Terri Sewell calls for Rosa Parks Day to be federal holiday

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December 1, 2025

Hillary Beard, Black Belt News Network

Congresswoman Terri Sewell sitting and smiling at the camera — Congresswoman Terri Sewell wants December 1st to become a national holiday (Terri Sewell, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) released a message on Monday commemorating the 70th anniversary of the arrest of Rosa Parks and called for the day to be designated a federal holiday.

She is the lead sponsor of HR 964, titled Rosa Parks Day.

Sewell released the following statement urging for its passage:

Hi, it’s Congresswoman Terri Sewell of Alabama’s 7th Congressional District. Today marks 70 years since the historic arrest of Rosa Parks in Montgomery, Alabama.

Rosa Parks’ legacy is one of remarkable bravery and moral fortitude. By simply refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus, she took a stand for the values that this nation holds dear. Her quiet, dignified courage set the stage for the historic Montgomery Bus Boycott and galvanized a movement that changed our nation forever.

That’s why I am proud to be leading legislation in Congress to designate today, December 1st, as a new federal holiday commemorating her historic arrest.

Doing so will ensure that her courage lives on in American history forever. Moreover, it will become the first federal holiday to honor a woman.

Keep reading to see the rest of the statement, including comments on Trump.

Learn how to celebrate this day.

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