Rosa Parks’ ‘Quiet Strength’ Echoes 70 Years Later

November 25, 2025

As the 70th anniversary of Rosa Parks' arrest approaches on December 1st, civic leaders and institutions across the nation are organizing commemorations that emphasize her lifelong activism rather than just her famous bus protest. Museums, including the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan which houses the actual bus, and the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery are planning free admission days, exhibits, and community discussions to honor her legacy. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty is leading federal efforts to establish December 1st as a national holiday and has introduced legislation for a Rosa Parks commemorative coin, arguing that no federal holiday currently honors a woman despite Parks' transformative impact on American society.

Who is affected

Rosa Parks (historical figure being commemorated)
Frank Smith Jr., founder of the African American Civil War Museum and former D.C. Council member
Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH) and constituents in Ohio
Reps. Terri Sewell (D-AL) and Shomari C. Figures (AL-02)
Amber Mitchell, curator of Black History at the Henry Ford Museum
Donna Biesel, director of museum operations at the Rosa Parks Museum
Robert Kelleman, founder and director of Washington, DC History and Culture nonprofit
Visitors and attendees at commemorative events across multiple states
Children, educators, and community leaders participating in Rosa Parks Day celebrations
Modern activists and community organizers inspired by Parks' legacy
The broader African American community and civil rights movement participants

What action is being taken

The Henry Ford Museum and Rosa Parks Museum are offering free day-of admission on December 1st
Museums are hosting interactive discussions and mobilizations
The Rosa Parks Museum is displaying a temporary exhibit dedicated to Parks' life's work
The Rosa Parks Museum is partnering with St. Paul A.M.E. Church to host a freedom walk
Robert Kelleman is hosting virtual screenings of "The Rosa Parks Story" on November 22 and December 1st
Ohio is celebrating Rosa Parks Day (marking 20 years of state recognition)
Rep. Beatty is pushing constituents to support the mission to establish federal recognition

Why it matters

Rosa Parks' legacy matters because her act of resistance sparked the 381-day Montgomery Bus Boycott that transformed the Civil Rights Movement and fundamentally changed America's trajectory toward equality. The commemoration is particularly significant now as there are active efforts to silence, rewrite, or eliminate African American history from public discourse, making it crucial to preserve and teach the truth about civil rights struggles. Parks' story demonstrates that transformative social change requires sustained community organizing, strategic collaboration, and sacrifice—lessons that remain vital for contemporary activists facing modern forms of oppression. Additionally, the fact that no federal holiday honors a woman, despite Parks' monumental contribution to American democracy, highlights ongoing gender inequity in national recognition. Her decades of activism before and after the bus incident exemplify the importance of persistent, everyday organizing work beyond high-profile moments of protest.

What's next

December 1st commemorative events at the Henry Ford Museum and Rosa Parks Museum with free admission, community discussions, and opportunities to board a 1950s bus
The Rosa Parks Museum will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its opening on December 1st
A freedom walk will be hosted in partnership with St. Paul A.M.E. Church in the evening of December 1st
Congressional consideration of the Rosa Parks Commemorative Coin Act (introduced February 4)
Congressional consideration of legislation to designate December 1st as a federal holiday
America's 250th birthday next year, which Rep. Beatty is connecting to the push for federal recognition of Parks

Read full article from source: The Washington Informer