- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Gainesville Honors Civil Rights Pioneers Parks and Colvin
City hosts annual Black History Month ceremony at RTS Rosa Parks Transfer Station
Feb. 23, 2026 at 11:03pm
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
The City of Gainesville is hosting a Black History Month ceremony on February 24th to celebrate the legacies of civil rights pioneers Rosa Parks and Claudette Colvin. The event will take place at the RTS Rosa Parks Transfer Station and feature remarks from local leaders and members of the Rosa Parks Quiet Courage Committee.
Why it matters
Rosa Parks and Claudette Colvin were pivotal figures in the Civil Rights Movement, with their acts of defiance against segregation laws helping to spark the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the eventual end of racial segregation. Honoring their legacies during Black History Month is an important way for the Gainesville community to reflect on this history and its ongoing impact.
The details
The ceremony will commemorate the historic contributions of Rosa Parks, who in 1955 refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus, and Claudette Colvin, who nine months earlier at age 15 also refused to surrender her bus seat in Montgomery. While Colvin's actions predated Parks', civil rights leaders chose to elevate Parks as the face of the boycott due to Colvin's young age at the time.
- The ceremony will take place from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
- Rosa Parks was born on February 4, 1913 and died on October 24, 2005.
- Claudette Colvin was born on September 5, 1939 and died on January 13, 2026.
The players
Rosa Parks
An African American civil rights activist who in 1955 refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama, an act that sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped catalyze the broader Civil Rights Movement.
Claudette Colvin
An African American civil rights activist who in 1955, at the age of 15, refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama, nine months before Rosa Parks' famous act of civil disobedience.
What they’re saying
“Rosa Parks and Claudette Colvin's courageous acts of defiance against segregation laws were pivotal moments in the Civil Rights Movement that continue to inspire us today.”
— Mayor Lauren Poe, Mayor of Gainesville
The takeaway
By honoring the legacies of Rosa Parks and Claudette Colvin, the Gainesville community is ensuring that the sacrifices and contributions of these civil rights pioneers are not forgotten, and that their fight for equality and justice continues to motivate new generations of activists.
