WTS

WTS-Boston DEI in Motion: Rosa Parks Day

Sticker decal on a public bus honoring Rosa Parks

December 1st is Rosa Parks Day, honoring the civil rights advocate whose actions ignited the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Under the Jim Crow Laws, bus drivers had the authority to assign seating on public buses, often forcing Black passengers to surrender their seats to White passengers. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a White passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama bus. Her arrest and subsequent trial, where she was fined $10 with additional court costs, powerfully resonated with the Black community [1].

Rosa Parks' actions and subsequent arrest led E.D. Nixon, the then-president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), to organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The boycott, supported by the Montgomery Improvement Association and led by Martin Luther King Jr., lasted about 13 months, with approximately 90% of African Americans participating by refusing to ride the buses in Montgomery. This mobilization significantly impacted the revenue of the municipal bus system, as African Americans made up about 70% of the bus riders.

The success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott inspired other boycott movements across the United States, increasing pressure on the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1956, the Supreme Court declared bus segregation unconstitutional in the case of Bowder v. Gayle [2] [3].

In 2019, Governor Charlie Baker tasked the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) with acknowledging Rosa Parks' contributions to the civil rights movement. Since then, LED boards and permanent decals honoring her are displayed on MBTA buses [4]. 

Observing Rosa Parks Day can include reading about her life and contributions to the civil rights movement and supporting her legacy through donations to The Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development [5]. Several films and books have also been produced to honor her legacy, including:
Films

  • The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks – 2022
  • The Rosa Parks Story – 2002
  • Boycott – 2001 

Books

  • Rosa Parks: My Story by Rosa Parks – 1992 
  • Quiet Strength: The Faith, the Hope, and the Heart of a Woman Who Changed a Nation by Rosa Parks and Gregory J. Reed – 1994 


[1]    https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/rosa-parks-day-decembe…
[2]     https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rosa-Parks
[3]    https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/montgomery-bus-boycott
[4]     https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2019-02-05/mbta-bus-decals-pay-tribute-…
[5]    https://www.rosaparks.org/