Remembering the legacy of Rosa Parks
As we reflect on Rosa Parks’ historic act of defiance and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, we must recognize change comes only when people of conscience come together and demand justice.
When Rosa Parks stood with me and Julian Bond to dedicate the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, she understood that the march for justice wasn’t over.
“It never ends,” she told the crowd that day in 1989. But Ms. Parks expressed confidence that “we, as a nation of peace-loving people, will overcome any obstacle against us.”
As we commemorate the 60th anniversary of the day Ms. Parks sparked the historic Montgomery Bus Boycott, her words continue to inspire us in the face of today’s challenges.
The fact is, we’re still fighting to overcome the legacy of Jim Crow in the Deep South.
We must remember that change will come only if people of conscience join together to demand justice – like the tens of thousands of African Americans who refused to ride Montgomery city buses after Ms. Parks was arrested on Dec. 1, 1955.
We’re doing our part to inspire young people today with the spirit of the bus boycott. Our Teaching Tolerance project’s new classroom guide, for example, offers tools students can use to organize and mobilize their peers to fight for a better, more just America.
On this day, let us remember that, together, we can change the world. Thank you for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with us on the march for justice and equality.
