Parks, King are role models to many people

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Citywide Celebration Committee held its 11th annual Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King Memorial Tribute on March 18 at Grace United Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau, with Zoi Martin as the speaker.

It is important to recognize the roles of Parks and King in the civil rights movement.

Parks, known as the "mother of the civil rights movement," famously refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus in 1955. Her action sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which ultimately led to the integration of the city's bus system. It was during the boycott that one of its leaders grew to prominence: Martin Luther King Jr.

His wife, Coretta Scott King, was herself an author, activist and civil rights leader. After her husband's 1968 assassination, she founded the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, which provides training in King Jr.'s philosophy and methods, according to The King Center.

While the roles these women played in advancing the civil rights movement can't be overstated, they should also be commended for the example they set for another group.

During this month -- Women's History Month -- it is fitting to point out that Parks and King are positive role models for women everywhere. Their leadership in civil rights helped break down boundaries not only of race, but of gender. Their actions and legacies empower girls and women to stand up for the causes that are important to them.

Thanks to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Citywide Celebration Committee for organizing this event to honor these important women in history.