Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Memories flow from reporter's notebook

By Oralandar Brand-Williams / The Detroit News

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Rosa Parks was one of the first people my family met when we fled to Detroit from Mississippi in the early 1960s.

My mother was involved in the civil rights movement in Greenwood, Miss., and was forced to move north because of her efforts to get blacks in Greenwood to fight for the right to vote.

Mrs. Parks was a frequent visitor to our two-story terrace on 14th Street in Detroit. During her visits, she always came with a warm smile and wonderful words of encouragement to do well in school. I was 8 years old at the time.

It was Mrs. Parks, an accomplished seamstress, who would offer to mend a dress for me or my sisters. We knew her as Mrs. Parks out of respect and dignity for her actions on Dec. 1, 1955, on that bus in Montgomery, Ala. Yes, we were very much aware of her placement in history but we also knew her as my mom's friend, and the always-smiling and pleasant, quiet-spoken lady who bore a remarkable resemblance to my own mother.

My mom, Nancie Brand, met Mrs. Parks years before my family fled to Detroit in March 1963 to escape the White Citizens Council, better known to Greenwood residents as the Ku Klux Klan. My mom's and Mrs. Parks' paths had crossed before in Alabama and Mississippi at civil rights rallies and meetings in the late 1950s. My mother and other blacks in Greenwood grew tired of being denied basic rights such as decent education and the right to vote. They eventually fought back by organizing with such groups as the NAACP and the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee.

Mrs. Parks was among the first to welcome my family to Detroit. It was Mrs. Parks who called around and sought clothing for my brothers and sisters because we left Mississippi on a Greyhound bus with only the clothing on our backs.

"She found me," said my mother, who is in her 80s. "She was glad to see me."

My sister Vill Brand was 11 years old when we met Mrs. Parks.

"As a child, I was thrilled to learn that this was the lady who had not given up her seat in Montgomery and who changed things for black people," recalled my sister. "I remember one day she told me that God had put us on this earth to love and help and respect one another."

I invited Mrs. Parks to my graduation from Central High School in Detroit in 1976. She did not disappoint. For me, it was a matter of inviting an old family friend. But for my classmates, it turned into a historic moment.

"Oh my God, look, there is Rosa Parks," squealed one classmate.

At my graduation, she was delighted to know that I was on my way to the University of Michigan and wished me well.

She also handed me a graduation card with an inspiration poem "If for Girls," encouraging young girls to aim high for their dream without sacrificing their ideals. Inside the card was a $10 bill.

Years later, I would see Mrs. Parks at news events. I have written stories about her several times.

Mrs. Parks and my mother remained good friends throughout the years. My mother openly expressed to her in later years that perhaps she was traveling too much and might want to slow down.

But Mrs. Parks wasn't hearing any of that. She would tell my mother that she felt obligated to travel long distances to share her story and encourage others to keep the dream of racial equality alive.

It has been reported in many news stories about Mrs. Parks' humble nature and noted humility. These words are more than cliches. They are true. Mrs. Parks never wanted anyone to make a fuss about her status as a civil rights icon.

You can reach Oralandar Brand-Williams at (313) 222-2027 or bwilliams@detnews.com.