Ride Into History
CATA is honored to bring the past to life with a unique museum-on-wheels that pays tribute to Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights Movement during the 70th anniversary year of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. This immersive experience invites you to explore history, reflect on progress and carry forward the message of equality.
Purpose & Vision
A CATA bus is wrapped to replicate the original Rosa Parks bus that has been restored and is on permanent display at The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation as part of their With Liberty and Justice for All exhibit.
The tribute bus helps to connect our community to a pivotal moment in American history and reminds us that progress begins with a single act of courage. Rosa Parks’ stand against injustice continues to inspire us to build a more inclusive and equitable future.
Educational Impact
Inside the bus, visitors will find transit cards featuring a historic timeline of Rosa Parks’ life and key milestones in the Civil Rights Movement. The timeline highlights the courage and resilience that shaped our nation’s history.
Community Engagement
The tribute bus will be on display throughout the community on different routes throughout 2026 when not present at special events, including but not limited to:
- MLK Day of Celebration at the Lansing Center – Jan. 19, 2026
- Transit Equity Day: Honoring Rosa Parks’ birthday – Feb. 4, 2026
Timeline of Courage
Below is a brief timeline of the life of Rosa Parks and key moments in the Civil Rights Movement. A timeline with more details, including a variety of historical photos, is displayed inside the bus on transit cards.
1913 – Birth
Rosa Louise McCauley was born
Feb. 4, in Tuskegee, AL. She was
raised in Pine Level, AL, an hour
northwest of Tuskegee.
1932 – Marriage 
Rosa married Raymond Parks, an
activist who worked to free the
Scottsboro Boys — nine Black teens
falsely accused of rape in 1931.
1943 – NAACP Work
Parks joined the Montgomery National
Association for the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP); she served as
chapter secretary and investigated civil
rights cases.
1947 – Jackie Robinson Breaks Baseball Color Barrier 
Jackie Robinson become the first Black player in
American professional sports history, made his
debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15.
1954 – School Segregation Challenged in Court
Thurgood Marshall successfully
argued Brown v. Board of Education before
the Supreme Court, proving that “separate”
schools were unequal and unconstitutional.
1955 – High School Student Arrested
March 2, 15-year-old high school student
Claudette Colvin refused to give up her
seat to a white passenger on a
Montgomery bus and was arrested.
1955 – Defying Bus Segregation
Oct. 21, 18-year-old Mary Louise Smith refused to give up her seat,
challenging bus segregation. Along with four other plaintifs,
including Claudette Colvin, she became part of Browder v. Gayle
— the landmark case that ultimately ended bus segregation.
1955 – Rosa Parks Arrested 
On Dec. 1, Parks refused to give up her
seat on a Montgomery bus, breaking
city code at the time. She was arrested
and taken to police headquarters.
1955–1956 – Montgomery Bus Boycott
A 381-day bus boycott led by MLK Jr.
followed Parks’ arrest, ending only when
the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that
segregation on Montgomery’s public
transit was unconstitutional on April 24.
Photo Credit: Don Cravens
1957 – Federal Government Enforces School Integration
Elizabeth Eckford and the Little Rock Nine attempted to
integrate Central High School despite mobs and threats.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent federal troops to
protect the students and enforce desegregation.
1957 – Move to Detroit
Parks worked as a seamstress at the Montgomery
Fair department store, but relocated to Detroit
with her brother Sylvester after ongoing threats
and job loss after her arrest.
1960 – Students Challenge Segregated Lunch Counters 
On Feb. 1, Ezell Blair Jr., Franklin McCain, Joseph
McNeil and David Richmond sat at a whites-only
lunch counter in Greensboro, NC, refusing to leave
until served. Their protest led to sit-ins nationwide.
1960 – Elementary School Integrated
On Nov. 14, 6-year-old Ruby Bridges is the first
Black child to attend an all-white elementary school
in New Orleans while escorted by U.S. Marshals.
1963 – March on Washington 
Parks attended the March on Washington for Jobs and
Freedom, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered
his famous “I Have a Dream” speech on Aug. 28.
Photo Credit: Steve Schapiro
1965 – Selma to Montgomery March & Voting Rights Act
On March 25, Parks travels to Montgomery
and joins supporters at the Alabama State
Capitol after a 5-day, 54-mile march from
Selma for voting rights.
1965 – Federal Voting Protections Enacted
On Aug. 6, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed
the Voting Rights Act, outlawing literacy tests
and authorizing federal oversight of elections.
1967 – Marriage Equality Upheld
Mildred and Richard Loving challenged
Virginia’s interracial marriage ban, winning
a Supreme Court decision that ended such
laws nationwide.
1967 – Interracial Marriage Bans End
Mildred and Richard Loving challenged
Virginia’s interracial marriage ban, winning
a Supreme Court decision that ended such
laws nationwide.
1968 – Civil Rights Leader Assassinated
On April 4, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
was assassinated in Memphis while
supporting striking sanitation workers.
Photo Credit: Niamh O'shea
1965–1988 – Ongoing Activism 
Parks was an active member of the
NAACP and worked for Congressman
John Conyers from 1965-1988.
1977 – Spouse Passes Away
Raymond Parks, Rosa’s life
partner in activism, passed away in
1977 and was buried in
Detroit’s Woodlawn Cemetery.
1987 – Rosa & Raymond Parks Institute Founded 
Parks co-founded the Rosa and Raymond
Parks Institute for Self-Development with
Elaine Eason Steele to support youth
leadership and civil rights education.
1996 & 1999 – National Honors
Parks received the Presidential
Medal of Freedom and the
Congressional Gold Medal.
2003 – Rosa Parks Bus Restored & Exhibited 
Recovered from an Alabama field, the bus was restored by
The Henry Ford Museum and placed on display. Today, it’s a
permanent feature of the museum’s With Liberty and Justice
for All exhibit. Learn more at the
Henry Ford Museum's website.
2005 – Rosa Parks Passing
Parks died in her Detroit home on Oct. 24 at age
92. The front seats of city buses in Detroit and
Montgomery were adorned with black ribbons in
the days preceding her funeral.
Photo Credit: Justin Sullivan
2017 - Transit Equity Day Founded 
Observed every Feb. 4 on Rosa Parks’ birthday to honor her and
highlight the importance of equitable public transportation.
Learn More