Montgomery, Alabama, known as the Birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement and the modern home of social justice, will celebrate the 67th Anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott with a series of events spanning the week of December 1-5, 2022 honoring the legacy of those who dedicated their lives to equality in their community, and consequentially igniting a revolution throughout the country and world. The anniversary has been commemorated annually in the Capital City since December 1 was designated as Rosa Parks Day by Montgomery County in 2020.
“As the Birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement, Montgomery, Alabama, is one of the most historically significant destinations in the nation – if not the world,” Mayor Steven L. Reed said. “This commemoration is part of an experience unique to Montgomery that offers visitors the chance to explore tangible links to America’s quest for justice, truth and reconciliation while learning firsthand about that time from many leaders of the Movement who are still with us today. We are grateful to all of our partners as well as the giants from the Movement upon whose shoulders we stand.”
“Each December we proudly celebrate the countless visionary individuals who have transformed American history and called Montgomery home,” says Ron Simmons, chief officer of destination and community development for Experience Montgomery. “Events like the ones we are hosting continue important conversations and create positive change not only in our community, but throughout the world.”
Sparked by the arrest of Rosa Parks on December 1, 1955, the 382-day boycott of the Montgomery bus system spanned from December 5, 1955— December 20, 1956 and ended with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public busses is unconstitutional. This boycott was an enormous contribution to the civil rights movement that demonstrated the incredible economic power of the Black community in Montgomery at the time.
Please see below for a list of events and participating museums during the Montgomery Bus Boycott Celebration:
Events and Activities:
- Tour Rosa Parks Apartment | December 1, 2, 3 & 5
The Montgomery Housing Authority is opening its doors to the public to tour the home of Mrs. Rosa Parks in honor of the Bus Boycott Celebration. Items inside the home have been preserved or recreated to showcase where many important meetings were held during the Civil Right Movement.
- Tour a 1955 Montgomery Transit Bus | December 1
Located at the Rosa Parks Museum, guests can walk through an exact replica of the iconic bus where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, sparking the beginning of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Tours are available from 9 – 5 p.m.
- A Unity Walk and Convocation to Celebrate Rosa Parks’ Faith and Legacy in the Civil Rights Movement | December 1
In honor of Rosa Parks Day, the city invites locals and visitors alike to the annual Unity Walk. The walk begins at the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church and ends at the Rosa Parks Museum. The walk will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a Community Convocation at St. Paul A.M.E. Church, Mrs. Parks’ home church, to follow at 7 p.m.
- Georgia Gilmore Food Giveaway | December 1
This day will be an active way to honor the legacy of Georgia Gilmore, a fearless woman who ensured many participants were fed during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Beginning at 9 a.m. at Metropolitan UMC (3108 Rosa Parks Avenue), food will be distributed through a non-contact process. Those interested in volunteering can email info@metromgm.org or call 334-263-0950.
- The Quest: A Historical Self-Driving Tour | December 1-5
This self-guided driving tour takes visitors to historical sites to learn about the people and places that were pivotal to the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Participants who visit all the sites and post on Facebook using the hashtag #mgmbusboycottchallenge will be entered into a drawing to win a historical swag bag. A listing of all sites is available at http://bit.ly/3NO3kf2. Images and locations are provided by the Montgomery Improvement Association and the African American Civil Rights Heritage Sites Consortium.
- The Rosa Parks Gala Presented by the Southern Youth Leadership Development Institute | December 3
The Southern Youth Leadership Development Institute, established by civil rights leader Doris Crenshaw, will host the Rosa Parks Gala and honor extraordinary women from Alabama. For more information or to purchase a ticket, please visit www.syldi.org
- The Mass Meeting: A Time to Build Up: Equipping the Church in a Post-Civil Rights Era | December 5
Holt Street Baptist Church, the location where thousands gathered after Rosa Parks’s arrest to ultimately spark the Montgomery Bus Boycott, has finally re-opened to the public and will welcome visitors exactly 67 years after the initial meeting for a time of community and conversation. Dr. Kevin R. Johnson of Dare to Imagine Church will lead a discussion along with Mayor Steven Reed and the National Center for Civil Rights at Alabama State University on how churches can be leaders in today’s post-civil rights era.
Participating Museums:
- FREE Admission to the Rosa Parks Museum + Special Programming| December 1, 2, 3 & 5
Visitors are invited to enjoy free admission to the Rosa Parks Museum where arts and crafts for children, an author talk with H.H. Leonards about her book, “Rosa Parks: Beyond the Bus,” and the Southern Youth Leadership Development Institute’s screening of “The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks” will be available for participation. The author talk and screening will take place on December 1st at noon and 6:00, respectively. The museum is open 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- MGM Bus Boycott Exhibit at the Legacy Museum | December 1 - 5
Visitors can explore the Montgomery Bus Boycott exhibit, curated by the Equal Justice Initiative, at their newly renovated Legacy Museum or pay respects to the victims of lynching and other violent acts of racial terror at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice.
- FREE Admission to the Civil Rights Memorial Center| December 5
Visitors are invited to enjoy free admission to the Civil Rights Memorial Center and experience its Traveling While Black exhibit that is currently on display. Traveling While Black, a 2019 virtual reality film directed by Roger Ross Williams, offers an immersive view on the dangers generations of Black people faced as they traveled through the U.S. The exhibit transports participants to the booths and lunch counters at Ben’s Chili Bowl, a Washington D.C. restaurant that played a major role in the civil rights movement, to listen to honest narratives from activists and historians who faced those dangers first-hand. The museum is open 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
About Montgomery
Situated on the banks of the Alabama River, Montgomery is the capital and the third largest city in the state of Alabama. Established in 1819, Montgomery has been the site of major historic events which have shaped the history of the United States. Emerging from its agricultural roots in the 19th century, Montgomery transformed from its history of injustice to become the birthplace of the civil rights movement and has long been a place that faced intolerable issues head on, initiating unprecedented change for the better. Today, this vibrant river town is experiencing a resurgence which has seen its downtown revitalized and has reestablished itself as a landmark Deep South destination. Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM) offers non-stop flights on Delta Airlines and American Airlines. For more information, call 334-261-1100 or visit the official website of the Montgomery Convention and Visitor Bureau at https://exploremgm.com/. Stay connected with Montgomery on Twitter and Facebook.
