By Genoa Barrow | OBSERVER Senior Staff Writer
The desire to honor the legacy of civil rights icon Rosa Parks took root in local historian Michael Harris’ mind decades ago and he’s still uplifting her contributions and influence, not only as a nod to the past, but a blueprint for future advancement.
Harris, who serves as Rosa Parks Day California coordinator, is set to host his 25th annual California Rosa Parks Day event from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 10th Street and Capitol Mall. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Silver Anniversary and Women of Courage Today” and honors the icon’s courage in setting off the famed Montgomery Bus Boycott on Dec. 1, 1955, by refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger as was law at the time.
Harris feels connected to Parks, as he was born on the same day five years later. His local Rosa Parks Day events include a press conference, tours of Sacramento Regional Transit’s Old Blue historical bus, a visit by civic and transportation leaders and a commemorative reception in the evening.
Harris, who also leads the California Black Agriculture Working Group, worked to make Rosa Parks Day a holiday and to secure a statue of her inside the U.S. Capitol among other notable figures in American history. He also got RT to reserve seats with Parks’ name and likeness on them on her day.
Harris first shared his efforts to keep the civil rights icon’s legacy alive with The OBSERVER in 2010. In this first installment of “Familiar Faces: Where Are You Now,” we revisit his progress 15 years later.
Q: Fifteen years ago, you were championing legislation to get a statue of Rosa Parks in the U.S. Capitol. A statue was erected three years later in 2013. What did you do here in California to contribute to the effort and make sure your voice was heard in D.C.?
A: I called and emailed Fred Gray, Esq., whom I had met in Washington D.C. while working on the Pigford/Black Farmers case with John Boyd. We reached out and obtained bipartisan support. President George Bush II signed the bill authorizing the Rosa Parks statue. We walked and talked with key bipartisan congressional leaders nationwide before, during and after the installation. We helped monitor progress with the architect, pushing for installation on the U.S. Capitol Statuary Hall before her 100th birthday. It happened after her stamp unveiling in Detroit, Michigan, at Rosa Parks Station. We made personal visits to the U.S. Capitol during some trying times. Success remains a sweet accomplishment.
Q: How does Rosa Parks tie into Black agriculture? Why has the California Black Agriculture Working Group taken the lead in this?
A: From day one, Friday, Feb. 4, 2000, then-California Secretary of State Bill Jones, a Republican cattleman, changed his schedule and signed her legislation on her birthday, after hours. Rural agriculture relationships are different, from sea to shining sea. Rural Alabama, the Black Belt, in the Heart of Dixie, is where many generations of my matrilineal ancestors are from. Agriculture is our foundation of culture, via the Deep South back to Africa.
Q: Back in 2010, you spoke of developing a statewide planning committee to coordinate efforts within California public transportation districts, California public schools and the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Where does that stand and what key accomplishments did that committee achieve in the last 15 years?
A: Today, our California Black Agriculture Working Group is very active in almost all major California cities. We celebrate Rosa Parks Day and Transit Equity Day. Back in 2010 we were just getting started.
Our job is to make sure authentic “Auntie Rosie” is a part of Rosa Parks Day.
Q: California, and the nation as a whole, still haven’t reached a point where reparations are real. There’s also great pushback on diversity and inclusion, and books that tell authentic Black history have been banned. How important is it to preserve Rosa Parks’ legacy in these times?
A: If the new reparative justice movement considered the impact or measured the full economic costs of racial segregation along with mental anguish, a case for punitive damages seems pretty clear. Rosa Louise McCauley Parks is simply not widely known beyond “a tired old lady, who was not the first.”
Q: Why does the legacy of Rosa Parks resonate with you so much?
A: The work towards human rights, equally guaranteed to all without regard to race, remains a long-term goal, central to Auntie Rosie.
Q: Can you talk about the importance of bipartisan support for Black-related legislation?
A: All legislation requires support, sometimes two-thirds of the legislature. Bipartisan support and broad coalition building is old-school, Mervyn Dymally-style. Only a few members remember the old school and yet a few key senior staff respect and value institutional memory.
Q: Has the idea for a national/federal Rosa Parks holiday been scrapped?
A: No. The day Auntie Rosie was arrested has been selected, but with the House divided, it will make for interesting politics.
Q: Have you learned anything new about Rosa Parks in the last 15 years?
A: A deeper dive continues. The more I learn, the more I become a better student. Born in 1913, her amazing walk is a profound history lesson. Our team has expanded and the future looks good.
Q: If Rosa Parks came back in 2025, what do you think her thoughts would be on the state of Black America and the nation as a whole?
A: My sense is she would say we need to pray, go to church and be excellent in all we do while taking action working towards equality.
Q: What impact did being featured in The Observer have on your work or visibility in doing the work?
A: Transit officials from throughout California have mentioned seeing your positive stories in The OBSERVER. Your stories have helped expand our journey to the silver anniversary of Rosa Parks Day, a part of transit equity here in Sacramento and nationwide.
For more information, or tickets to the local Rosa Parks Day festivities, call 279-278-4100.
EDITOR’S NOTE: In this “Familiar Faces” series, OBSERVER Senior Staff Writer Genoa Barrow catches up with community members to find out “Where Are You Now?”
