The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) has unveiled a new statue honoring civil rights leader, Rosa Parks at the Legacy Plaza in downtown Montgomery.
This statue of Parks is the first to come to the plaza in the coming months. There are plans at the EJI to add two additional statues to honor Civil Rights advocates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis.
Parks is most known for refusing to give up her seat on a bus for a white man in Montgomery in 1955, an act of disobedience that sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott. However, Bryan Stevenson, Executive Director of the EJI, said her accomplishments expand into her work in advocacy and her fight for equality, a legacy that will be portrayed in the new statue.
“Her protests that resulted in the Montgomery bus boycott is, of course, what she's most known for, but she lived a life of advocacy, trying to make justice and equality real for everyone. That's what we wanted to acknowledge, celebrate and honor,” said Stevenson. “We're thrilled that her sculpture now sits in Legacy Plaza across from the museum where you can learn so much more about her life and the work she did and the work of so many others.”
Legacy Plaza sits across from the EJI’s Legacy Museum, making it an ideal location for visitors to gather and to reflect. Stevenson said he believes the new statue of Parks will help foster conversations about the injustices Black Americans have faced throughout history and still face today.
“We have thousands of people going through the museum each week, and many of them are groups, high school students, college students, and the content is content that you don't always get in educational spaces. So, it's a lot to take in, and people often want to sit and reflect and talk about what they've experienced,” said Stevenson. “The plaza was created with that in mind, and sculptures are intended to create the environment that facilitates that kind of conversation.”
The new statue was created by the Atlanta-based artist, Basil Watson. Stevenson said Watson was able to sculpt a unique piece that is captivating to see.
“Ms. Parks is sitting proudly, defiantly in the gesture that sparked the Montgomery bus boycott in the sculpture that represents her in our plaza. I think Mr. Watson did an extraordinary job,” said Stevenson. “It's almost as if she's sitting in in midair because there's nothing supporting her, which is a bit of an architectural feat that makes the sculpture even more interesting and captivating for people who see it.”
For more on the Equal Justice Initiative and the new Rosa Park statue visit the EJI website.
