2023 California Rosa Parks Day - Transit Equity Day

Sacramento, California -- Everyone is encouraged to read the book or watch the new documentary of the Rebellious Life of Rosa Louise McCauley Parks to gain new incite and greater appreciation of the authentic life journey of our "Patron Saint" of the Montgomery Women's Political Council, before, during and after her noted act of civil disobedience which sparked the ongoing journey towards Transit Equity.

Transit Equity Day is a National Day of Action that highlights efforts by local transit organizations, labor unions, and climate justice advocates to promote equity in public transportation.

Friday, February 4, 2000, the State of California declared February 4th and the Monday following her birthday as Rosa Parks Day in California. This 23rd Annual event begins the journey aligning with National Transit Equity Day throughout the United States and beyond.

Bakari Height, the project manager for Transit Equity Day and organizer for the Labor Network for Sustainability, hosts a livestream of all of these projects every February 4th, and speaks on the ultimate goals for the network.:

“Rosa Parks was more than just a figurehead of the Civil Rights Movement—she led a charge of young activists fighting for better equitable rights and service on public transportation. That is exactly what we’re continuing to fight for. Public transit isn’t just a Northeast or West Coast amenity. Many growing cities down South, in the Midwest, and even in the Great Plains are discovering the power of public transit not just as an amenity, but as a way to help lower carbon emissions and create sustainable jobs in electrification of these transit vehicles. But politics are still blocking the progress of its growth, which hinders public transit riders' mobility to even get to the grocery store or a doctor’s appointment. We are building this network with your voices calling for better transit equity in neighborhoods and cities where cars have historically dominated the conversation. We ultimately want to grow the power of the movement for affordable, accessible public transportation—for everyone.”

2023 California Rosa Parks Day joins the Transit Equity Network, a national group of local labor unions, transit rider unions, community organizations, and environmental groups including the Labor Network for Sustainability, Sierra Club, Institute for Policy Studies, and more.

National Transit Equity Day has attracted many key supporters like Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Georgia Congressman Hank Johnson, Amalgamated Transit Union Worldwide President John Costa, Transport Workers Union President John Samuelsen, and Federal Transit Administration Administrator Nuria Fernandez.

Together, we will build California Rosa Parks Day - California Transit Equity Day in a way that honors the faith, courage and lifetime commitment of Rosa Louise McCauley Parks as we prepare to shine the historical spotlight on Black Women "Hidden Figures of the Civil Rights Movement" during California Black History Month and beyond.