MCTS honors Rosa Parks on anniversary of her resistance to bus segregation

“People always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn’t true. I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. I was not old, although some people have an image of me as being old then. I was forty-two. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” – Rosa Parks

The Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) will keep a seat open and the headlights shining on its entire fleet on Friday, December 1, 2017, to honor the life of Rosa Parks and her contribution to equal rights.

Parks was arrested after refusing to give up her seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama, on December 1, 1955. Her small act of civil disobedience led to a landmark Supreme Court ruling that outlawed segregation on public transportation.

“Now, more than ever, Rosa Parks courage and beliefs should inspire us every day. This country was changed for the better on that December day when she refused to give into racism and oppression,” said Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele. “While we can never truly thank her for her brave actions, we mark the occasion to remember and honor her courage and convictions.”

Every bus in the MCTS fleet will have a seat reserved in honor of Rosa Parks. The sign features a picture of her on the bus and one of her famous quotes, “My only concern was to get home after a hard day’s work.”