, when the Supreme Court ruled that segregation on public buses is unconstitutional.

That’s the story we all know, but before she was a Civil Rights icon, Rosa Parks managed a national campaign against sexual assault. When 24-year-old Recy Taylor was brutally assaulted by several white men in Alabama, the NAACP asked Rosa Parks to investigate. In spite of threats sent to the Taylor family, Rosa Parks did not halt her investigation.

On October 9, 1944 a grand jury decided not to indict the men responsible, so Rosa Parks started a letter-writing campaign to convince the state to reconsider. They did reopen the investigation, but the men were never prosecuted. About eight years ago, after an article and subsequent change.org petition highlighted the heinous crime once again, the state of Alabama issued an apology to Recy Taylor. I hope that somewhere up above, Rosa Parks saw that moment and knew that her courageous work was never in vain.

Rosa Parks dedicated her entire life to Civil Rights and justice and Girl Friday’s 7053 theme was named in her honor. When arrested in 1955, she held number 7053 in her mugshot. This theme will look at issues across justice, law, and governance.