Ms. H. H. Leonards, founder and chairman of The Mansion on O Street, is partnering with R.H. Boyd for her latest book about the lessons gleaned from her time with Mrs. Rosa Parks.
From 1994 to 2004, after she had been attacked in her Detroit home, Mrs. Parks resided with Ms. Leonards, and they developed a very strong friendship.
“It’s about the things she opened my mind to and schooled me on, and the lessons I learned with her. It’s about the gems of wisdom of what she taught,” said Ms. Leonards.
With a release date set for December 1, 2021, which marks the 66th anniversary of Mrs. Parks revolutionary act of keeping her seat on a Montgomery city bus, the work will be a series of photos and excerpts of Mrs. Park’s life and lessons passed on through Ms. Leonards.
“The goal of the work is to educate people about Mrs. Parks, in addition to provide insight into her revolutionary action on December 1, 1955. Keeping her seat was an act of love for her people, the community, and the rights of future generations,” says Dr. LaDonna Boyd, fifth -generation President/CEO of R.H. Boyd Publishing Corp.
Ms. Leonard’s inspiration for this book was instruction from Mrs. Parks herself, stating, “I think she was within me and above me because it wasn’t labored at all … The creative process was quite extraordinary. It was almost as if she penned the book. I was just her vessel.”
The one thing Ms. Leonard’s wants people to take away from this book is that anything is possible. “I think that fear drives a lot of people. If they let go of that fear, you can do things that will make a difference. Here’s a woman who sacrificed her life everyday she breathed. She took those terrible things and utilized them to help others in a great way.”
R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation was founded in 1896 in Nashville, TN by Rev. Dr. Richard Henry Boyd. The corporation seeks to provide a voice to the Black experience through empowerment, education, literacy, and community engagement.
Ms. Leonards and the Mansion: www.omansion.com/h-bio.
SOURCE: PRNewswire