Today marks the anniversary of the first full day of the Birmingham Bus Boycott in 1955. On December 1 of that year, Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white man, prompting her arrest and sparking the boycott that helped to fuel the growing Civil Rights movement. Arrests and violent confrontations with police and white supremacist groups were common during the 381 days of the boycott. Even the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested and spent time in jail as a result of this struggle. Many others endured harassment and violence while walking to their destinations instead of riding the bus. This is the ugly common reality of progressive change in our society.

Power, fear, and a sense of superiority give rise to violence and intimidation, and it seems that not much has changed in that regard throughout our history. Those elements helped keep slavery legal in the United States into the mid 19^th century. Those elements caused much of the violence that erupted during the years of the Civil Rights movement. Now it seems that it is happening again as people camp out all over the nation demanding change. While every day is a step closer, it appears there is still a long road ahead.

Rosa Parks sparked change through her sacrifice. How about you? What are you willing to sacrifice in the name of freedom? Will you consider this your first full day of creating positive change? Remember Rosa Parks. Remember Dr. King. Remember those whose names we don’t know, but who made a difference. And remember, your next action could change the world; so make it a good one.

There is a spark within each of us, Fan the Flame