Portrait of James Brown.

BROWN, James [Rosa Parks].

$4,000.00

Item Number: 148228

Portrait of “The Godfather of Soul” inscribed twice by James Brown to Civil Rights legend Rosa Parks. Digital color portrait of James Brown. Inscribed twice, first on the lower margin in black ballpoint, “My best, I Feel Good, James Brown,” and second to the left in black felt tip to Rosa Parks, “To Mrs. Parks, I’m in debts to ya. James.” Framed and attached to a foam board. In near fine condition. From the collection of attorney Gregory J. Reed, who is credited as the co-author of Parks’s 1994 memoir “Quiet Strength.” An exceptional association.

James Brown and Rosa Parks were both pivotal figures in American history, each contributing to the advancement of civil rights and cultural change in distinct yet influential ways. As the "Godfather of Soul," Brown used his music to promote Black empowerment, most notably with songs like Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud (1968), which became an anthem for the Civil Rights Movement. Rosa Parks, often called the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement," ignited a nationwide push for desegregation with her 1955 refusal to give up her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama, leading to the Montgomery Bus Boycott. While Parks directly challenged racial injustice through activism, Brown’s impact was cultural, using music to inspire pride, unity, and resilience within the African American community.