381 Days: The Montgomery Bus Boycott Story Comes to Chicago
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2007-01-25 17:04:04.195529-05:00
The strength and fortitude of Rosa Parks—the woman who galvanized the American civil rights movement in 1955 when she refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man—and her fellow freedom fighters are honored in "381 Days: The Montgomery Bus Boycott Story," at the DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago from Feb. 3 through May 20, 2007. "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 with generous support from AARP. The traveling exhibit will tour 18 cities over a four-year period.
The boycott was initially a one-day protest to mark Parks' Dec. 5 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. After Parks' arrest, 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.
Sharing history through oral tradition, one generation telling personal experiences to another, is at the core of Family Heritage Days. AARP sponsors Family Heritage Days Saturdays (February 3, March 10 and April 14) so families, grandparents and other members of the community can gather to explore, personalize and share the story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Programs on Family Heritage Days teach what it means to celebrate kujichagulia, or self-determination, in difficult times. On April 14, the featured topic will be the impact of children and the Latino connection to the Civil Rights movement. Join us these days for an opportunity to share your personal memories of the movement at the AARP Voices of Civil Rights Story Table; we will collect to memories to add to the archives already housed at the Library of Congress. "As a descendant of individuals who experienced Jim Crow in Alabama, I was exposed to this period of history through many hours of intergenerational sharing," said Antoinette Wright the Museum's President. "I invite each of you to revisit The Montgomery Bus Boycott Story and the impact that it had on your life and the lives of your children." Space for recording your personal account is limited so to reserve a time slot, call (312)458-3614.
During the length of exhibit's run, DuSable Museum offers AARP members who present their membership card 2-for-1 admission. Also, AARP members will receive a special discount for a two-year museum membership.
For more information on events and programs or to schedule a group tour, contact the DuSable Museum of African American History at (773)947-0600 or online.
Other Resources
- DuSable Museum
- Voices of Civil Rights
- 381 Days: The Montgomery Bus Boycott
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