Hello Readers,

65 years ago, a 42-year-old African American woman refused to give in to injustice by rejecting the bus driver’s order to relinquish her seat for a ‘privileged person’.  This defiant act led to her arrest, but she became one of the leading faces in the Civil Rights Movement in the USA. Her name was Rosa Parks and she was born on the 4th of February.

The mid 1900’s was a difficult time for the African Americans in the US. The racial segregation (differential treatment of the citizens of a country on the basis of their skin colour) in the country led to the Civil Rights Movement, which was led by icons like Nobel Peace prize winner Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Bayard Rustin, etc. This movement ran from 1954-68. It was a different kind of movement as it challenged the perception of supremacy being associated with skin colour. The movement was a moral victory as it overturned the negative perception of the African American people and established them as dignified, non-violent, intelligent, and hard-working people.

Today is also World Cancer Day. It is a day observed by the United Nations and is marked to raise awareness of the disease and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. This year’s theme ‘I Am And I Will’ is a commitment to act. It stands for reinforcing positive actions and positive thoughts that strengthen the will to battle the disease and increase the chances of survival.

Enjoy the edition!

Priyanka