Shaking hands with the Queen of England was a long way from being forced to sit in the colored section of the bus going into downtown Wilmington, North Carolina.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
If Rosa Parks had not refused to move to the back of the bus, you and I might never have heard of Dr. Martin Luther King.
I have been refused entrance on the buses because I would not pay my fare at the front and go around to the rear door to enter. That was the custom if the bus was crowded up to the point where the white passengers would start occupying.
I was doing a civil rights musical here in Los Angeles, and we sang at one of the rallies where Dr. Martin Luther King spoke, and I remember the thrill I felt when we were introduced to him. To have him shake your hand was an absolutely unforgettable experience.
If the bus driver is black, I thank him... when I get off at my spot, whereas I would never think of doing this if the driver were white.
If Rosa Parks had taken a poll before she sat down in the bus in Montgomery, she'd still be standing.
Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther King could walk. Martin Luther King walked so Obama could run. Obama's running so we all can fly.
I'd rather go by bus.
So the mayor of New Orleans would have used his own buses had the people had been white?
I don't know anyone who's ever taken a bus. It's a mysterious form of transportation.
Rosa Parks inspired me to find a way to get in the way, to get in trouble... good trouble, necessary trouble.