America doesn't have heroes like Rosa Parks anymore

In these superficial times, we can learn from her sacrifice, says SHERON PATTERSON

The passing of civil rights icon Rose Parks reminds us of this sad reality: The bravery she exhibited 50 years ago on that Montgomery, Ala., bus has gone out of style.

The intestinal fortitude that Mrs. Parks demonstrated is passé in our day and time. We live in a world that encourages us to cowardly go along with the crowd, and many of us do.

Before you react angrily to my comments, answer this question: What would you have done if you were sitting on a segregated bus and you wanted change to come to a city? Even though all those around you murmured for change, would you have seen yourself as capable of making the change?

Quite honestly, I don't know whether I could have been the one either. But I am sure glad that Mrs. Parks was.

She fearlessly took on an unjust system all by herself. Historical records show that initially four African-Americans were asked to relinquish their seats in the middle section of the bus for a lone Anglo rider. Even though three of them complied, Rosa Parks remained resolute and did not move.

Mrs. Parks recalled that her motivation for holding onto her seat rather than giving it away was that she was tired of being humiliated. Thanks to her valiance, a young preacher, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., got involved, as did the rest of the city of Montgomery. A successful Montgomery bus boycott was the leverage that the flagging civil rights movement needed to get going.

I suggest that we have seen the end of an era of valiance. If someone were to take a risky stand like that today, they would require an entourage, a television film crew and endorsements from products related to the cause.

People like Mrs. Parks, whether they were black, white, red or yellow, gave of themselves to make the world better. Self-sacrifice is almost a profane word today. It is as if situations and predicaments don't move us as they used to.

We have become desensitized to suffering and injustice, instead of getting involved to improve the situation. We turn away and find another source of entertainment.

If Mrs. Parks' death is less significant to our young people, that's because her story has had to compete with MP3 players, celebrity gossip and the latest – and ever increasing cost of – sneakers. Heroes usually get their ranking by how many times they appear on MTV or the cover of People magazine.

Mrs. Parks did none of that. She didn't do anything that had bling-bling involved. She didn't make any snappy comments. She just bravely kept her seat.

If the truth is told, we grown folk will have to fight to remember her and respect her, too. We also tend to get caught up in things that are superficial.

But her death should cause all of America to stand and applaud a woman who had the guts to remain seated. While we are standing for her, we should take a hard look at our world and determine what we should be doing to make it better.

Then we should set about doing it, all the while not expecting a pat on the back or a paycheck. If we choose to, all of us can rekindle the Parks style of bravery.

It boils down to the question of how much of ourselves we are willing to sacrifice.

Sheron Patterson is senior pastor of Highland Hills United Methodist Church in Dallas. Her e-mail address is revscp@highlandhillsumc.org.