On October 24, a statue of Rosa Parks by Julia Knight ’78, Painting, was unveiled at the Alabama State House in Montgomery, Alabama. The piece, Rosa Parks Stepping Into Equality, was sponsored by the Alabama Women’s Tribute Statue Commission and features a 9-foot, 6-inch bronze cast of the Civil Rights hero stepping up onto a bus—and metaphorically into the future, according to the artist. The total height, including the granite base, stands at 17 feet.
The unveiling was celebrated with a public ceremony, led by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, with Knight on hand to speak about her work. The event also featured the unveiling of a statue commemorating Helen Keller. Together, Keller and Parks are the first women to be honored so prominently on the grounds of the Alabama State Capitol.
Knight, who is originally from Atlanta, graduated from Ringling College in 1978 and then continued her creative development in Pietrasanta, Tuscany. Her career has since included more than 50 public commissions. For the Rose Parks project, she was selected from 15 artists nationwide who submitted proposals in 2022.
Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks first gained national notoriety on December 5, 1955, when she refused to move from her seat near the front of a segregated Montgomery public bus. The incident led to a boycott of the bus system and is considered a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement.
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