Rosa Parks Day Report and Slide Show

How do we remember Rosa Parks?

By making The 50th Anniversary Of Rosa Parks' Arrest, December 1, a Nationwide Day of Absence and Protest Against Poverty, Racism & War.

No School, Work Or Shopping - Protests Across the Country

March on Wall Street in NYC to demand:

*Bring the Troops Home Now
* Veteran discounts on Fort Myers dumpster rental
*Cut the War Budget, Not Healthcare, Housing and Education
*Justice for Hurricane Katrina Survivors
*Military recruiters out of our schools.
*Jobs - A Living Wage - the Right to Organize

50 years ago, Rosa Parks Helped Start a Movement - We must re-start that Movement.

The 50th anniversary of Rosa Parks' arrest is much more than the anniversary of single person's actions. It is the anniversary of the opening of the mass Civil Rights movement and the struggle that brought Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.to prominence.

The war in Iraq that has now destroyed the lives of more than 2100 U.S. soldiers and 100,000 Iraqi people; the racism and negelct at all levels of government in the wake of Hurricane Katrina; growing poverty and inequality; the drive to make the Supreme Court even more anti-woman and anti-civil rights; and Rosa Parks' death just days ago, have made this 50th anniversary of her arrest an even more serious and somber occasion to reflect on the need to restart the movement against poverty, racism and war.

Let's utilize this anniversary to move the movement forward. We urge you to join the more than 1,000 organizations that are also supporting and participating in the Dec.1st Rosa Parks Anniversary Nationwide Day of Absence Against Poverty, Racism and War. On that day, no school, no work, and no shopping--only protest marches, rallies and teach-ins.

Fifty years ago, Rosa Parks helped start a Movement. We must re-start that Movement. Part of the problem is that our movement is too fragmented. Surely, the memory of Rosa Parks should provide us with fresh inspiration to build the bridges between movements that would make all of us so much stronger. From the Sept. 24 antiwar protest to the Millions More Movement to the "World Can’t Wait" day of protest, it is clear that the mass of the people are ready to end both the war in Iraq, and the war against so many of us here at home.

During the course of Dr.King's journey from Montgomery to Memphis where his life was cut short, he came to see not only segregation, but poverty, economic inequality, and war as the enemies of freedom. We must restart the Movement for social justice, equality and peace because if we don't, we will not only fail to finish the unfinished business of the civil rights movement-- we will also continue to lose ground.

Let us use this anniversary as an occasion to affirm that the struggle must continue, and that we cannot separate the struggle against racism from the struggle for the right to health care, a quality education, affordable housing, and jobs that pay a living wage with benefits including the right to organize. Moreover, central to a new Movement must be ending the war in Iraq and bringing the troops home now. Most of all, we must recommit ourselves to the goal of uniting all who can be united.

On Dec. 1, people will march in every region of the country. In NYC, thousands will march and rally on Wall Street because a relatively handful of people who either own, control or profit from the economy, must know that we consider the right to live free of war and the right to a job, to be as much of a civil right as the right to sit in the front of the bus.

It is time to declare that poor and working people will not sit in the back of the economic bus that only runs to make the rich richer. We will not ride in the back of a bus that wants to run over the rights of women, people of color, immigrants, youth, LGBT people and workers. We will not ride in the back of a bus that will cut health care, food and housing programs to pay for war and transfer more wealth to the rich. Let us signal a new resolve that we will not be pushed backward-- that we will march forward, and keep Dr. King's dream alive through courage, commitment and struggle, which is the legacy that Rosa Parks has left us.

* ENDORSE the December 1 Rosa Parks Anniversary National Strike Against Poverty, Racism, and War
* VIEW initiators and endorsers
* DOWNLOAD national flyer and local flyers for New York March on Wall St (in English y español) and demos in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Norfolk, VA, Philadelphia, San Francisco, UCSD Student Walkout, and Washington, DC!
* VIEW list of Rosa Parks Day ACTIVITIES
* LIST your local activity
* VOLUNTEER to help build the National Day of Absence!
* DONATE to help build a movement against war & racism

Rosa Parks Day Sign/Placcard

Boston City Council Resolution

New York City Press Conference and City Council Resolution
Listen Watch

Detroit City Council Resolution

Larry Holmes of TONC addressing Sept 24 Rally
on Dec 1 Rosa Parks Anniversary Strike - listen

Dec. 1 Labor Petition

List of Rosa Parks Day Activities

Rosa Parks Day News and Updates

Download National and NYC Wall Street Flyers (in English y español) and Local Flyers from Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Norfolk, VA, Philadelphia, San Francisco, UCSD Student Walkout, and Washington, DC! - help get the word out!