This tells me that Ralph has a lot of weight on his back. Everyone depends on him which makes him stressed and not want to deal with anything. He doesn't want to be the leader. This moment foreshadow's that something is going to come up and Ralph needs to take the leader position.
Best of luck,

Rosa Parks was an important person in history. She along with some other African Americans stood up for what they believed in, or in her case stayed seated.