Conversation with David LaMotte

Reflections by Alyssa Rossen

During our discussion with David LaMotte, we learned a lot about often unnoticed barriers to successful communication and society’s tendency to twist stories and history itself to fit the simplified hero narrative, rather than the messier and less definable Movement narrative.

From the beginning of our discussion, Mr. LaMotte made sure that we understood the importance of defining some broader terms for the purpose of improving communication. Some of these terms included words such as welcome, love, hope, and optimism. Although we may assume that this would be a simple and unnecessary task, a closer inspection reveals that there are many possible correct definitions for each term listed, the variations of which could cause misunderstandings and misinterpretations when discussing controversial or important topics. This realization was truly eye-opening, as it means that due to each individual’s unique experiences and outlook on life, every person defines and interprets many words slightly differently. These differing interpretations greatly increase the likelihood of disastrous misunderstandings in critical discussions, if participants do not take the time to try to understand the view points of each individual involved.

We also learned that many stories throughout history may not be exactly as they seem. Mr. LaMotte’s example was the well known day in 1955 when Rosa Parks sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, greatly furthering the efforts of the Civil Rights Movement, when she refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man. For most of us, this short summary seems to catch the important details and may be all that we learned about Rosa Parks and the Boycott’s beginnings. This version of that day’s events is formed into what is called a Hero Narrative. We have an extraordinary individual who makes a split-second heroic decision with far-reaching effects. It seems simple enough. The only problem is that real life is rarely that simple. In reality, Rosa Parks had been working behind the scenes in the Civil Rights Movement for years prior to her first arrest and continued to do so afterwards along with many others. 

One such person is fellow Civil Rights activist, Jo Ann Robinson, who with the help of two of her students, printed over 5,000 fliers for the boycott the night of Rosa Parks’ arrest. Without the hard work of Ms. Robinson and many others who had been waiting for the right time to begin the boycott for 18 months and worked to keep it going with volunteer drivers and dispatchers after it’s beginning. Although Rosa Parks’ actions were heroic and unplanned, it took many others standing behind her to really make a huge difference. Without their support, her story may have simply faded into the background of history like that of Claudette Colvin, who had previously been arrested under similar circumstances. 

This more complete picture shows us that despite popular belief, Rosa Parks’ story belongs under the Movement Narrative category, in which a lot of people taking smaller steps in the same direction can have a large impact. Instead of decreasing the heroism and bravery associated with Rosa Parks and her actions, this more complete version actually increases them as it shows her long term struggle towards equality. This movement narrative also shows that the visible heroes are not the only ones who can make a difference; the only thing required is ordinary people willing to come together and work for a cause about which they are truly passionate. This means that, as Mr. LaMotte said, anyone is able to change the world.