The same model bus like the one Rosa Parks rode to and from work in Montgomery, AL until the day in 1955 when she refused to move to the back of the bus for a white passenger, will be on display in front of the Freedom Center in the week leading up to Major League Baseball’s Civil Rights game.
The bus, #209, is owned and operated by the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK). It will be parked in front of the Freedom Center’s main entrance each day from June 16 through June 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors can board and sit in the bus. Its appearance also coincides with the Freedom Center’s current exhibit, “381 Days: the Montgomery Bus Boycott,” which traces the events surrounding Mrs. Parks’ historic protest, which ushered in the non-violent American civil rights movement.
“We are pleased and gratified that TANK is making the 1950-era bus, like the one Rosa Parks made famous, available to help the community celebrate the American civil rights movement,” said Donald Murphy, the Freedom Center’s Chief Executive Officer. “TANK graciously put the bus on display in front of the Freedom Center in 2005, to commemorate the passing of Mrs. Parks, and it was enormously popular with our guests. We think it will add a poignant element to the festivities leading up to the Civil Rights game.”
Bus #209 was manufactured in 1950 by General Motors, and operated in Northern Kentucky on Greenline routes. The bus eventually was sold and for a time operated in Seattle, WA, where TANK recovered the vehicle in 2001, brought it back to Northern Kentucky and restored it to its original condition. It is one of three historic vehicles that have been refurbished by TANK maintenance employees.
TANK uses #209 for community events and as an education tool, says TANK Deputy General Manager, Andrew Aiello.
“This bus helps young people better understand an earlier time, when segregation divided whites and blacks in nearly every facet of everyday life – including riding the bus,” Aiello said. “Thankfully, local public transit systems in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati fought successfully against compliance with state-mandated segregation beginning as far back as 1916, when rail car transportation was in its heyday. Through legal tactics and finesse, the local transit companies were able to evade state-mandated segregation on the rail cars and then buses, including Bus #209,” he added.
Tags: Alabama, boycott, bus, Cincinnati, civil rights, Civil Rights Game, Freedom Center, Montgomery, Rosa Parks, TANK
Posted on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 3:19 pm in Events, Exhibits, News.
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