Dear Editor: Feb. 4 has come to be recognized as Transit Equity Day since 2018, in honor of the birthday of civil rights icon Rosa Parks.
In refusing to give up her seat on a public bus, her act of civil disobedience helped start the 381-day Montgomery Bus Boycott on Dec. 5, 1955. That boycott was part a larger movement that embraced the well-being of everyone, including anyone in a historically under-represented group such as people of color, adult learners, veterans, people with disabilities, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals and people with low-incomes.
Today, recognizing Transit Equity Day is a way to bring worker, rider and community interests together. It is way to tie concerns over social justice and worker rights to concern over public participation, accessibility, affordability and climate change.
The governor recently signed a proclamation to designate this Feb. 4 as Transit Equity Day.
Harry Richardson
Madison
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