Soledad O'brien On Rosa Parks: The Untold Story -
laura flanders show

Rosa Parks is best known to Americans as a national treasure - the little old lady who sat down on a bus and "ended racism." What we lose in that depiction is what happened to her afterward, and Park's lifetime of activism. Soledad O'Brien, the award-winning journalist and producer, has just produced the first ever full-length documentary on the Civil Rights icon, titled "The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks." Parks, a legendary figure in the Civil Rights Movement is known for her historic role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott that advanced Black Liberation. The film, based on the book by Jeanne Theoharis, and directed by Yoruba Richen and Johanna Hamilton tells a much fuller story, and is also being used to create a curriculum for K-12 students. Laura welcomes back Soledad for this revealing conversation on Parks, her legacy, and what the media got wrong. Why is it essential to dispel the myths and to fully understand the role that strategic organizing played in the actions of Rosa Parks, as a model for movement building today? "Who knew Rosa Parks was a fan of the Black Panthers? Who knew Rosa Parks was as much of a fan of Malcolm X as she was of Dr. King? What does it say about this vision we had of Rosa Parks, where everybody knows her and yet even Hollywood celebrities can't identify this woman who's called the mother of the movement." "I talk about mistakes I made all the time. I don't mind. I'm happy to, I did them. They exist on tape somewhere. It's okay, let's fix it. Let's get better from it. I think we just need more introspection." Guest: Soledad O'Brien: CEO of Soledad O'Brien Productions; Award-winning Journalist, Producer & Philanthropist; Executive Producer, The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks.

Episode Duration: 26 minutes and 46 seconds

Episode Number: 329

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THE LAURA FLANDERS SHOW is an award-winning public affairs series that reports on community-led initiatives across the U.S.

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Host Laura Flanders - a New York broadcast journalist, author and contributing writer to The Nation - talks with experts and people on the front lines of artistic, cultural, social and economic movements.

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