Nov 27, 2007 12:10 pm US/Pacific
L.A. County Declares Saturday 'Rosa Parks Day'
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
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Saturday marks the 52nd anniversary of Parks' refusal to move from her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Ala.
CBS
Marking the 52nd anniversary of Rosa Parks' refusal to move from her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Ala., the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday declared Saturday "Rosa Parks Human Rights Day."
"Her courageous stand against segregation was a monumental turning point in the civil rights movement, encouraging others to stand up against racial inequality, bigotry and intolerance," said Supervisor Yvonne Burke, who introduced the resolution to the Board.
The county is the first in the nation to make such a declaration in honor of the civil rights icon, according to local activists.
Civil rights leaders applauded the county's decision.
"We're very gratified that the L.A. County Board of Supervisors and especially Supervisor Burke recognized the importance of having a day in honor of Rosa Parks," said Earl Ofari Hutchinson, president of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable.
Hutchinson said Parks' act was a turning point in the civil rights movement, and commemorating it would send a message that efforts must continue to fight bigotry and intolerance.
Hutchinson and other civil rights activists had called on the Los Angeles City Council to declare Saturday "Rosa Parks Human Rights Day" in the city.
"What better way to say no to hate violence," Hutchinson said. "What better way to say yes to tolerance and diversity than to declare a Rosa Parks Human Rights Day in the city of L.A."
The issue was not brought up before the council Tuesday, but a city official said it could be raised during the council's meeting either Wednesday or Friday.
Hutchinson said "the forces of intolerance are alive and well in America and Los Angeles," citing "the spate of hanging nooses, the rise in hate crimes nationally, black and Latino gang hate violence in L.A."
The proposal has been endorsed by the Rev. Al Sharpton.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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