Troy University’s Rosa Parks Museum will celebrate what would have been the Civil Rights icon’s 113th birthday in February with free museum admission and birthday activities on both Feb. 4 and Feb. 7.
Parks was born on Feb. 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, AL. Her historic Dec. 1, 1955, arrest for refusing to give up her seat aboard a Montgomery city bus to a white male passenger led to the 382-day Montgomery Bus Boycott which brought an end to segregation on city buses.
On Feb. 4, Mrs. Parks’ birthday, the museum will offer free admission from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., craft activities for children throughout the day, story time for children at 10 a.m. and commemorative birthday cookies while supplies last. The 1950s era Montgomery city bus will also be on site for visitors from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“Freedom: A Rosa Parks Birthday Celebration” will highlight activities on Feb. 7, beginning at 2 p.m. in the museum’s auditorium. As a part of the program, Mrs. Parks’ niece and author, Sheila McCauley Keys, will pay tribute to her aunt and discuss the work she is doing to carry on Mrs. Parks’ legacy. The FJ Duncombe Praise Team from St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church will perform, as well as trombonist Fred Wesley. Jeannine Herron, widow of noted Civil Rights photographer Matt Herron, is also expected to be in attendance to present copies of some of her late husband’s photographs of Mrs. Parks to the Parks family.
Free museum admission will be offered again on Feb. 7 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Craft activities will be available from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and children’s story time will take place at 10 a.m. in the auditorium. Birthday cupcakes will be available beginning at 10 a.m. while supplies last, and the 1950s era bus will be on hand from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visitors to the museum will also have the opportunity to view the exhibit, “Rosa Parks: A Life of Being Rebellious,” which showcases facsimiles of many items from Mrs. Parks’ personal collection highlighting her long life of social justice activism.
The museum, which opened on Dec. 1, 2000, has launched a fundraising campaign to create a permanent exhibit that reveals the full depth of Mrs. Parks’ lifelong activism and honors her as a global symbol of justice. In partnership with the Library of Congress, the museum is working to bring a significant portion of Mrs. Parks’ personal collection home to Alabama.
“We hope that everyone will join us as we celebrate Mrs. Parks’ birthday and her life and legacy of activism,” said Donna Beisel, the museum’s Director of Operations. “We hope all of our visitors will take time to view our temporary exhibit. We are excited about the opportunity to partner with the Library of Congress to bring many of the actual items back to Montgomery, where we feel they belong, to be included in a permanent exhibit.”
To support the Rosa Parks Museum’s expansion project, visit https://troy.scalefunder.com/cfund/project/46389.
