Anniversary of Rosa Parks' Civil Disobedience
The front-row seat on all UC Davis Unitrans buses was left empty on Dec. 1 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Rosa Parks' groundbreaking act of civil disobedience. Each of the empty front-row seats was adorned with a poster paying tribute to Parks and the anniversary of the Montgomery, Ala., bus boycott that fueled the civil rights movement.
"Rosa Parks' quiet act of defiance in the face of racial prejudice set in motion a series of events that continue to benefit the nation today," said Unitrans General Manager. "Unitrans is joining with transit providers from throughout the nation to celebrate the legacy of Rosa Parks, which began on a bus. She was a pioneer and a hero."
On the evening of Dec. 1, 1955, Parks, a seamstress who was riding the bus home from work, refused to rise and give up her seat to a white passenger. She was subsequently arrested and put in jail. Her simple refusal to relinquish her seat set off a year-long boycott of the city's bus system by African Americans. It also elevated the profile of a Baptist preacher named Martin Luther King Jr. to national prominence. Later, the U.S. Supreme Court would rule segregation on buses to be illegal.
"Rosa Parks' quiet act of defiance in the face of racial prejudice set in motion a series of events that continue to benefit the nation today," said Unitrans General Manager. "Unitrans is joining with transit providers from throughout the nation to celebrate the legacy of Rosa Parks, which began on a bus. She was a pioneer and a hero."
On the evening of Dec. 1, 1955, Parks, a seamstress who was riding the bus home from work, refused to rise and give up her seat to a white passenger. She was subsequently arrested and put in jail. Her simple refusal to relinquish her seat set off a year-long boycott of the city's bus system by African Americans. It also elevated the profile of a Baptist preacher named Martin Luther King Jr. to national prominence. Later, the U.S. Supreme Court would rule segregation on buses to be illegal.