SAN ANTONIO — VIA is once again offering free service to honor civil rights icon Rosa Parks. They're also hoping people will check out a new, interactive installation that focuses on local and national historic events, and highlights VIA’s Rosa Parks Seat Program.
The fare-free service will be offered on Wednesday, December 1, in observance of Rosa Parks Day. It's the 66th anniversary of when Parks's protest, which led to her being arrested when she refused to give up her bus seat to make room for a white passenger. That brave action inspired Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to organize a bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama. It lasted several months and was successful in efforts to desegregate U.S. public transportation.
VIA buses and vans will also keep their headlights on throughout the day to honor Parks’ memory.
The complimentary service extends to all bus, VIAtrans, and VIA Link trips. Customers must book their trips in advance, per usual. All COVID-19 health and safety precautions will remain in place, including masks required for employees and passengers.
As part of this year’s celebration, VIA and the San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum (SAAACAM) have partnered to highlight the role of public transportation in the modern Civil Rights movement, including milestones reached here in San Antonio.
The SAAACAM display includes a free-standing Rosa Parks seat next to a timeline of historic transportation-related moments and a digital kiosk that highlights SAAACAM’s work in the community. The display will run through June 2023 at the museum’s La Villita location, 218 South Presa Street.
VIA’s Rosa Parks Seat Program debuted in 2005. An engraved bright yellow seat dedicated to Parks’ memory was installed in VIA’s 500-plus buses.
“Understanding the role of transit in civil rights history helps us appreciate the journey of those who fought to make public services accessible to everyone, and moved us closer to achieving equity through mobility,” VIA President/CEO Jeffrey C. Arndt said. “VIA is proud to support SAAACAM and join in its mission with this interactive display that shines a light on an important part of our shared history.”
To plan a trip to check out SAAACAM on VIA, click here, or by calling the Go Line at (210) 362-2020. To get the museum's hours and programs, click here. Admission is free.