Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site Boundary Modification Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, 60 years ago today, all eyes were on South Park Street that fronts the beautiful facade of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Just days before, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus had called out the National Guard to prevent nine Black students from entering the school on September 4. Central High and its beautiful neighborhood had become ground zero in the march to end the five-decade legacy of Plessy
v. Ferguson, ``separate but equal,'' to bring it to reality.
Now, just over 3 years after the Brown decision, it was time for action. In a few days, on the 25th of this month, we will celebrate the successful integration of Central High School, when the Little Rock Nine entered the school escorted by the troops of the 101st Airborne.
It is fitting today, Mr. Speaker, that we pay tribute to the Little Rock Nine, their defenders, and the successful end to separate but equal. We recognize this important milestone today on this House floor by passing a bill on the suspension calendar that expands the park boundary of the national historic site at Little Rock Central High School. This is a historic and important touchstone for all of those modern-day history travelers retracing the steps of the civil rights movement.
The Little Rock National Historic Site Visitor Center was opened in 2007 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the integration of Central High. Today's measure, H.R. 2611, is a simple one: extending the park boundaries to take in the houses that fronted the school along beautiful South Park Street so that future generations will be able to picture this tranquil street, an architecturally significant facade of Central High, and reflect back on those 21 days of trauma in September 1957.
I thank my colleague who is in our Chamber today, civil rights pioneer and courageous actor John Lewis, for his cosponsorship.
I thank our majority leader, Chairman Bishop, and the Natural Resources Committee for their expeditious treatment of this important measure, and I salute Senator Cotton for his leadership in advancing this important legislation in the United States Senate.
I look forward to President Trump signing this bill and again recognizing that we have to embrace our past and learn from our history.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
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