Rosa Parks Tribute

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.
(Pictured above the Scottsboro Boys & NAACP Members)

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 plaintiffs, 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

Members of the Montgomery Bus Boycott in front of the Supreme Court Building

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.

Members of the sit-in in Greensboro, North Carolina

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

Two people shaking hands in front of members of the March on Washington

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.

Members of the Selma to Montgomery March holding hands and singing

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

Martin Luther King Jr. speaking at a podium, surrounded by people

1965–1988 – Ongoing Activism

Parks was an active member of the NAACP and worked for Congressman John Conyers from 1965-1988.

Rosa Parks standing with Congressman John Conyers

1977 – Spouse Passes Away

Raymond Parks, Rosa’s life partner in activism, passed away in 1977 and was buried in Detroit’s Woodlawn Cemetery.

The gravestone of Rosa and Raymond Parks

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.

Rosa Parks receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Bill Clinton

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.

Restored bus that Rosa Parks rode on displayed at the Henry Ford Museum

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

Rosa Parks' funeral proceedings including her coffin being carried

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

The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation – Plan a trip to the museum and view information about the restored Rosa Parks bus.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid-Michigan – Learn more about how the Commission is dedicated to preserving the legacy and teachings of Dr. King.

Vintage CATA logo and text reading Honoring Rosa Parks