City of Montgomery to honor Rosa Parks, 69th anniversary of Montgomery Bus Boycott

The city of Montgomery will honor the memory of Rosa Parks and the 69th anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott on Monday.

On December 1, 1955, Parks was arrested after refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a city bus. Her arrest led to a boycott of the buses that lasted for more than a year and helped lead to the start of the modern civil rights movement.

The city will host several events on Monday.

Events begin with a ribbon-cutting for the Holt Street Baptist Church Historical Museum at 903 South Holt Street, the site of the mass meeting that launched the boycott. The ribbon-cutting is sponsored by the Montgomery Chamber of Commerce.

Immediately following the ribbon-cutting, attendees can embark on a free private tour of the Historic Museum sponsored by the City of Montgomery. Visitors will enjoy a guided discussion and view never-before-seen artifacts that explain the state of Montgomery in the 1950s.

At the end of the tour, visitors will have the opportunity to experience a dramatic reenactment of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s iconic speech that cemented the need to take action and boycott the transit system. Following the speech, hear from Pastor Willie D. McClung as he accounts the rich heritage and history of the Holt Street Baptist Church, the Movement in Montgomery and Alabama and the church’s role in it.

At 6 p.m., a celebration will be hosted at Holt Street Memorial Baptist Church. The evening event features special guests Reverend Dr. Howard-John Wesley, Pastor John P. Kee, the Montgomery United Mass Choir and others. Doors open at 5 p.m.

Space is limited for the museum tours, so visit bit.ly/Historical-Museum-Tour-Registration to sign up.

EVENTS FOR MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT

Monday, Dec. 2:
9:30 a.m. – Holt Street Church Historic Museum Ribbon Cutting, 903 South Holt Street
10:00 a.m. – Private tour of the Historic Museum (registration required)
11:00 a.m. – Martin Luther King Jr. Speech reenactment
11:15 a.m. – Historic account with Pastor McClung
5:00 p.m. – Doors open for 69th Anniversary Celebration at Holt Street Memorial Baptist Church
6:00 p.m. – Program begins