Monday, December 3; 5:30pm [Community Leaders Forum]; 7pm [Panel Discussion]; Fawcett Center [Conference Theater], 2400 Olentangy River Rd.

On Dec. 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, the mother of the modern civil rights movement, embodied the values of courage, fairness and compassion when she refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus to a white passenger. Her spirit inspires Ohio to recognize her legacy each year in “The Power of One,” Ohio’s annual statewide tribute to Rosa Parks.

In 2005, 50 years after Mrs. Parks’ brave act led to events that sparked the civil rights movement, then-State-Representative Joyce Beatty wrote legislation that was signed into law by Ohio Governor Bob Taft to make Ohio the first state to designate December 1 as Rosa Parks Day.

• 5:30 p.m.: Community Leaders Forum

• 7:00 p.m.: “Conversations” Panel Discussion: “Footsteps: We All Have A Role To Play”

The Panel Discussion will feature Hasan Jeffries, Associate Professor of History at The Ohio State University; Ginette Rhodes, President, NAACP College Chapter, The Ohio State University; and Andrea Davis Pinkney, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author. The discussion will be moderated by Jerry Revish, WBNS-10 TV news anchor and will begin promptly at 7pm.

Contact: Diamond Zimmerman, ZimmermanDC@COTA.com or 614-308-4403