On December 1, 1955 -- after a long day of working as a seamstress at a Montgomery, Alabama department store -- Rosa Parks boarded the Cleveland Avenue bus for her commute home.

With several white passengers left standing in the aisle, the operator stopped the bus and asked four black passengers to give up their seats. Three complied, but Parks refused -- remaining in her seat.

Parks’ simple act of defiance sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, ultimately igniting the civil rights movement. The boycott ended when the United States Supreme Court declared Alabama’s segregated bus statutes unconstitutional.

DART celebrates Rosa Parks’ quiet strength, which made a seat available for everyone. On Monday, December 1, 2025 -- the 70th anniversary of Parks’ courageous act -- DART is reserving a seat on buses in her honor.