On Tuesday, December 1st, all Yolobus buses will have one seat marked and reserved in memory of Rosa Parks, “mother of the civil rights movement,” on the 60th anniversary of the start of a lengthy bus boycott begun by Ms. Parks in a memorable fight for civil rights six decades ago. Rosa Parks died on October 24th, 2005, less than two months before the 50th anniversary of her boycott, but her legacy continues now on this 60th anniversary.

On December 1st, 1955, Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama bus. She was arrested and fined for violating a Montgomery city ordinance. The matter escalated and led to a 381 day boycott of the Montgomery public bus system. She was vindicated when a Supreme Court Decision struck down the Montgomery ordinance under which Miss Parks had been fined, and outlawed racial segregation on public transportation.

Miss Parks probably never imagined that her coffin would one day be placed in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol building and visited by thousands of mourners, yet this is exactly what happened 10 years ago.

“We are honoring Miss Parks on this date for the sacrifices she made and the risks she took at speaking up during a very trying time in our history,” said Terry Bassett, executive director of the Yolo County Transportation District. “It is fitting that we reserve a seat on all of our buses on the 60th anniversary of the day Parks refused to give up her seat. While reserving a seat on each bus in her name may seem like a small gesture, it recognizes the important contribution this brave woman made so that people of all colors could be treated with dignity, respect, and empathy.”

Source: Yolo County Transportation District