The Sunday afternoon drizzle did not damage the spirits of the Rosa Parks Quiet Courage Committee members as they saw their dedication pay off.
Members of the committee gathered with about 100 others to rename the Regional Transit System Downtown Station. It will now be called the Rosa Parks Regional Transit System Downtown Station in honor of the mother of the modern-day civil rights movement.
"In 2008, we can get on buses here and sit anywhere we want to," the Rev. Milford Lewis Griner told the crowd.
"This event just shows that in the future, nobody will stop us and turn us around from any new challenges."
Griner started the committee three years ago to honor Parks and to continue her legacy, member Harriet Ludwig said.
The group is known for giving out the Quiet Courage award to people who have advanced civil rights locally.
After hearing a suggestion from former city commission candidate Armando Grundy, Griner proposed renaming the station to the Gainesville City Commission on Feb. 11. The commission unanimously approved the idea.
The dedication followed a service at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church. Afterward, three buses with displays reading "Rosa Parks Freedom Ride" shuttled people to the bus depot in a procession following the lead of police cars with lights and sirens.
City Manager Russ Blackburn told the crowd he was pleased and proud to have the station renamed.
He said it was appropriate given Gainesville's civil rights history. He called the ceremony a testament to Rosa Parks, the committee and the work that made the name change happen.
A new bronze plaque at the bus station near Southeast Depot Avenue was covered in traditional African kente cloth.
Committee member NkWanda Jah said they used the cloth because the people of the committee and church will never forget their origins. After unveiling the plaque, spectators looked at it, touched it and sang with joy.
The event stressed the importance of teaching about Parks' legacy to church youth, Jah said.
