Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Health, legal woes took toll

Civil rights icon made last public appearance in 2001; she had dementia and trouble walking.

By David Shepardson / The Detroit News

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DETROIT - Rosa Parks' last decade of life in Detroit was a difficult one, marked by health and legal battles.

Her health declined in recent years and she wasn't seen in public much after 2001, when she cancelled a meeting with President George Bush.

In September, The Detroit News disclosed that Parks had dementia after it obtained a court document that marked the first public description of the extent of her health problems. She also had trouble walking. She couldn't recognize some friends in the last months of her life, said Damon Keith, a U.S. Appeals Court judge and friend of Parks.

Dennis Archer, a court-appointed lawyer for Parks, said she couldn't speak when he visited her last year.

"She was well taken care of and was able to die in peace at home," Archer said.

In August 1994, Parks was attacked in her home and robbed of $53 by Joseph Skipper. He spent the money on cheap wine and crack.

Public outcry after the attack was enormous. Wayne Circuit Court Judge Timothy Kenny, then an assistant Wayne County prosecutor, handled the case and interviewed Mrs. Parks before her testimony at a preliminary examination.

"She was very gracious, very bright and very humble. She was even concerned about what was eventually would happen to Mr. Skipper," Kenny said.

Skipper, 39, was sentenced to 8 to 15 years on unarmed robbery charges after he pleaded guilty. He was eligible for parole in August 2002 - but has been denied parole ever since then. He will be released no later than November 2008. Kenny admitted that Skipper's sentence "wasn't the norm" but said if any crime called for the maximum sentence, it was Skipper's.

Following the attack, well-known Detroiters helped her move to an apartment in the safer Riverfront Towers along the Detroit River. A trust, established by Parks, will continue to oversee her name and likeness and will be administered by a former judge, Adam Shakoor, and Parks' longtime assistant and guardian, Elaine Steele. Since 1999, Parks tussled with a well-known rap group.

In April, lawyers for Rosa Parks settled a lawsuit over the use of the civil rights icon's name in a hit song by the rap group OutKast.

Under the terms of the settlement, Parks received an undisclosed cash amount. She had unpaid state and federal tax bills in connection with her foundation that were paid.

You can reach David Shepardson at (313) 222-2028 or dshepardson@detnews.com.