In 1955, when Rosa Parks refused an order to give up her seat to a white passenger and moved to the back of the bus, her incredible act of resistance became the fuel for the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Led by none other than Martin Luther King Jr., it led to the civil rights movement in America.
Known as “the Mother of the Modern Civil Rights Movement”, Parks moved to Detroit in 1957 where she continued to fight for civil rights. In 1994, at the age of 81, Parks was attacked and robbed in her home.
When word of the attack got out, Judge Damon Keith contacted Mike Ilitch, a real estate (地产) developer. Upon hearing of the incident, Mike Ilitch offered to pay for safer housing for Parks until her death.
Hidden from public knowledge, and known only to a select few individuals, Ilitch’s kindness towards Rosa Parks remained a secret for many years. It wasn’t until an article was published in the Sports Business Daily in 2014 that the secret came out. And it didn’t gain popular attention until it resurfaced after Ilitch’s death in 2017.
The article contained a photograph of Keith holding a copy of a cheque.
“It’s for $2,000, dated November the first, 1994,” Keith said. “It’s from Little Caesars Enterprises to Riverfront Apartments. It’s important that people know what Mr. Mike Ilitch did for Ms. Rosa Parks because it’s symbolic of what he has always done for the people of our city.”
It wasn’t Ilitch’s only act of giving. Throughout his life, the billionaire made significant contributions to various charitable causes. In 1985, he established the Little Caesars Love Kitchen which provides food for those in need.
Mike Ilitch and Rosa Parks may have come from two completely different worlds and lived very different lives, but there is one common thread that ties them together—commitment to creating positive change.
4. What can we learn about Rosa Parks?
A.She is a brave white woman. | B.She fought for gender equality. |
C.She contributed a lot to American history. | D.She was attacked and robbed on the bus. |
5. What do you think of Mike Ilitch?
A.Creative. | B.Generous. | C.Passionate. | D.Courageous. |
6. When was Ilitch’s help to Parks universally known?
A.In 1957. | B.In 1994. | C.In 2014. | D.In 2017. |
7. What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.A Buried Secret | B.A Great Woman |
C.An Old Check | D.A Lifelong Friendship |