February 16th 2024.
On a crisp February morning in downtown Montgomery, Alabama, the Equal Justice Initiative honored civil rights icon Rosa Parks with a new monument at Legacy Plaza. It was a momentous occasion as EJI staff and members of the local community gathered to witness the unveiling of the sculpture.
EJI, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting for equal justice and ending mass incarceration, chose to honor Parks as the first of three planned monuments at the plaza. The Legacy Museum, also located across from the plaza, is a powerful and educational space that sheds light on America's history of racial injustice.
During the ceremony, EJI Director Bryan Stevenson spoke about the significance of honoring Parks during Black History Month and on Valentine's Day. He expressed his love, appreciation, and gratitude for the influential role she played in the civil rights movement.
Stevenson, who had the privilege of knowing Parks personally, shared that she possessed an unwavering power and conviction that could change the world. He also noted the importance of honoring Parks first, as she was a crucial figure in the early stages of activism in Montgomery.
While Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the late Congressman John Lewis will also be honored with statues at Legacy Plaza, Stevenson emphasized the impact of Parks' actions in the city. Her refusal to give up her seat on a bus sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement.
The event was a gathering of those who knew Parks personally, including fellow civil rights champion Doris Crenshaw, the founder of Montgomery's Southern Youth Leadership Development Institute, Georgette Norman, the former director of the Rosa Parks Museum, and Dr. Tommie Tonea Stewart, the Dean at Alabama State University's College of Visual and Performing Arts.
The stunning sculpture, created by renowned Atlanta-based artist Basil Watson, depicts Parks sitting on a bench, a symbol of her courageous act on the bus. Watson is well-known for his MLK monument near Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The sculpture joins the existing brick sculpture at Legacy Plaza, which pays tribute to other civil rights leaders.
The plaza also features a mural by artist Kevin King, adding to the powerful and thought-provoking atmosphere of the space. This event also coincides with a new bill introduced in Congress to make Rosa Parks Day a federal holiday, highlighting the lasting impact of her actions and legacy.
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