Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks’ two-story home has traveled to Italy and is now on display at the Royal Palace in Naples.
The home was saved from being demolished by Parks’ niece, Rhea McCauley, in 2008 and was donated to an artist, Ryan Mendoza, who then rebuilt it. The house was then sent to Germany for public display and after a hard time finding a permanent place for it in the U.S., the home is now on display in Italy.
After refusing to move to the back of the bus in 1955, Parks lived in the house for a short period of time. She lived in the Detroit home with her brother and his family after receiving numerous death threats after refusing to give up her seat. This courageous act by Parks resulted in the first major protest against segregation in the U.S.
Artist Ryan Mendoza, has seen the potential in the historic value of the house and has been fighting for over 5 years for the house to get the attention it deserves.
Parks’ house exhibit officially kicked off on Tuesday with a repeating soundtrack entitled “8:46” which lasts for eight minutes and 46 seconds. The timing represents the amount of time George Floyd had to endure a white police officer’s knee on his neck which resulted in his untimely death in May.
According to USA TODAY, “Minnesota prosecutors later acknowledge the police officer had his knee on Floyd’s neck for seven minutes, 46 seconds, but said the one minute difference didn’t affect the case.”
To Mendoza, “This house, in a word, is a way for people to understand why people in America are so enraged.”
Ironically, the house, which is now located in the central courtyard of a royal palace, would have not been welcomed by the kings of that time.
Mendoza tells USA TODAY, “Instead of being rejected by the walls of the royal palace, it’s embraced and protected by these walls. Potentially thanks to the showing of the house in this way, America will allow the house to have a home.”