| Holiday Name: | Rosa Parks Day |
| Type: | Secular |
| Significance: | in honor of Rosa Parks, a civil rights activist |
| Duration: | 1 day |
| Frequency: | Annual |
| Observedby: | United States (California, Michigan, Missouri, Alabama, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, and Massachusetts) |
| Date: | February 4 (Missouri and Massachusetts), the 1st Monday after February 4 (Michigan and California), or December 1 (Alabama, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and Tennessee.) |
Rosa Parks Day is a holiday in honor of the civil rights leader Rosa Parks, celebrated in the U.S. states of Missouri and Massachusetts on her birthday, February 4, in Michigan and California on the first Monday after her birthday, and in Ohio, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, Oregon and several cities and counties on the day she was arrested, December 1.
Rosa Parks Day was created by the Michigan State Legislature and first celebrated in 1998.[1] The California State Legislature followed suit in 2000.[2] The holiday was first designated in the U.S. state of Ohio championed by Joyce Beatty, advocate who helped Ohio's legislation pass to honor the late leader. It is also celebrated by the Columbus Ohio bus system (COTA) with a special tribute to the late civil rights leader.[3] As of 2014, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon proclaimed Rosa Parks Day official in the state.[4] In 2014, Oregon governor John Kitzhaber declared that Oregon would celebrate its first Rosa Parks Day. In 2021, the Texas Legislature passed HB 3481, recognizing December 1 as Rosa Parks Day in the state. On January 8, 2025, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey Signed Bill H.3075 setting aside February 4 as an annual recognition for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. After Juneteenth became a federal holiday, there are growing calls for this day to also be observed at the federal level. On September 3, 2021, HR 5111 proposes that this day be added to the list of federal holidays.[5]
| State | Current local observances | notes |
|---|---|---|
| The holiday was first observed on February 4, 2000, and every year thereafter on the first Monday following February 4, created by an act of the California legislature.[6] | ||
| The holiday is observed on the first Monday after February 4 with the first observance occurring on February 9, 1998. | ||
| Rosa Parks Day made official February 4, 2015 by proclamation by Governor Jay Nixon.[7] | ||
| Alabama[8] | Holiday is observed on December 1, the day Rosa Parks was arrested. | First celebrated in 2018 |
| Texas[9] | ||
| Tennessee[10] | First celebrated in 2019 | |
| Rosa Parks Day made official January 8, 2025 by proclamation by Governor Maura Healey for annual observation on February 4.[11] |