Seventy years ago today, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama — an act that sparked a boycott and a movement for civil rights from the 1950s and onward.
Standing next to a statue of Parks, Texas state Rep. Toni Rose (D-Dallas) honored her legacy at Dallas Area Rapid Transit's Rosa Parks Plaza on Monday alongside DART leadership.
"Rosa Parks was not simply the mother of the freedom movement," Rose said. "She embodied dignity, strength, and determination that everyday people show when they refuse to accept injustice."
In 2021 Rose authored House Bill 3481, which designated Dec. 1 as Rosa Parks Day in Texas. It's one of several states that honor her, including Alabama and Tennessee.
"Her fight reminds us that transportation is deeply connected to dignity, access, and opportunity," Rose said. "Public transit has always played a central role in the fight for justice, and it remains a pathway to greater equity in our communities."
DART commemorated the day by showcasing one of its new buses, part of a fleet of 70 vehicles that feature a placard on the headrest above the front seat.
DART's board of directors chair Randall Bryant said during the Montgomery Bus Boycott, people still had to work together through partnerships, collaboration and community effort for their mobility needs.
"We oftentimes still don't acknowledge the fact that these people still had to get to work, still had to get to school, still had to get to wherever they chose to go get around the city," Bryant said. "Seventy years later, those partnerships are still needed in our communities more than ever."
As DART faces challenges to its funding and membership from several member cities, Bryant added that the work for equality in transportation is just as important today as it was in 1955.
"We're gonna always continue to provide high-value customer service to all of our riders," he said. "It's important to always put the customers first and that's what we're gonna continue to do regardless of which cities are in today or in the future."
Pablo Arauz Peña is KERA’s growth and infrastructure reporter. Got a tip? Email Pablo at parauzpena@kera.org.
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