MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A statue honoring civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks was unveiled Sunday in downtown Montgomery.
The unveiling coincides with the 64th anniversary of Park’s historic Dec. 1, 1955 arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white man.
Thank you, Rosa Parks.
— MontgomeryAdvertiser (@MGMAdvertiser) December 1, 2019
"For the city officials, from the city and the county, to be able to honor Mrs. Parks ... it is indeed a step in the right direction," legendary civil rights attorney Fred Gray said. https://t.co/eUnz0PXlq3
Her arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The 381-day boycott led to the desegregation of public transportation. The 1964 Civil Rights Act integrated public spaces nationwide.
The statue is about 30 feet from where Parks is believed to have boarded the bus.
Thank you, Rosa Parks.
— MontgomeryAdvertiser (@MGMAdvertiser) December 1, 2019
"For the city officials, from the city and the county, to be able to honor Mrs. Parks ... it is indeed a step in the right direction," legendary civil rights attorney Fred Gray said. https://t.co/eUnz0PXlq3
Parks died in 2005 at 92.
In 2018, Alabama lawmakers voted to name Dec. 1 as Mrs. Rosa L. Parks Day in the state.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Cox Media Group
