Rosa Parks’ Legacy Rides On: Celebrating Transit Equity Day
Bus tributes and school visits share importance of equitable access.
ALBUQUERQUE – More than 70 years after Rosa Parks’ revolutionary act of refusing to give up her bus seat in Alabama, the civil rights activist’s vision of equality for all lives on in Albuquerque and is celebrated by transit agencies nationwide.
“Everyone deserves the freedom public transportation provides,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “Continuing Rosa Parks’ legacy through our zero-fare program ensures that everyone can ride.”
Tomorrow, February 4, is Transit Equity Day and Rosa Parks’ birthday. To celebrate, the City of Albuquerque is honoring Parks with tributes on Albuquerque Rapid Transit (ART) buses and a field trip to three local schools to discuss the importance of accessible, equitable transportation with students.
For all ART service tomorrow, a Rosa Parks bus seat tribute will ride on all Route 766 and 777 buses. ART makes up about 30% of ABQ RIDE’s total ridership, or more than 6,000 riders on average daily. As passengers go about their day with Parks aboard, they are invited to reflect on her legacy and what the freedom of riding the bus means to them. People are invited to post their thoughts on social media using the hashtag #ISitWithRosa.
“Albuquerque is unique in that not only is everyone welcome on the bus, they’re also welcome to ride for free,” said Transit Director Leslie Keener. “If you sit on what that means for a moment and reflect, we have come such a long way. Riding the bus can save people thousands of dollars, connect them citywide with 24 bus routes, transport them innovatively with free microtransit and paratransit services, contribute to environmental well-being by ridesharing and reducing the number of vehicles on the streets, and more.”
ABQ RIDE’s team will visit Zuni, Longfellow, and Lew Wallace schools. At each, Office of Equity and Inclusion Black Community Engagement Liaison Neema Pickett will engage students through an interactive presentation to understand the important intersection of Civil Rights, transportation, and equity. Each presentation will end with a song rooted in the history of the day and a commemorative bus ride.
“I continue to draw motivation for all the ways we gather to point the path for equitable solutions for all,” said Neema Pickett, Liaison for the Office of Equity and Inclusion’s Black Community Engagement Division. “As we prepare the future generations of activists, I am reminded of the spirit of Rosa Parks that lives in each of us. I lift up every young and elder woman who ever walked a mile in her shoes through the brutal heat of the south, fire hoses tearing their skin, attacks from law enforcement and unthinkable crimes against our humanity. Transit Equity Day, which not only celebrates Rosa’s birthday but also is part of celebration of Black History Month, is one of many reminders to us and our youth to continue to confront systems of oppression now more than ever.”
Learn more about Transit Equity Day on ABQRIDE.com. Community members can request future presentations, field trips, or tours with ABQ RIDE by emailing [email protected].
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ABQ RIDE’s mission is to provide the community with safe, clean, and reliable transportation.
The City of Albuquerque’s Office of Equity and Inclusion’s mission is to inspire and equip city government to make Albuquerque a national role model of racial equity and social justice.