At the beginning of 2020, we’ve all found ourselves within challenging societal circumstances similar to the ones experienced in 1955 by Rosa Parks.
Someone whose work came at enormous risk – and a personal price. Throughout her life, Rosa Parks repeatedly challenged racial violence and the prejudiced systems protecting its perpetrators. TED-Ed commissioned Eido to create a 4:30 educational animation sharing the life story of Rosa Parks’ historical influence. She was an American civil rights activist most known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott of December 1st, 1955.
Rosa Parks’ life was one of empathetic determination to find Justice for those racially abused within the United States. The racial oppression of Rosa’s environments was seen as a hopeless, normal lifestyle for most, but not her. She took a personal interest in seeking Justice for others during and beyond her time at the NAACP.
Directed by Joash Berkeley, the art direction was a collaboration between himself and Harold Bustos to illustrate the tension of two worlds: The System of Fear, and Justice. A monochromatic sepia theme was used to describe the oppressive mundane environment of that time. As the film progresses, we see more color, contrast, and definition as Rosa Parks’ justice begins to influence the world around her. “Rosa Parks gave people hope in a world that attempted to oppress it” – Joash Berkeley.
