Many members of the University of Denver community chose to walk their last mile to work last Thursday to commemorate the anniversary of the arrest of Rosa Parks and the bus boycott in Montgomery, Ala. “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes,” sponsored by the Division of Student Life and the Diversity Action Team, chose to commemorate the bus boycotts by inviting members of the community to set aside driving for one work day, and either walk a mile to work or walk around a mile path on campus sometime during the work day. Individuals were asked to fill out pledge forms to “walk a mile in their shoes.” Participants met in selected parking lots, including Harvard Gulch Park, located approximately one mile from campus. There were also mile walks marked on campus for the participants choosing to seek the historical importance of the Montgomery bus boycotts. “We felt that this was a good way to educate through an interactive program and ask people to reflect on their lives today and our society,” said Amy Dible, assistant director of the Division of Student Life. On Dec. 1, 1955, Parks, an African-American woman, was arrested in Montgomery for not letting a white bus rider take her seat. Parks’ act led to a major movement in the civil rights movement in the United States. On the morning of Dec. 5, 1955, the African-American residents in Montgomery refused to ride the buses and instead chose to walk to work and school. DU chose to commemorate the courage of Parks and the bus boycotts that followed with “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes.” The event was only one of the many sponsored events that took place during the week. “More people seemed to turn out for ‘Walk a Mile in Their Shoes’ than some of the other sponsored programs,” said John Nichols, director of the Driscoll Student Center. The promotion of recognizing the impact of the Montgomery bus boycotts was successful, especially when participants reflected on the steps they were taking throughout the mile walk. Students and professors participated in the walk, demonstrating how far our country has progressed in the last 50 years in establishing equality for all citizens, said Dible. “The purpose of this walk was to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the bus boycotts and to get the DU community to think about the civil rights movement and the sacrifices that people made to create change in our nation,” said Dible. After a day of walking a mile, there was a closing gathering on the campus green outside of Sturm Hall. This ceremony reflected on the week’s events and the significance of the civil rights movement.