TARC Saves a Seat for Black History Month, Partners with Olmsted Parks Conservancy and Spalding University to Celebrate Local African American Leaders

January 31, 2025

TARC celebrates those who have fought to make public transportation in our community and nation a more equitable place. 

Louisville, Ky. (February 4, 2025) ̶ Throughout February, TARC is saving a seat on every bus in its fleet to honor Rosa Parks and her contribution to the civil rights movement. Each seat will feature a sign reminding passengers of how Parks changed history on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955.

The #SaveaSeat signs will also have QR Codes directing passengers to Olmsted Parks Conservancy and their efforts at restoring the Chickasaw Park tennis courts—believed to be the only park in the country created by the Olmsted Firm for the Black community during segregation. Olmsted Parks is TARC’s Design-a-Bus partner this year.

“Public transit is intertwined with the history of the civil rights movement,” said TARC Executive Director Ozzy Gibson. “I’m proud TARC continues to honor that legacy, and the legacy of Rosa Parks.”

To celebrate Black History Month, throughout February TARC will also:

• Partner with Spalding University to offer 200 JCPS students fare-free travel to the university’s Elmer Lucille Allen Conference on February 18. This year’s conference will feature Elmer Lucille Allen, the first African American chemist to be hired at Brown- Forman in 1966. Students interested in attending should visit: https://spalding.edu/elmer-lucille-allen-conference/
• Feature videos of local Black trailblazers Elmer Lucille Allen, TARC’s own Alyce French-Johnson, and Spalding University’s conference on Environmental Injustice in the Black Community
• Share information and opportunities to support local black businesses. For more information on these efforts and more search #SaveaSeat on TARC social media, or visit: ridetarc.org

Rosa Park’s refusal to surrender her seat to a white male passenger led to her arrest and triggered a wave of protests in Montgomery and communities throughout the South. Black residents of Montgomery led a boycott of the city bus line that lasted more than a year. Thousands took part in additional protests such as sit-ins, eat-ins, swim-ins, and similar causes to demand equal rights for all people. Parks’ quiet courageous act changed the course of American history.

Notable Black leaders who’ve championed the use of public transit:

Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks refused to relinquish her seat, and move to the back of the bus. For not giving her seat to a white passenger, Parks is arrested.

Robert and Samuel Fox, Horace Pearce
The Fox brothers, and their business partner Horace Pearce, helped end segregation on Louisville streetcar’s by refusing to get off the Central Passenger Company’s streetcars. As a result of their protest, Black Louisvillians were able to ride streetcars without restriction.

To learn more about the Fox brothers, and Horace Pearce: https://www.civilrightsteaching.org/desegregation/freedoms-main-line

Alyce French Johnson
A native of Louisville, Alyce French Johnson began her career at TARC in 1977 as a Customer Service Representative. During her employment at TARC, Alyce also served as a Coach Operator, and the Director of Transportation. She retired from her position of Assistant Executive Director at TARC on September 1, 2016. At her retirement, TARC recognized Alyce’s almost 40 years of service to the company by naming the training center in her honor. During her years at TARC, Alyce had the distinct honor of being elected by her coworkers to represent them as union business manager and union president.

Claudette Colvin
8 months before Rosa Parks, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin is arrested for allegedly being in violation of Montgomery, Alabama’s ordinance requiring segregation on buses.

Fred Gray
Lawyer Fred Gray defended both Colvin, and Parks in their cases against the state of Alabama. He filed the petition that eventually ruled segregation on public transportation unconstitutional. 

To learn more about Parks, Colvin, Gray, and the Montgomery Bus Boycotts: https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/montgomery-bus-boycott

Irene Morgan
While riding a bus from Gloucester, Virginia back to her home of Baltimore, a bus driver demanded that Irene relinquish her seat to a white couple. She refused, and was arrested. Her case rose to the Supreme Court, who ruled that segregation violated the constitution’s protection of interstate commerce. The case was a catalyst for further Civil Rights rulings.