Twelve columns of the Rosa Parks Downtown Regional Transfer Station were dedicated Tuesday to honor prominent civil rights leaders.
Over the last five weeks, the columns, located at 700 SE Third St., were painted with vivid murals that depict various landmarks in the struggle for social equality.
Park's refusal to give up her bus seat, Dr. King's speeches, the March on Washington, the desegregation of schools, and the bus boycott are all represented. The final column features portraits of U.S. Presidents Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Barack Obama and Sen. Robert Kennedy.
Massachusetts-based artist Alan Pearsall was commissioned by the City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs Art in Public Places Trust Advisory Board to create the murals, which wrap around the columns.
The wraparound design is meant to encourage visitors to walk around and read the accompanying narratives that explain the painted scenes, Pearsall said.
"Accessible to old and young alike, the history can be gathered in a creative way by viewing, reading or both," Pearsall said in a written statement.
Pearsall could not attend the dedication ceremony as he was recently involved in an automobile accident. He is expected to make a full recovery.
Jelecia Milton, a junior at P. K. Yonge, accompanied her personal idol, her godmother, to the event Wednesday afternoon.
"She's just my role model, very inspiring," Milton said. "She showed other people how to accept everyone."
Rev. Milford Griner, who was partially responsible for the renaming of the RTS station in Park's honor in November 2008, opened the dedication with prayer. Griner said he hopes that the mural offers beauty, insight and education for generations to come.
"My goal is for us to never forget the reason we're here," Griner said. "Because of Rosa Parks . . . Dr. King . . . we are the beneficiaries of these people."
