The house that Rosa Parks, black civil rights pioneer, lived in is no longer in the United States. Her home is now in Berlin, Germany.
The city of Detroit sold Rosa Parks’ home for a measly $500. Rosa Parks’ niece purchased the home to prevent it from being demolished. She gave the home to Ryan Mendoza as a gift, he’s an artist located in Berlin.
Mendoza, a New York native, had the house dismantled and shipped to Berlin where he restored the house on his property.
“The fact that for America this house is of no importance, the fact that America, the institutions in America could allow this house to go on a demolition list, the fact that they sold it for $500 – the American government thought that this house was worth $500 – it speaks volumes. Is actually evidence of an enormous neglect,” Mendoza said.
In 1955, Rosa Parks was a staple in the civil rights movement. Her refusal to give up her seat to a white man on a bus played a pivotal part in the bus boycott movement which helped push towards change during the black civil rights movement.
Rosa Parks was from Alabama but move to Detroit following her refusal to give up her seat. She fled to Detroit to stay with her brother’s family due to multiple death threats she received.
“That’s something that the Germans did, they dealt with their past. And this is something, that Americans don’t like to do. We don’t like to admit when we do things that are wrong.”
Although Mendoza is keeping the home on his property in Berlin, he hopes the home will one day be returned to the U.S.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AF7laixOk8]
That was last year, now out of all the so called millionaire leaders and conscious rappers , no one could have simply bought that home and made a Black history museum out of it ?? Like Black Millionaires did with Frederick Douglas home in the 70s??