Center hosts
special presentation
1960s civil rights struggle
focus of Rosa Parks story
Freehold Learning
Center hosts
special presentation
By clare MARie celano
Staff Writer
Pupils at the Freehold Learning Center, Freehold Borough, watch a presentation about Rosa Parks, who has been referred to as the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.” The musical and dramatic interpretation depicted Parks and her struggle to fight the indignities of prejudice she grew up with, while showing her determination and conviction to bring about equality for black Americans.
FREEHOLD — Rosa Parks was tired of giving in.
And so, with one courageous act, Parks changed the world forever and set in motion the events that would lead to the desegregation of public transportation.
Students in the second through fifth grades at the Freehold Learning Center, Dutch Lane Road, were recently presented with a live theatrical version of the life of the woman many have referred to as the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement."
The one-hour musical and dramatic interpretation presented by Flying Ship Productions depicted Parks and her struggle to fight the indignities of prejudice she grew up with and showed her determination and conviction to bring about equality for black Americans.
The cast of characters entertained the students with a dramatic interpretation of bits and pieces of Parks’ life, leading up to the act of civil disobedience she committed in 1955 on a Montgomery, Ala., city bus.
Tammi Verni, vice president of the school PTO, said the play was sponsored by the organization as an assembly to honor Black History Month.
The evidence that the play was a success was the response provided by the children sitting cross-legged on the floor of the cafetorium — utter silence.
Riveting performances by cast members and a combination of gospel, jazz and blues music provided the impetus to keep the students mesmerized while the story of Parks’ journey held their interest.
The play began with young Rosa McCauley on her grandfather’s farm. Born in Tuskegee, Ala., the spirited young woman sang about not understanding just why things between black people and white people were "the way they were."
The opening number, "Separate But Equal," was performed by two young actresses (Ericka Case and Cecily Kate), one black, one white, standing on opposite sides of the stage.
The black youngster sang of her five-month school term and the cotton she had to pick after her lessons were over, while the white youngster sang of her nine-month school term and the dance lessons and other fun activities that filled her after-school hours.
Both uttered the phrase they had been programmed to believe — black children shouldn’t play with white children; white children shouldn’t play with black children.
Another scene showed young Rosa with an older white woman who befriended her. The relationship was one that helped Parks grow into her own confidence.
At one point, the actor who played Rosa turned to face the audience and said, "How come black folks and white folks don’t do things together?"
That was her dream, her goal. Rosa’s Ride depicted other integral moments in Parks’ life, such as the struggle to receive her voter registration.
The play depicts the tumultuous ride she had to experience, including tests that were graded incorrectly, before she received that which was her right.
The youngsters saw her marriage to Raymond Parks in 1932. Raymond shared Rosa’s courage and conviction and together they moved forward to make a difference.
Both were members of the NAACP and Rosa became secretary of that organization in 1943.
Dressed in colorful period costumes, the actors performed against a background wall of 8-foot-high interlocking puzzle pieces.
One side all in black, one side all in white, each had the words black and white, respectively, printed in the center puzzle piece.
With each significant occurrence in Parks’ life, a multicolored puzzle piece was brought out to cover either the black or the white puzzle piece.
The last scene shows the black and white puzzle pieces almost completely covered, denoting the progress, but also showing that there is still work to be done.
Parks’ refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery city bus to a white man resulted in a 381-day boycott of Montgomery city buses by the black community. Since 70 percent of the bus riders were black, the bus companies suffered financial losses.
One year later, the Supreme Court ruled that bus segregation was illegal. The message to the children who packed the room at the learning center was clear — one person really can make a difference.
Parks now lives in Detroit. She maintains community involvement though the Raymond and Rosa Parks Institute for self-development.