"The Smithsonian Institution, in collaboration with the Troy University Rosa Parks Library and Museum, presents an American Story of bravery, honor and idealism."
The exhibition which continues through
July 13
venue at the Evansville
Museum is part of a 14-city national tour through 2009. The national touring
exhibition is made possible through the support of AARP. Local support for
the Evansville venue of 381 Days is provided by the
BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB FOUNDATION.
The Montgomery, Alabama, Bus Boycott was initially a one-day protest to mark
Rosa Parks’ December 5, 1955 court appearance and to register the weariness
of those who endured daily assaults to their humanity. African Americans who
rode Montgomery’s buses were considered second class, defenseless against
humiliation and undeserving of basic respect from drivers and white
passengers. African Americans were forced to relinquish their seats to white
riders once the bus was full. On December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks refused.
“Rosa Parks’ extraordinary act was a profound turning point
in the civil rights movement,” stated Anna Cohn, Director of
the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service
(SITES). “We are extremely proud to share this American
story of 50,000 courageous people who forced a segregated
bus system to open its doors to equality.”
After Parks’ arrest on December 1, 1955, professors, doctors,
lawyers and preachers stood alongside students, domestic
workers and blue-collar laborers and refused to board the
buses. A volunteer-based transportation system was
developed and effectively shut down the public transit
system. The boycott, which lasted 381 days, evolved into a
strategic act of faith and determination that galvanized a
people who refused to give up hope.
Photographs, quotes and historical text are combined in a
multidimensional collage to convey the dynamism of the
civil rights movement. Visitors immerse themselves in the
language, imagery and emotional response to the nation’s
growing awareness that its founding tenet “all men are
created equal” could possibly apply to the entire
population. 381 Days documents a key victory for nonviolent
action to empower social and political change that
influenced subsequent, powerful events such as the
Woolworth lunch counter sit-in in Greensboro, N.C., the
Freedom Rides, the Birmingham demonstrations, and the
eventual passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
381 Days: The Montgomery Bus Boycott Story was developed by the
Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in
collaboration with the Troy University Rosa Parks Library and
Museum. The exhibition has been made possible through the
generous support of AARP.
“AARP is pleased to underwrite ‘381 Days: The Montgomery Bus
Boycott Story,’” said Marie Smith, President of AARP. “As an
advocacy organization for social change, we hope that our
participation in this exhibit will serve as a reminder that activism is
an American tradition—one that many of our members who lived
through this era experienced, and one that we want to pass down to
future generations.”
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that
helps people over the age of 50 have independence, choice and
control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and
society as a whole. The organization produces AARP The Magazine;
AARP Bulletin; AARP Segunda Juventud; NRTA Live & Learn; and a
website, www.aarp.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity
that provides security, protection, and empowerment to
older persons in need with support from thousands of
volunteers, donors, and sponsors.
Situated on the historic site of Rosa Parks’ arrest, the Rosa
Parks Library and Museum was built in tribute to both Parks
and the civil rights movement in Montgomery. This state-ofthe-
art museum is committed to educating audiences about
the boycott’s momentous turning point in our country’s
history and its continued effect on society. Visit the museum
online at
Troy University Rosa Parks
Library and Museum.
SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian
collections and research programs with millions of people
outside Washington, D.C. for more than 50 years. SITES
connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage
through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science, and
history, which are shown wherever people live, work and
play. For exhibition description and tour schedules, visit
SITES.
Two months after her initial arrest, Rosa Parks was arrested on new charges. February 1956, Courtesy AP/Wide World Photos
