| Rosa Parks Day | |
|---|---|
  Rosa Parks in 1955 and the Montgomery Bus that made her notable | |
| Observed by | United States (California, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, and Oregon) |
| Type | Secular |
| Significance | in honor of Rosa Parks, a civil rights activist |
| Date | February 4 (Missouri), the 1st Monday after February 4 (California and Michigan), or December 1 (Ohio and Oregon) |
| Frequency | Annual |
Rosa Parks Day is a holiday in honor of the civil rights leader Rosa Parks, celebrated in the U.S. state of Missouri on her birthday, February 4, in Michigan and California on the first Monday after her birthday, and in Ohio and Oregon on the day she was arrested, December 1.
Rosa Parks Day was created by the Michigan State Legislature and first celebrated in 1998.[1] The California State Legislature followed suit in 2000.[2] The holiday was first designated in the U.S. state of Ohio championed by Joyce Beatty, advocate who helped Ohio's legislation pass to honor the late leader.[3] It is also celebrated by the Columbus Ohio bus system (COTA) with a special tribute to the late civil rights leader.[4] As of 2014, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon proclaimed Rosa Parks Day official in the state.[5] In 2014, Oregon governor John Kitzhaber declared that Oregon would celebrate its first Rosa Parks Day. In 2021, the Texas Legislature passed HB 3481, recognizing December 1 as Rosa Parks Day in the state.[6] After Juneteenth became a federal holiday, there are growing calls for this day to also be observed at the federal level. On September 3, 2021, HR 5111 proposes that this day be added to the list of federal holidays.[7]
- ^ "Public Act 28 of 1997".
- ^ "ACR 116 Assembly Concurrent Resolution - CHAPTERED".
- ^ Ohio's Rosa Parks Day Placed into National Congressional Record, archived from the original on November 17, 2011
- ^ Exil, Sarai (5 December 2011). "COTA's Rosa Parks Day". City Year Columbus.
- ^ "Missouri celebrates Rosa Parks Day". Fox2now. February 4, 2014.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Smith, Ralph R. (September 3, 2021). "Seeking Another Federal Holiday (and a Day Off for Federal Employees)". FedSmith.com.