Rosa Parks remembered on the 20th anniversary of her death

By: Jerome Vaughn

27 October 2025 at 19:35

Rosa Parks left a legacy of change in the United States and the rest of the world. She died in late October 2005 here in Detroit.

The civil rights icon spent almost 30 years living in Detroit after making history in 1955.

While riding a Montgomery, Alabama bus in December of that year, Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man. She was arrested and became a symbol for the Civil Rights movement.

For the next 50 years, Parks showed the strength of her convictions.

Her passing on October 24, 2005 was international news. WDET news director Jerome Vaughn filed this report that night for NPR.

Listen: Rosa Parks obituary

Parks’ funeral service was held a few weeks later. It was one of the most elaborate in Detroit’s history. Guests invited to speak at the event at Detroit’s Greater Grace Temple included former President Bill Clinton, the Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Reverend Jesse Jackson.

WDET news director Jerome Vaughn was one of the hundreds of journalists from around the world covering the event. Here’s his report from early November 2005.

Listen: Rosa Parks’ funeral

The entire funeral service was broadcast live on C-SPAN and other media outlets. The event lasted for six hours. Parks is buried in Detroit’s Woodlawn Cemetery.

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The post Rosa Parks remembered on the 20th anniversary of her death appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

The Metro: Reimagine Everything pays homage to author, philosopher and activist Grace Lee Boggs.

WDET 101.9 FM

By: Tia Graham

13 October 2025 at 17:04

James Boggs has the Detroit story. He was born into a sharecropping family in Junction, Alabama. He moved to the city and worked in the auto industry for over 20 years. His wife Grace was a Chinese American philosopher who was born in Rhode Island and lived in New York.

James and Grace Lee Boggs would go on to lead a movement of self-resiliency and working together as a community. They were instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement through the 60s and 70s and further into the eras with the Black Panther Party. The two remained married for 40 years, until James’ death in 1993.

Grace Lee Boggs carried their legacy and continued their work until her death in 2015 at the age of 100. She was an author, feminist, philosopher and social activist who inspired and changed the minds of so many, and made sure Detroit thrived with love and community.

This month, The James and Grace Lee Boggs Foundation is celebrating with a 10 year memorial of her death. The gathering will honor the life and legacy of the civil rights activist and take a look at how to move forward in this moment in time we’re in today.

Donald Boggs, son of James Boggs and Alice Jennings, J.D. joined Metro host Tia Graham to talk more about the 10-year memorial honoring the life of Grace Lee Boggs.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

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