The Associated Press recently discovered a six-page handwritten essay amongst the personal items of the late civil rights icon Rosa Parks. In the essay, she describes an attempted rape by her white boss for whom she worked as a housekeeper, in 1931. The man that she worked for allegedly offered her whiskey, grabbed by the waist and even offered her money, to which she writes, “I was ready to die but give my consent never. Never, never.”
Here’s some audio courtesy of NPR:
The man that she worked for allegedly offered her whiskey, grabbed by the waist and even offered her money, to which she writes, “I was ready to die but give my consent never. Never, never.”
I guess this explains one of the reasons that she was so vigilant for sexual abuse against black women. What do you think about the new revelation?
Rape is a form a violence used against women to break them emotionally and mentally. I’m not surprised that a white man attempted to rape Rosa Parks. As a housekeeper, especially during Jim Crow laws, she was viewed a property and hired help. This white man felt that she could be bribed with money and alcohol. Thank you Ms. Parks for standing your ground and letting that man know that you are a person and he could not defile you.
Wow.