Thu, 04 Nov 2004 13:05:37
Sad
Archer says hopes to settle Rosa Parks-OutKast case
Former Mayor Dennis Archer, who just finished a term as head of the nation’s largest lawyer group, says he hopes to settle two lawsuits brought by civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks over use of her name by the rap group OutKast.
U.S. District Judge George Steeh appointed Archer as guardian for the 91-year-old Parks on Oct. 15 after it was disclosed that she has dementia and other medical problems.
“If we can resolve it short of trial, we intend to do it,” Archer said.
Parks was 42 when she refused to give up her seat on a city bus in Montgomery, Ala., in 1955. Her arrest triggered a 381-day boycott of the bus system organized by a then little-known Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Parks’ lawyers filed a lawsuit against OutKast in 1999, claiming it wrongly used her name in the title of a song. A suit filed in August seeks damages from the group’s record companies and two major booksellers.
I hope this ends with the suit being dropped and OutKast slipping Rosa a few bucks voluntarily to help out with medical costs or hatever else she needs at this stage in her life. I thought the suit was silly when it first made news, and they should be able to mention a historical figure if they want...but it wold be a nice thing if they kicked a couple bucks to help out after the suit is dropped officially.
Best for all parties, I think.
Posted by JimK at 01:05 PM on November 04, 2004
Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email to a friend |
Categories: Entertainment, Other
Tags:
Comments:
#2 Posted by Hollywood Freaks 
on 11/05 at 09:02 PM -
OutKast has not done anything wrong. Maybe legally (I’m aware how absurd that statement is), but the song is nothing but honor for what she did. I think it is sick that her relatives are defacing her name.
I’m an OutKast fan, because of how good this song was. The only reason her relatives are doing this is because it was a hit single and brought in a lot of money. Apparantly, they are not making enough money off Rosa Parks’ brave stand against inequality. It’s really sick.
RSS (Subscribe)
Tip jars (Donate today!)
i agree with your best-case scenario.
i’m not sure of the law on whether they can use her name in a song title, but i think intuitively, unless it’s done in a defamatory way, she’s an historical figure, like you said. does she get royalties for every social studies book that talks about the civil rights movement? doubtful.