Bishop T.D. Jakes' Response to
the Passing of Rosa Parks; America Loses an Icon;
Black America Loses a Mother

"From the genuine warmth she portrayed to the strength she exhibited as she courageously managed her declining health, Rosa Parks lived the same way she passed -- with dignity, valor and uncompromising strength. "Mrs. Parks taught a growing nation that strength is not always in how loud we scream, but how strongly we resist the appearance of insurmountable circumstances. No words can properly summarize the isolated moment when one bold woman ignited America's most significant civil rights movement with the quiet strength of peaceful resistance.
"Mrs. Parks' resounding inner strength, coupled with her poised demeanor, planted the ever-blossoming seeds of racial pride and self-realization that continue to grow in the hearts of all African Americans. My prayer is that emerging African-American generations will emulate her proud confidence as they involve themselves in their respective communities with certainty and resolve.
"America has lost an icon -- an emblem of freedom and democracy -- but far deeper, Black America has lost a mother. I share my condolences to her immediate family and to all of us who are the privileged offspring of her valiant life's work. Her passing reminds us all that we are fast approaching the end of a most important era in the African-American community.
"This mighty matriarch of the civil rights movement has left us in body, but her spirit will endure as we watch and wait for the next generation of leaders to stand up, take the torch and lead our children into a new era of brave equality."

Bishop T.D. Jakes
Senior Pastor/Founder
The Potter's House of Dallas, Inc.