Tuesday, November 1, 2005

Details of Parks' funeral are nearly complete

By Norman Sinclair and Oralandar Brand-Williams / The Detroit News

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Metro Detroiters including dignitaries, celebrities, family and friends of Rosa Parks will say a long goodbye to the civil rights icon Wednesday in a service scheduled to last at least three hours at the Greater Grace Temple on Seven Mile.

Former President Bill Clinton will be among the mourners, as will Gov. Jennifer Granholm and several members of congress.

Aretha Franklin will sing at the service, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson is scheduled to deliver the eulogy. Among other national figures expected to attend are the Rev. Al Sharpton, and the Rev. Bernice King.

Everyday citizens are also expected to pack the church, which can hold up to 5,000 people, including overflow areas.

"Seating will be on a first-come basis with the doors opening at 9 a.m.," church spokesman Melvin Epps said of the 11 a.m. service.

For those unable to attend, the service will be televised by Channel 4 (WDIV), Channel 7 (WXYT), and Channel 2 (WJBK).

Greater Grace is at 23500 W. Seven Mile, east of Telegraph. Police will close Seven Mile to nonfuneral traffic. Barricades will be set up at intersections between Lahser and Telegraph starting at 9.a.m to restrict north and southbound entry to Seven Mile.

There will be no parking allowed on either side of Seven Mile. Vehicles taking part in the procession will be allowed to park on the south side of Seven Mile between Lahser and Telegraph.

Final details for the service -- expected to be one of the largest ever staged in the city -- were still being worked out late Monday afternoon. Although it was announced earlier that the casket would be transported by a horse-drawn carriage from Greater Grace east along Seven Mile to Woodlawn Cemetery, that plan was not finalized on Monday.

Public viewing of the open casket, which began at 9 p.m. Monday at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, 315 E. Warren, will continue until 5 a.m. on Wednesday. Entrance to the museum is on Farnsworth Street, with exits on Warren.

A separate line for the elderly and the handicapped will ease their entry into the museum.

At 6 p.m., the body will be transported to the Greater Grace Temple. There will not be a public viewing at the church, Epps said.

Burial at the Woodlawn Cemetery will be private.

The memorial and funeral arrangements have been worked out in numerous meetings since last week.

You can reach Norman Sinclair at (313) 222-2034 or nsinclair@detnews.com.