[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 127, 113th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8932--FEB. 1, 2013

Proclamation 8932 of February 1, 2013

100th Anniversary of the Birth of Rosa Parks
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
On December 1, 1955, our Nation was forever transformed when an African-
American seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama, refused to give up her seat
on a city bus to a white passenger. Just wanting to get home after a
long day at work, Rosa Parks may not have been planning to make history,
but her defiance spurred a movement that advanced our journey toward
justice and equality for all.
Though Rosa Parks was not the first to confront the injustice of
segregation laws, her courageous act of civil disobedience sparked the
Montgomery Bus Boycott--381 days of peaceful protest when ordinary men,
women, and children sent the extraordinary message that second-class
citizenship was unacceptable. Rather than ride in the back of buses,
families and friends walked. Neighborhoods and churches formed carpools.
Their actions stirred the conscience of Americans of every background,
and their resilience in the face of fierce violence and intimidation
ultimately led to the desegregation of public transportation systems
across our country.
Rosa Parks's story did not end with the boycott she inspired. A lifelong
champion of civil rights, she continued to give voice to the poor and
the marginalized among us until her passing on October 24, 2005.
As we mark the 100th anniversary of Rosa Parks's birth, we celebrate the
life of a genuine American hero and remind ourselves that although the
principle of equality has always been self-evident, it has never been
self-executing. It has taken acts of courage from generations of
fearless and hopeful Americans to make our country more just. As heirs
to the progress won by those who came before us, let us pledge not only
to honor their legacy, but also to take up their cause of perfecting our
Union.




[[Page 1240]]

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 4, 2013, as
the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Rosa Parks. I call upon all
Americans to observe this day with appropriate service, community, and
education programs to honor Rosa Parks's enduring legacy.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of
February, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
seventh.
BARACK OBAMA