Omnitrans to Commemorate
Rosa Parks’ Legacy on December 1
Reserved Seat, Poetry Contest Honor “Mother of Civil Rights Movement”
SAN BERNARDINO , CA , November 29, 2005 – On Thursday, December 1, Omnitrans will join transit agencies from around the country in honoring Rosa Parks, who refused to relinquish her bus seat to a white person – an action that resulted in her arrest and became the catalyst for our nation’s civil rights movement - on December 1, 1955. All agency buses will bear a sign symbolically reserving the first seat onboard for Parks, to honor her dignified act of quiet defiance.
Parks’ passing this past October called to mind her legacy and highlighted the 50 th anniversary of her arrest, inspiring transit agencies to act. As the Reverend Jesse Jackson stated at Parks’ recent memorial, “She sat down, in order that we might stand up.” It’s Omnitrans’ hope that all riders will take a moment on December 1 to reflect upon Parks’ courage and contribution.
To further that end, Omnitrans also is sponsoring the “Poetry in Motion Contest: Honoring the Life of Rosa Parks” for students. Along with co-sponsors Barnes and Noble, GameWorks, the San Bernardino City of Readers program, and the San Bernardino Sun, the agency is inviting students in grades 4 – 12 who attend a school within a city in the Omnitrans service area to submit a poem of 10 lines or less. Poems must be original work, and relate to the theme of Rosa Parks. Merit and Best of Show winners will be selected in elementary, middle school and high school categories; Best in Show winners will receive a $50 Barnes and Noble gift card, two Krikorian Theater movie tickets, a 31-Day Omnitrans Student Pass and a 30-minute GameWorks game card. Their work also will be displayed on Omnitrans buscards during the month of February to commemorate Black History Month.
All poetry submissions must be received by Thursday, December 22. For an entry form and a complete list of rules, please visit www.omnitrans.org or call (909) 379-7168. |
Founded in 1976, Omnitrans is the public transit agency serving fifteen cities and the unincorporated areas of the Inland Valley of San Bernardino County in Southern California. Omnitrans currently operates 32 fixed bus routes in a
480-square-mile area. Omnitrans also provides OmniLink and Access
demand-response service, and is a partner in the Inland Empire Connection express bus service. The American Public Transportation Association has named Omnitrans the Outstanding Transit System of its size in both 1995
and 1999. Omnitrans also has received twelve safety awards from the
National Safety Council.
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