The ‘Rosa Parks of Today:’ Gov. Patrick to honor black women in transit

In refusing to give up her seat on a bus, Ms. Parks helped launch a bus boycott that lasted 381 days and a civil rights movement that continues today. Photo via Rosaparksfacts.com

State and transportation officials today will honor the memory of civil rights leader Rosa Parks by recognizing eight black women who advocate for equal transportation opportunities in Massachusetts’s transit system.

Governor Deval Patrick, Secretary Richard Davey and MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott will join members of the Community Labor United’s “Public Transit-Public Good” campaign to honor the women for “exemplifying Parks’s courage and community spirit.”

The event coincides with Black History Month, and comes days after what would have been Parks’ 100th birthday – Feb. 4.

The women hail from New Bedford, Roxbury, Springfield, Randolph and Boston. The youngest to be honored is a high school sophomore from Springfield who works as a youth leader.

The event is set for 1:30 p.m. at the State House.