Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks suffers from dementia and should not answer questions
relating to her lawsuit against Hip-Hop stars Outkast, her doctor’s revealed.
Parks, 91, took
the rap group to court over their 1998 hit song “Rosa Parks,” featured
on their multi-platinum release, Aquemini.
According to her
lawyers, her health is failing and she will not be able to take the stand and
testify in the case. The civil-rights legend hired powerful lawyer Johnny Cochran
to represent her in the case, as well as several other attorneys.
Parks claims Outkast’s
song violated her trademark rights and accuses the group and their record label,
BMG of exploiting her name. She also claimed that a gospel album she released
was impaired by the song and that confused fans purchased the Outkast album,
expecting a gospel themed record.
The group claims
“Rosa Parks” is protected by the First Amendment.
Parks handlers
agreed to release the documents in August, to prove that she was not able to
take the stand. She has not been seen in public since 2001, when she was forced
to cancel a meeting with President Bush.
