Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King honored during 14th annual tribute at St. James AME Church

In the pews of St. James AME Church on Sunday afternoon, leafing through a stack of photos of influential women of color, organizer Debra Mitchell-Braxton said icons fall into two tiers.

The modern-day standard-bearers such as Oprah Winfrey are to be celebrated, she said, but special reverence is reserved for the pioneers such as Rosa Parks, who in 1955 refused to give her seat on a bus to a white passenger, and Coretta Scott King, wife of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

"Not that they're not important," she explained, handing the stack of photos of modern women to fellow organizer Ramona Bailey to place around the church. "But we have to honor our elders first."

That, she said, was the inspiration for starting the annual Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King Tribute 14 years ago.

"These were trailblazers," she said. "They were very active in bringing about the civil rights movement and people need to be reminded of that."

From left, Peighton Robinson, Gwyndle McGee and Debra Mitchell-Braxton perform during the 14th annual Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King Tribute on Sunday at St. James AME Church in Cape Girardeau.TYLER GRAEF

She said some people, especially younger people, can sometimes lose perspective on how far women of color have come in overcoming social hurdles as well as how far, in some ways, they still have to go.

Mena Jackson, 11, said she attended the event at her mother's suggestion and said while she was very familiar with the legacy of Rosa Parks, she was excited to learn about the achievements of others.

That, Mitchell-Braxton said, was the whole point of the event.

"As a lifelong educator, I try to make sure events are teachable," she said.

She said it's only in the past 50 years or so that people of color -- and especially women of color -- have attained some sense of equality in society.

Organizer and pianist Ramona Bailey arranges photos of influential women of color in the windows before the 14th annual Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King Tribute on Sunday at St. James AME Church in Cape Girardeau.TYLER GRAEF

"We've benefitted so much from the leadership of women like Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King and this is an opportunity to say 'thank you,'" she said. "But you have to surround yourself with role models."

And through the course of the event, which included song, dance and even a skit highlighting a variety of inventions dreamed up by women of color (toasters, staplers, etc.) many women's achievements were celebrated. But the most personal tributes came at the end of the ceremony, when congregants took to the lectern to call out other women in attendence.

To organizer and pianist Bailey, the opportunity to be recognized for good works is important to building a community, even if that work isn't as impactful on paper as Parks' historic resistance.

"With the skit, I tried to highlight people who might not be so well-known," she said. "Because that could hopefully make someone here think, 'Well, I might not be doing anything grand or historic, but 100 years from now, my actions could make a difference and someone might end up thanking me for it.'"

tgraef@semissourian.com

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