Over the past week, civil rights leaders have led events in Montgomery and across the country honoring the men and women who orchestrated the Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped change the U.S. forever.
It began Monday at 6:06 p.m. as bells rang out to commemorate the exact moment of Rosa Parks’ arrest for refusing to give up her seat.
The activities continued all week long, with key leaders convening at the historic Holt Street Baptist Church on Friday for a panel discussion on the impact of the boycott and how to continue its legacy in the modern day. Holt Street Baptist Church is where the first, and many more, bus boycott meetings were staged.
Panelists emphasized the role of women beyond Rosa Parks in making the movement possible, despite the male figures receiving most of the attention and credit. They also pinpointed how the movement prioritized strategy, something they said is sometimes lacking in modern-day movements.
Later that evening, key figures from the movement including Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King; Donzaleigh, Juandalyn, and Kwame Abernathy; Michael Julian Bond; Andrea Young; Wendell and George Paris; and Zohara Simmons gathered for a reunion at the Alabama State University Acadome.
Saturday began the Rosa Parks and Ella Baker Youth Call to Action Summit. Students aged 12-20 convened in Montgomery to explore the legacy of youth activism in the civil rights movement and begin forming new coalitions rooted in the same cross-racial, interfaith partnerships that helped propel the movement 70 years ago. Participants engaged in hands-on workshops to learn practical organizing and community engagement skills, empowering them to carry forward the legacy of Parks and become active changemakers within their own communities.
The Summit will kick off a 382-day youth-led campaign, mirroring the length of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, to strengthen their communities through youth-driven action. Throughout the campaign, youth will take on individual and collective actions to advance justice in their communities and shine a light on the ongoing role of young people in shaping change.
Later Saturday, Southern Youth Leadership Development Institute’s annual Rosa L. Parks Gala and Awards Program honored the legacy of Parks and recognized individuals who are carrying her work forward. Honorees are selected for their inspiring success and bold contributions to civil and human rights in their communities and beyond. The honorees are:
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Entrepreneur and philanthropist Arthur Blank
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U.S. Representative Shomari C. Figures (AL-02)
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Alabama State Senator Vivian Figures (SD 33)
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ACLU President Deborah Archer
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National Coalition on Black Civic Participation President & CEO and Convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable Melanie Campbell
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Accomplished attorney, banking professional, and entrepreneur, Ashley Bell, the Executive Chairman of Redemption Bank
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Former Jacksonville, Fla., Mayor Alvin Brown
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Educators Anthony Brock, Ph.D., and Frederick Brock
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Activist Rev. Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant, pastor at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in DeKalb County, Ga.
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Business Council of Alabama President & CEO Helena Duncan
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Politician, activist, and educator Joe L. Reed
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Alabama State University President Quinton T. Ross Jr., Ed.D.
