A new statue dedicated to civil rights legend Rosa Parks has been unveiled by the Equal Justice Initiative in downtown Montgomery.
The organization held a ceremony last week in the newl- constructed Legacy Plaza to mark the occasion.
“This Black History month, on Valentine’s Day, there are many of us who want to express our love, appreciation, and gratitude to Mrs. Rosa Parks, whose extraordinary leadership inspired the whole world,” EJI Director Bryan Stevenson said in a press release. “As someone who had the privilege of spending time with Mrs. Parks, I can affirm that she had the kind of power and conviction that could absolutely change the world.”
“We are thrilled to honor her at Legacy Plaza.”
This morning, EJI unveiled a new sculpture honoring civil rights legend Rosa Parks in downtown Montgomery, Alabama. https://t.co/RIJaQEKvAs
— Equal Justice Initiative (@eji_org) February 14, 2024
According to the EJI, the statue of Parks is the first of three sculptures that will be placed in Legacy Plaza. The next two will be honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and Congressman John Lewis.
The new monument to Parks’ legacy was created by Basil Watson of Atlanta. Watson has also crafted a sculpture of Dr. King located near Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Parks is most known for her role in sparking the 1955-1956 Montgomery Bus Boycott which led to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.
