A new exhibit examining Rosa Parks’ peaceful protest when she refused to relinquish her seat on a Montgomery city bus in 1955 and how those actions continue to inspire nonviolent civil disobedience today will open Thursday night at Troy University’s Rosa Parks Museum.

An opening reception is set for 6 p.m. in the museum’s exhibit hall on the University’s Montgomery Campus.

The exhibit, “Rosa Parks: An Inspiration for a Movement,” features rare objects from the Museum’s collection such as the original fingerprint arrest record of Rosa Parks, vintage Jet magazines featuring news from the Civil Rights era, and a comic book highlighting the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The exhibition ends Jan. 2.

“We seldom show the rare objects from our collection. So I am so excited about this exhibition,” said Dr. Felicia Bell, the museum’s director. “In fact, the comic book, ‘Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story,’ was published in 1957 and was found in the archives of Faulkner University’s George H. Jones Law Library. We are grateful for our partnership with the Jones Law Library and look forward to sharing this important piece with our visitors. I hope our visitors will take advantage of this special opportunity to engage with each other about how Mrs. Parks inspires them and continues to have a positive impact on our country.”

The exhibit is free and is available for viewing during the museum’s normal business hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.