A bill to designate December 1 of each year as ‘Mrs. Rosa L. Parks Day’ in Tennessee has been passed by House Minority Leader Karen Camper. The unanimous passing of the bill occurred just a few feet away from Rosa Parks Boulevard at the State Capitol.
Parks initiated the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 by refusing to give up her seat and move to the back of the segregated bus. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was one of the key moments of the civil rights era.
Leader Camper said in her role as president of the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative (NOBEL) Women she heard about a similar bill that had recently passed in Alabama. Camper said she knew then she had to pass a similar measure here in Tennessee, saying: “Rosa Parks is a person that I have looked up to over my lifetime. I’ve admired her accomplishments, the people’s lives that she has impacted and I felt compelled to broaden how we think about her in the state.”
The bill passed the Senate last month and is now headed to the governor for his signature.
