Caplinger
Hailey Caplinger
Mrs. Washburn
English 111
7, February 2023 Honoring Rosa Parks On February 27, 2013, almost 60 years after Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus, former president Barack Obama had the opportunity to dedicate her statue in the National Statuary Hall of the United States Capitol building. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks kindly told a white bus driver that she would not give up her seat to a white man who had just entered the bus. She was then arrested for not following the rules of the bus and segregation at the time. Parks was one of the most impactful people in the Civil rights movement. With her efforts and the contributions of several others, laws were passed to end segregation
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The former president wanted to emphasize that Mrs. Parks was precedent for an ongoing change where the average citizen can stand up for civil injustice. Obama also uses ethos, and appeal to character, to frame Rosa Parks as a credible person who is worthy of the monument. He goes on to explain all of the auxiliary contributions she made, “Long before she made headlines, she had stood up for freedom, stood up for equality --- fighting for voting rights, rallying against discrimination in the criminal justice system, serving in the local chapter of the NAACP,” (Lines 46-50). This is evidence of why Rosa Parks was a model citizen, and why the audience should celebrate her with the monument and hor her. It also opens up the minds of the audience to show them that she was involved in more than just that one bus incident. Obama did this to show that she was laudable for the monument. When he was wrapping up his speech he states, “And that is why this statue belongs in this hall --- to remind us, no matter how humble or lofty our positions, just what it is that leadership requires; just what it is that citizenship requires. Rosa Parks would have turned 100 years old this month. We do well by placing a statue of her here,” (Lines 91-96). By ending his speech this way he is giving her credit and making the audience feel inspirited by her courteous and bold actions. By engaging the audience’s emotions, and explaining Mrs. Park's accountability, he makes the audience feel compelled to participate in her