Montgomery in Montgomery County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

Rosa Parks Statue

Photographed by Mark Hilton, December 8, 2019

1. Rosa Parks Statue Marker

Inscription. Rosa M. Parks (1913-2005) was arrested on a Montgomery bus December 1, 1955 for refusing to relinquish her seat to a white passenger. Her arrest, which happened 2 blocks west on Montgomery Street, sparked the 381-day Montgomery Bus Boycott, which was led by the Montgomery Improvement Association and culminated in 1956 with Browder v. Gayle with plaintiffs Browder, Colvin, McDonald, Smith. Mrs. Parks, an active member of St. Paul's AME Church, was a dedicated civil rights pioneer. Today, December 1st is officially the Rosa Parks Holiday.

This sculpture was dedicated on December 1, 2019 by the City of Montgomery and the State of Alabama in observance of their bicentennial anniversaries, supported by the Montgomery County Commission.

Clydetta Fulmer, sculptor

Erected 2019

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by the City of Montgomery and the Montgomery County Commission.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Women. In addition, it is included in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church series list. A significant historical date for this entry is December 1, 1955.

Location. 32° 22.648′ N, 86° 18.536′ W. Marker is in Montgomery, Alabama, in Montgomery County. It is at the intersection of Court Square and Dexter Avenue, on the right when traveling west on Court Square. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Court Square, Montgomery AL 36104, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Alabama’s Tri-Counties River Region.

The four plaintiffs in the Browder v. Gayle lawsuit. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, December 1, 2019

2. The four plaintiffs in the Browder v. Gayle lawsuit.

The four women who had been discriminated against by drivers enforcing segregation policy in the Montgomery bus system. Originally a fifth plaintiff, Jeanetta Reese, was included but after one day she dropped out of the case because of intimidation by members of the white community. She falsely claimed she had not agreed to the lawsuit.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and in the Black Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Rosa Louise McCauley Parks / The Bus Stop (a few steps from this marker); A Tale of Two Towns (a few steps from this marker); Here Stood Mrs. Rosa Parks (a few steps from this marker); Court Square Fountain (within shouting distance of this marker); City of Montgomery / Court Square

Rosa Parks Statue and Marker looking east on Dexter Avenue towards the State Capitol. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, December 8, 2019

3. Rosa Parks Statue and Marker looking east on Dexter Avenue towards the State Capitol.

(within shouting distance of this marker); Telegram Which Began War Between The States / Winter Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Decorative Lions Heads (within shouting distance of this marker); Lower Dexter Park (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Montgomery.

Other markers no longer nearby. The Lightning Route / Central Bank Building (was a few steps from this marker but has been confirmed missing); An Intersection of History: Court Square (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing); Naming the City of Montgomery / Brigadier General Richard Montgomery (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing).

Also see . . .
1. Wikipedia article on the Browder v. Gayle court case.

Rosa Parks Statue at Montgomery Plaza at the Court Street Fountain. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, December 8, 2019

4. Rosa Parks Statue at Montgomery Plaza at the Court Street Fountain.

The statue is 30 feet from the spot where Parks is believed to have boarded the segregated bus where she refused to give up her seat to a white man on Dec. 1, 1955.

(Submitted on December 8, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
2. CNN on the dedication of the Rosa Parks statue. (Submitted on December 8, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)

Photograph of Rosa Parks with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. image. Click for full size.

Public Domain, 1955

5. Photograph of Rosa Parks with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dedication program for the unveiling of the Rosa Parks Statue and Marker. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton

6. Dedication program for the unveiling of the Rosa Parks Statue and Marker.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 16, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 8, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 4,353 times since then and 240 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on December 8, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.