In celebration of Black History Month, GRTC Transit System will pay special tribute to Rosa Parks on Feb. 20, 20.
Dec. 1 marked the 58th anniversary of Rosa Parks’ historic act of defiance and civil disobedience on a Montgomery, Ala., bus. On Dec. 1, 1955, she refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. She was arrested and fined. Four days later, in response to Parks' arrest, a year-long bus boycott began. It only ended with the Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public transportation was illegal. Parks, the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement," died Oct. 24, 2005, in Detroit, where she had lived since 1957.
In a most fitting tribute to Rosa Parks, GRTC will honor Parks by reserving the first seat of every bus on Feb. 20. Each of these seats will have a commemorative sign displayed on them, honoring both Parks legacy and her dedication to the Civil Rights Movement. In addition, all GRTC buses will keep their headlights on the entire day, and the head signs of each bus will rotate with a special message honoring Rosa Parks. The GRTC Transit System’s website, ridegrtc.com, will feature information on the tribute to Parks.
