Week of activities planned in honor of Montgomery Bus Boycott's 66th anniversary

Staff reports

November 23, 2021 at 3:34 PM·6 min read

Booking mugs from the Montgomery Bus Boycott era as seen in the probate office at the Montgomery Courthouse annex in Montgomery, Ala., on Monday February 8, 2021.

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Sixty-six years ago, a dedicated group of people stood firm against racist segregation in Montgomery and began 382 days of sacrifice, resilience and hope that was the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Starting December 1, a week of activities and events will take place across the city that are designed to honor those who dedicated and risked their lives to end segregation and make Montgomery a better place.

This event is being led by Montgomery Mayor Steven L. Reed, who recently stood with Civil Rights Attorney Fred Gray recently to expunge the arrest record for Claudette Colvin. While the Bus Boycott was sparked by the arrest of Rosa Parks for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man, Colvin was arrested months earlier for the same thing.

Learn more about this commemoration online at mgmbusboycott.com.

Wednesday, Dec. 1

7:30 a.m. - Rosa Parks Day Unity Breakfast: St. Paul AME Church, 706 E. Patton Ave., Montgomery. Speaker will be Michael Jackson.

9 a.m.-5 p.m. - Free admission to Rosa Parks Museum: Join the Rosa Parks Museum as they celebrate Rosa Parks Day on the 66th anniversary of her arrest. The museum. 252 Montgomery St., is open 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Face masks are required, and social distancing must be practiced. Children's Arts and Crafts on the second floor of the Rosa Parks Museum's Children's Wing.

9 a.m.-5 p.m. - MGM Bus Boycott Exhibit at the Legacy Museum: 400 N. Court Street. The Equal Justice Initiative has curated a Montgomery Bus Boycott exhibit. Admission is $5 to both the museum and the Memorial for Peace and Justice.

9 a.m. - Free tours of Rosa Parks Apartment: The Montgomery Housing Authority is opening the doors to the public to tour the home of Rosa Parks from 1951 to 1957, in honor of the Montgomery Bus Boycott celebration: Items inside the home have been preserved or recreated to showcase where many important meetings were held during the Civil Rights Movement.

9 a.m.-5 p.m. - Tour the "Rosa Parks Bus": Rosa Parks Museum, 252 Montgomery St., Montgomery. Walk through an exact replica of the iconic bus on which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger, leading to her arrest and helping ignite the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

10 a.m - The Quest: A Historical Self-Guided Driving Tour: Join the MGM Bus Boycott Challenge and become a tourist in your own city. This self-guided driving tour takes you to historical sites to learn about people and places that were pivotal to the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Visit all the sites and post to Facebook using the hashtag #mgmbusboycottchallenge to be entered into a drawing to win a historical swag bag. A listing of all sites will be available online at mgmbusboycott.com. Images and locations provided by Montgomery Improvement Association and the African American Civil Rights Heritage Sites Consortium.

11:30 a.m. - Rosa Parks Memorial unveiling: Rosa Parks Museum, 252 Montgomery St., Montgomery. Artwork unveiling in conjunction with the 42nd Air Base Wing at Maxwell Air Force Base. Artist is Ian Mangum. This will be an outdoor event by the museum's entrance. Public viewing begins at 1 p.m.

2 p.m. - Rosa Parks Day Concert: The Westerlies, featuring "For Rosa" by composer Mason Bynes, in partnership with ClefWorks. The concert will be held in the Rosa Parks Museum's auditorium.

5:30 p.m. - A Unity Walk to Celebrate Rosa Parks' Faith and Legacy in the Civil Rights Movement: Starting at Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, 454 Dexter Ave., Montgomery. Join St. Paul AME church on their annual Unity March from Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church to the Rosa Parks Museum.

7 p.m. - Rosa Parks Community Convocation: St. Paul AME Church, 706 E. Patton Ave., Montgomery. The Rosa Parks Community Convocation will feature Carver High School's Choir. Guest speaker will be Dr. Bernard Lafayete Jr.

Thursday, Dec. 2

9 a.m. - Georgia Gilmore Food Giveaway: The Beacon Center will offer an active way to honor the legacy of Georgia Gilmore. As many know, she ensured that so many were fed during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Food will be distributed through a no contact process. Food distribution will be at Metropolitan UMC, 3108 Rosa Parks Avenue. Those interested in volunteering should email info@metromgm.org. Call them at 334-263-0950.

9 a.m.-5 p.m. - MGM Bus Boycott exhibit at the Legacy Museum

9 a.m. - Free tours of the Rosa Parks Apartment