The hidden life of Rosa Parks - Riché D. Richardson

Translator: Reviewer: Reno Kanti Riananda

In 1944, 11 years before her fateful decision on a Montgomery Bus,

Pada tahun 1944, 11 tahun sebelum peristiwa Bus Montgomery,

Rosa Parks sedang mengusut kasus kejahatan yang keji.

Rosa Parks was investigating a vicious crime.

Sebagai utusan dari National Association

As an emissary for the National Association

for the Advancement of Colored People,

for the Advancement of Colored People,

she had traveled to rural Alabama to meet with Recy Taylor,

ia berangkat ke pedesaan Alabama untuk bertemu Recy Taylor,

a young woman who had been sexually assaulted by six white men.

wanita muda yang telah dianiaya oleh enam orang pria berkulit putih.

Sulit untuk membuktikan ke pengadilan Alabama

It would be difficult enough to convince an Alabama court

that even one of these men was guilty,

bahwa para pria tersebut bersalah,

but Rosa was undeterred.

namun Rosa tak terpengaruh.

She formed a committee to defend Recy in court,

Ia membentuk komite untuk membela Recy di persidangan,

flooding the media with testimony

membanjiri media dengan kesaksian,

dan memicu protes dari seluruh wilayah Selatan.

and sparking protests throughout the South.

When a jury failed to indict the attackers,

Saat para juri gagal menuntut para terdakwa,

Parks demanded the governor assemble a new grand jury.

Parks mendesak Gubernur untuk membentuk dewan juri baru.

She wrote, “I know that you will not fail to let the people of Alabama know

Ia menulis, “Saya tahu bahwa Anda tak akan gagal meyakinkan rakyat Alabama

that there is equal justice for all of our citizens.”

bahwa mereka semua berhak mendapat keadilan.”

Throughout her life, Parks repeatedly challenged racial violence

Sepanjang hidupnya, Parks aktif menentang kekerasan rasialis

and the prejudiced systems protecting its perpetrators.

serta sistem yang melindungi para pelaku kekerasan rasialis.

But this work came at an enormous risk—

Namun aktivitasnya ini berisiko tinggi—

and a personal price.

dan harus dibayar mahal.

Born in 1913, Rosa was raised by her mother and grandparents in rural Alabama.

Dilahirkan tahun 1913, Rosa dibesarkan di pedesaan Alabama.

But outside this loving home, the fear of racial violence cast a long shadow.

Meski dibesarkan penuh cinta, ketakutan akan kekerasan rasialis terus membayangi.

The Ku Klux Klan frequently drove past their home,

Ku Klux Klan sering lewat dekat rumah mereka,

and Jim Crow laws segregated public spaces.

dan Jim Crow membuat aturan pemisahan ruang publik.

At 19 she settled in Montgomery and married Raymond Parks,

Di usia 19 tahun ia pindah ke Montgomery dan menikah dengan Raymond Parks,

a barber who shared her growing fury at racial injustice.

seorang tukang cukur yang juga membenci ketimpangan ras.

He was involved with the local chapter of the NAACP;

Raymond adalah anggota NAACP setempat;

a role many avoided for fear of persecution.

peran yang dihindari banyak orang karena riskan persekusi.

At first Raymond was eager to keep Rosa safe

Awalnya Raymond ingin menjauhkan Rosa

from the potential dangers of activism.

dari bahaya aktivisme.

But as she grew more incensed at the limitations imposed on African Americans,

Namun, keterbatasan bagi warga Afrika Amerika kian menyulut amarahnya,

she could no longer stand by.

sehingga Rosa tidak bisa tinggal diam.

When she officially joined the NAACP in 1943,

Saat bergabung dengan NAACP pada tahun 1943,

Parks and Johnnie Rebecca Carr were the only women in the Montgomery chapter.

anggota wanita di cabang Montgomery hanya Parks dan Johnnie Rebecca Carr.

She began keeping minutes for their meetings,

Ia mulai dari membuat minuta rapat,

and soon found herself elected secretary of the chapter—

sampai tak lama kemudian terpilih menjadi sekretaris cabang—

formally beginning her secret double life.

dan kehidupan gandanya pun dimulai.

By day, Rosa worked as a seamstress to support her mother and husband.

Siang hari, Rosa bekerja sebagai penjahit untuk menghidupi ibu dan suaminya.

By night, she researched and documented numerous civil rights cases,

Malamnya, ia mendokumentasikan berbagai kasus hak-hak sipil,

from local policy disputes to high-profile murder cases and hate crimes.

mulai dari sengketa kebijakan lokal hingga pembunuhan dan kejahatan kebencian.

As secretary, she prepared public responses

Sebagai sekretaris, ia mempersiapkan respons publik

on behalf of the Montgomery chapter, battling the harsh sentencing,

atas nama NAACP cabang Montgomery, berjuang melawan hukuman berat,

false accusation and smear campaigns frequently used against African Americans.

tuduhan palsu, dan kampanye kotor yang sering dihadapi warga Afrika-Amerika.

In addition to her legal work, Parks was a brilliant local strategist.

Selain itu, Parks adalah seorang ahli strategi yang cemerlang.

As advisor to the NAACP youth group council,

Sebagai penasihat dewan pemuda NAACP,

she helped young people navigate segregated systems

ia juga membantu para pemuda untuk mengatasi segregasi sistem

including voter registration and whites-only libraries.

yang meliputi pendaftaran pemilih dan perpustakaan khusus kulit putih.

Through the cover of the NAACP,

Melalui NAACP,

Parks strived to bring clandestine civil rights activities into the open.

Parks berusaha menjadikan perjuangan hak sipil menjadi lebih terang-terangan

She advocated for civil disobedience training

Ia menganjurkan pelatihan pembangkangan sipil

and spoke out against racial violence, particularly the murder of Emmet Till.

dan bicara tentang kekerasan rasialis, terutama pembunuhan Emmett Till.

In 1955, her refusal to move to the back of a segregated bus

Pada tahun 1955, penolakannya untuk pindah duduk ke bagian belakang bus

helped ignite the grassroots movement she had hoped for.

mendorong pergerakan akar rumput yang ia harapkan.

Parks was arrested and jailed for her one-woman protest,

Parks ditangkap dan dipenjarakan atas protes tunggalnya tersebut,

where she was visited by local activists.

tempat kemudian ia bertemu dengan aktivis setempat.

Together they planned a twenty-four hour bus boycott.

Bersama-sama mereka merencanakan pemboikotan bus selama 24 jam.

It lasted for three hundred and eighty-one days.

Pemboikotan tersebut bertahan selama 381 hari.

Park’s simple act had transformed nascent civil rights activism

Tindakan sederhana Parks telah mengubah aktivisme hak-hak sipil yang baru lahir

into a national movement.

menjadi suatu gerakan nasional.

In 1956, the boycott ended when the Supreme Court

Pada tahun 1956, pemboikotan berakhir saat Mahkamah Agung

ruled in favor of desegregating public transport.

menyetujui desegregasi dalam transportasi publik.

But this victory for the movement had come at a great cost.

Namun, kemenangan gerakan ini mesti dibayar mahal.

Rosa had been receiving vicious death threats throughout the campaign,

Rosa mendapat ancaman mati selama masa kampanye,

and was unable to find work in Montgomery because of her political reputation.

dan karena reputasi politiknya, tak bisa mendapat pekerjaan di Montgomery.

In 1957, she moved to Detroit to continue working as a seamstress,

Pada tahun 1957, ia pindah ke Detroit untuk kembali bekerja sebagai penjahit,

until being hired by Congressman John Conyers

hingga akhirnya direkrut oleh anggota Kongres John Conyers

to help support his burgeoning civil rights campaigns.

untuk mendukung kampanye hak-hak sipilnya.

Ever vigilant in the fight against racial inequality,

Selalu waspada dalam perang melawan ketimpangan ras,

Parks remained active for the next 40 years.

Parks tetap aktif sampai 40 tahun berikutnya.

She wrote several books,

Ia menulis sejumlah buku,

traveled across the country giving talks to support other activists,

memberikan ceramah untuk mendukung aktivis lainnya,

and established an institute for the education of young people

dan mendirikan sebuah lembaga untuk pendidikan anak-anak muda

in her late husband’s memory.

untuk mengenang mendiang suaminya.

Today, Rosa Parks is remembered as a radical spirit

Saat ini, Rosa Parks dikenang sebagai sosok radikal

who railed against the most powerful people and policies.

yang menentang orang dan kebijakan paling kuat.

Her call to action continues to resound:

Seruannya untuk bertindak terus bergema:

“knowing what must be done does away with fear.”

“Mengetahui apa yang harus dilakukan menghilangkan rasa takut. ”