March 15, 2004, area dignitaries, visitors, residents, and staff all gathered to witness this important moment in Montgomery's rich Civil Rights history. Cleveland Court Apartments, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001, now has a beautiful historic marker thanks to many partners: Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Historical Preservation & Promotion Foundation, which funded the marker; Ron Drinkard and the MHA Board of Commissioners; the staff of the Alabama Historic Commission; and the City of Montgomery. Currently, the Cleveland Court Resident Council and staff are working with community partners to open the apartment for tours in 2006. It will be furnished in 1950's era decor, recreating the apartment to respect the historic significance.

The marker reads as follows:

"On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks left work and boarded a downtown bus. Her destination was home, Cleveland Court Apartment #634. She didn’t make it home that day as she was arrested for refusing to surrender her seat to a white man. This single act of defiance, violating the segregation laws of that time, lead to the Montgomery bus boycott and launched Rosa Parks into the national spotlight as the “mother of the Civil Rights movement.” Cleveland Court was built in 1941 by the Montgomery Housing Authority. The apartment building 620 – 638 was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 9, 2001."

MHA partners are photographed by the local media after marker is unveiled. Pictured L-R; MHA Board Commissioner Ron Drinkard, MHA Executive Director Mickey McInnish, MHA resident historian Exie Walker, MHA Resident Council President Beatrice Nickson, Pastor Norman Hurst of Madison Park Church of Christ, MHA Board Chairman Clifford Holmes, MHA Board Commissioner Richard Bollinger, and Rosa Parks Library and Museum Director Georgette Norman.

The ceremony was opened by a wonderful and spirited performance by the E.D. Nixon Elementary School Choir. Their special arrangement of "Down by the Riverside," was very uplifting and inspired the crowd to clap along. Choir director Ms. Ware, and Principal Lenhart were also present.

Georgette Norman, Director of the Rosa Parks Library and Museum, talk with visitors in front of the former apartment of Rosa and Raymond Parks -

Cleveland Court #634.

Visitors found very special acrylic paintings inside the Parks' apartment created by some of the children of Cleveland Court community, as well as other artwork on loan from the Rosa Parks Library and Museum. There were also news clippings on view that were published during the famous Montgomery Bus Boycott. These items were provided by current residents Beatrice Nickson and Exie Walker, who were also residents of Cleveland Court at the time of this important event.