In recognition of Transit Equity Day and Black History Month, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) reserved seats on select bus routes February 4 (her birthday) to honor the legacy of civil rights icon Rosa Parks. The initiative underscores the agency’s ongoing commitment to providing equitable and accessible transportation for all riders.

Rosa Parks, widely known as the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement,” sparked the historic Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 when she refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus. Her courageous act became a catalyst for nationwide efforts to dismantle racial segregation in public transportation and beyond.

Parks’ legacy continues to shape conversations around equity and justice. She received numerous honors during her lifetime, including the NAACP’s Martin Luther King Jr. Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Congressional Gold Medal. She passed away in October 2005 at the age of 92.