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The day, December 1, would be in honor of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks has been proposed by Representative Terri Sewell of Alabama.
Called "the mother of the civil rights movement," Parks invigorated the struggle for racial equality when she refused to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama, on Dec. 1, 1955.
Sewell, Alabama's first Black congresswoman, introduced the bill on Tuesday, Feb. 4, which would have been Rosa Parks' 112th birthday.
The proposal is co-sponsored by Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY), Rep. Joyce M. Beatty (OH), and Rep. Shomari C. Figures (AL).
The day would also serve to honor her larger contributions to the civil rights movement, particularly in Selma and Birmingham.
The reintroduction of this bill comes amid ongoing debates over diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Sewell has positioned the bill as a response to efforts that she says attempt to “whitewash” American history.
Sewell originally introduced this bill during the 2023-2024 legislative session, but it did not advance past the Committee on Oversight.
Parks’ refusal to surrender her bus seat ignited the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a defining moment in the civil rights movement. Her activism extended beyond that moment, with significant contributions to racial justice efforts across Alabama.
The bill will now proceed through Congress, where it faces debate before any potential passage into law.
If approved, Rosa Parks Day would be the first new federal holiday since Juneteenth was established in 2021.
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