Oprah Winfrey: Eulogy for Rosa Parks
delivered 31 October 2005, Metropolitan AME Church, Washington D.C.
Oprah Winfrey是美國(guó)電視脫口秀的黑人主持，被公認(rèn)為演藝圈中影響力及最有才華的人士之一。她的雜志《0》創(chuàng)刊號(hào)賣出一百六十萬本，這是雜志業(yè)空前成功的創(chuàng)刊。她在電影《紫色姐妹花》中表現(xiàn)出色，因而贏得奧斯卡獎(jiǎng)的提名。她也是獲獎(jiǎng)的電視制作人。但，她的影響力是通過她的脫口秀達(dá)成的。溫弗莉說話時(shí)，她的觀眾——估計(jì)每天約有一千四百萬人——都專心聆聽。她節(jié)目中的空中讀書俱樂部所選的任何書會(huì)立即成為暢銷書。十年多以前，當(dāng)她的節(jié)目成為全美最熱門的脫口秀之后，奧普拉說：“我的使命是要利用這種地位、力量與金錢為他人創(chuàng)造機(jī)會(huì)。”她已經(jīng)說到做到。
Rosa Parks是美國(guó)黑人民權(quán)運(yùn)動(dòng)起源的象征。她于2005年10月25日在底特律（Detroit）的家中去世，享年92歲。一個(gè)黑人女裁縫，因?yàn)樵趤喞婉R州（Alabama）蒙哥馬利（Montgomery）市的城市公交車上拒絕向一名白人男子讓座，該事件最終神話般引發(fā)了美國(guó)50-60年代的黑人民權(quán)運(yùn)動(dòng)。
Reverend Braxton, family, friends, admirers, and this amazing choir:
I —— I feel it an honor to be here to come and say a final goodbye. I grew up in the South, and Rosa Parks was a hero to me long before I recognized and understood the power and impact that her life embodied. I remember my father telling me about this colored woman who had refused to give up her seat. And in my child's mind, I thought, "She must be really big." I thought she must be at least a hundred feet tall. I imagined her being stalwart and strong and carrying a shield to hold back the white folks. And then I grew up and had the esteemed honor of meeting her. And wasn't that a surprise. Here was this petite, almost delicate lady who was the personification of grace and goodness. And I thanked her then. I said, "Thank you," for myself and for every colored girl, every colored boy, who didn't have heroes who were celebrated. I thanked her then.
And after our first meeting I realized that God uses good people to do great things. And I'm here today to say a final thank you, Sister Rosa, for being a great woman who used your life to serve, to serve us all. That day that you refused to give up your seat on the bus, you, Sister Rosa, changed the trajectory of my life and the lives of so many other people in the world. I would not be standing here today nor standing where I stand every day had she not chosen to sit down. I know that. I know that. I know that. I know that, and I honor that. Had she not chosen to say we shall not —— we shall not be moved.
So I thank you again, Sister Rosa, for not only confronting the one white man who[se] seat you took, not only confronting the bus driver, not only for confronting the law, but for confronting history, a history that for 400 years said that you were not even worthy of a glance, certainly no consideration. I thank you for not moving.
And in that moment when you resolved to stay in that seat, you reclaimed your humanity and you gave us all back a piece of our own. I thank you for that. I thank you for acting without concern. I often thought about what that took, knowing the climate of the times and what could have happened to you, what it took to stay seated. You acted without concern for yourself and made life better for us all. We shall not be moved. I marvel at your will. I celebrate your strength to this day. And I am forever grateful, Sister Rosa, for your courage, your conviction. I owe you to succeed. I will not be moved.
delivered 31 October 2005, Metropolitan AME Church, Washington D.C.
Oprah Winfrey是美國(guó)電視脫口秀的黑人主持，被公認(rèn)為演藝圈中影響力及最有才華的人士之一。她的雜志《0》創(chuàng)刊號(hào)賣出一百六十萬本，這是雜志業(yè)空前成功的創(chuàng)刊。她在電影《紫色姐妹花》中表現(xiàn)出色，因而贏得奧斯卡獎(jiǎng)的提名。她也是獲獎(jiǎng)的電視制作人。但，她的影響力是通過她的脫口秀達(dá)成的。溫弗莉說話時(shí)，她的觀眾——估計(jì)每天約有一千四百萬人——都專心聆聽。她節(jié)目中的空中讀書俱樂部所選的任何書會(huì)立即成為暢銷書。十年多以前，當(dāng)她的節(jié)目成為全美最熱門的脫口秀之后，奧普拉說：“我的使命是要利用這種地位、力量與金錢為他人創(chuàng)造機(jī)會(huì)。”她已經(jīng)說到做到。
Rosa Parks是美國(guó)黑人民權(quán)運(yùn)動(dòng)起源的象征。她于2005年10月25日在底特律（Detroit）的家中去世，享年92歲。一個(gè)黑人女裁縫，因?yàn)樵趤喞婉R州（Alabama）蒙哥馬利（Montgomery）市的城市公交車上拒絕向一名白人男子讓座，該事件最終神話般引發(fā)了美國(guó)50-60年代的黑人民權(quán)運(yùn)動(dòng)。
Reverend Braxton, family, friends, admirers, and this amazing choir:
I —— I feel it an honor to be here to come and say a final goodbye. I grew up in the South, and Rosa Parks was a hero to me long before I recognized and understood the power and impact that her life embodied. I remember my father telling me about this colored woman who had refused to give up her seat. And in my child's mind, I thought, "She must be really big." I thought she must be at least a hundred feet tall. I imagined her being stalwart and strong and carrying a shield to hold back the white folks. And then I grew up and had the esteemed honor of meeting her. And wasn't that a surprise. Here was this petite, almost delicate lady who was the personification of grace and goodness. And I thanked her then. I said, "Thank you," for myself and for every colored girl, every colored boy, who didn't have heroes who were celebrated. I thanked her then.
And after our first meeting I realized that God uses good people to do great things. And I'm here today to say a final thank you, Sister Rosa, for being a great woman who used your life to serve, to serve us all. That day that you refused to give up your seat on the bus, you, Sister Rosa, changed the trajectory of my life and the lives of so many other people in the world. I would not be standing here today nor standing where I stand every day had she not chosen to sit down. I know that. I know that. I know that. I know that, and I honor that. Had she not chosen to say we shall not —— we shall not be moved.
So I thank you again, Sister Rosa, for not only confronting the one white man who[se] seat you took, not only confronting the bus driver, not only for confronting the law, but for confronting history, a history that for 400 years said that you were not even worthy of a glance, certainly no consideration. I thank you for not moving.
And in that moment when you resolved to stay in that seat, you reclaimed your humanity and you gave us all back a piece of our own. I thank you for that. I thank you for acting without concern. I often thought about what that took, knowing the climate of the times and what could have happened to you, what it took to stay seated. You acted without concern for yourself and made life better for us all. We shall not be moved. I marvel at your will. I celebrate your strength to this day. And I am forever grateful, Sister Rosa, for your courage, your conviction. I owe you to succeed. I will not be moved.