The Christian Recorder - Rosa Parks Statue Dedicated at Alabama State to be Dedicated at Alabama State Capitol

BREAKING NEWS: Rosa Parks Statue Dedicated at Alabama State to be Dedicated at Alabama State Capitol The Alabama Women’s Tribute Statue Commission will host a public dedication ceremony honoring Rosa Parks and Helen Keller with permanent statues on the grounds of the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery on Friday, October 24, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. Bishop Julius H. McAllister, Jr., Presiding Prelate of the Ninth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, will deliver keynote remarks alongside Alabama Governor Kay Ivey.   Mrs. Parks, who was baptized at Mount Zion AME Church in Pine Level, Alabama, and later became a longtime member of Saint Paul AME Church in Montgomery, remains one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. On December 1, 1955, she refused to surrender her seat to a white passenger on a segregated city bus and was arrested. Her act of resistance, faith, and courage ignited the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a 381-day protest that changed the course of American history. Her steadfast commitment to justice and equality earned her both the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.   Reverend Dr. Agnes Lover, pastor of Saint Paul AME Church in Montgomery is a member of the Alabama Women’s Tribute Statue Commission, which led the effort to create the Rosa Parks statue. Her leadership on the Commission ensured that Mrs. Parks’ life of faith and service would be honored in the very city where her courage inspired a movement seventy years ago.   The Alabama Women’s Tribute Statue Commission, created in 2019, was established to commission and place statues of these two exemplary women whose courage, determination, and advocacy have inspired generations. The statue of Rosa Parks will be located on the front steps of the Capitol, symbolizing her place of honor in Alabama’s and the nation’s history. The Helen Keller statue will stand on the Union Street side of the Capitol and is designed to be touchable and accessible to people with disabilities – reflecting her lifelong commitment to inclusion.   To watch the ceremony live, visit www.troy.edu/live.

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The Christian Recorder is the official newspaper of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the oldest continuously produced publication by persons of African descent.   Bishop Francine A. Brookins, Chair of the General Board Commission on Publications Rev. Dr. Roderick D. Belin, President/Publisher of the AME Sunday School Union Dr. John Thomas III, Editor of The Christian Recorder Copyright ©  2025 The Christian Recorder, All rights reserved.