Ohio's Rosa Parks Day Placed into National Congressional Record

Nov. 22, 2011

Ohio was the first state to designate Dec. 1 as Rosa Parks Day to honor her life and legacy as the Mother of the Modern Civil Rights Movement. In 2005, then-State Representative, and now Senior Vice President for Outreach and Engagement, Joyce Beatty wrote, advocated and won unanimous support to pass Ohio’s legislation in the 50th-anniversary year of Mrs. Parks’ courageous act in refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus to a white passenger, an act that sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Modern Civil Rights Movement.

On Nov. 15, Ohio’s leadership in designating Dec. 1 as Rosa Parks Day made history again as it was placed into the national Congressional Record by Congresswoman Marcia Fudge.

“I’m so proud of the fact that Ohio’s role in recognizing Rosa Parks is now being acknowledged on the national level,” Beatty said. “Her story is one of the most significant in the history of our country. She showed that one person can change the world.”

This year marks the 7th Annual Statewide Tribute to Rosa Parks, which will take place with several events on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 at COSI. Ohio State and the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), in conjunction with the Ohio Historical Society and the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, have joined together to host the events.

On Nov. 30 there will be a special Community Leader’s Reception, which will be followed by “Conversations,” a panel discussion with the women Justices of the Supreme Court of Ohio. The special guests for “Conversations” include Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor and Justices Yvette McGee Brown, Evelyn Lundberg Stratton and Judith Ann Lanzinger.

The panel discussion will be moderated by WBNS 10TV News Anchor Jerry Revish and aired live at 8 p.m. on Channel 10 and the Ohio News Network. American Electric Power is sponsoring the broadcast.

The signature event, the Children’s Assembly, will take place on Dec. 1 with approximately 800 schoolchildren learning more about Rosa Parks’ story and legacy. This year’s keynote speaker will be Ohio Supreme Court Justice Yvette McGee Brown. The Assembly will also be broadcast live online to schools throughout Ohio.

Pictured: Congresswoman Marcia Fudge and Senior Vice President Joyce Beatty