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In 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on an Alabama city bus. Her act of civil disobedience went on to help spark the Montgomery Bus Boycott, where African Americans refused to ride on the city buses in Montgomery, Alabama for 381 days.
To honor Parks’ courageous act, the Transit Authority of the River City (TARC) in Louisville, Kentucky is reserving a seat for the civil rights icon on each of its 230 buses during Black History Month.
“The world changed forever when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat,” said TARC interim executive director Ferdinand L. Risco in a news release. “It’s important to recognize that legacy and the memory of the many who inspired her to act and those who were inspired by her.”
Photo: Gino Santa Maria / Shutterstock.com
The TARC launched its “Save a Seat” campaign on Parks’ birthday, which was February 4.
During the campaign, the public transportation company will also highlight other influential African Americans, as well as encourage residents of metro Louisville to ride the bus this month.