“I’m tired of being treated like a second-class citizen.”
- February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005
- American
- Civil Rights Activist, Symbol of the Montgomery Bus Boycott
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Quote
“I’m tired of being treated like a second-class citizen.”
Explanation
This concise yet profound statement captures the emotional exhaustion and moral outrage that fueled Rosa Parks’ defiance and the broader Civil Rights Movement. By declaring she was “tired,” Parks communicates a lifetime of accumulated indignities, not just one isolated moment. The phrase “second-class citizen” starkly describes the legalized and normalized exclusion that African Americans endured—denied equal rights, respect, and access to public life.
Historically, this sentiment echoed across the segregated South, where Black Americans lived under laws that codified inequality. Parks’ weariness reflects more than physical fatigue; it is the psychological toll of being told, daily, that your life is less valuable. Her refusal to yield her seat was thus not a sudden act of defiance but a culmination of lived injustice and growing resolve.
Today, the phrase remains a powerful expression for those confronting discrimination in various forms—racial, economic, gender-based, or otherwise. Parks’ words continue to resonate with anyone who recognizes that being a citizen should mean full participation and equal treatment. Her legacy reminds us that demanding dignity is neither radical nor unreasonable—it is a rightful claim to humanity and justice.
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