Authorizing the Remains of Rosa Parks to Lie in Honor in the Rotunda of the Capitol

Floor Speech

AUTHORIZING THE REMAINS OF ROSA PARKS TO LIE IN HONOR IN THE ROTUNDA OF THE CAPITOL -- (Extensions of Remarks - November 04, 2005)

SPEECH OF
HON. BETTY McCOLLUM
OF MINNESOTA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2005

Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to recognize and honor the life and legacy of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks, who passed away recently at the age of 92.

Ms. Parks was a daughter, a wife, a mother, a seamstress, who, like all of us, was trying to make a good life for herself and her family. On December 1, 1955, Ms. Parks refused to relinquish her seat to a white man in a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama, and this simple and courageous action changed the course of American history. Her strength and willingness to take a stand for her rights and those of others sparked the beginning of the Montgomery bus boycott and paved the way for the historic 1964 Civil Rights Act banning racial discrimination in public facilities. Ms. Parks' act of courage and bravery inspired the modern civil rights movement that went on to revolutionize our country.

Her steadfast faith in justice and equality, and the power of an individual to initiate change, has served as inspiration and encouragement for equal rights movements the world over. Millions of people with disabilities, and those who are discriminated against around the world, have looked to Ms. Parks' leadership in their claims for equality in the face of injustice. My constituents, and indeed this entire country, are grateful for her strength and courage. We as a country have been made better by the movement Ms. Parks ignited.

Mr. Speaker, in remembering her greatness, her dignity, and her legacy, Members of this House also recently made an historic vote. When this House voted to allow Rosa Parks to lay in honor in the Capitol Rotunda, it marked one of the few occasions a citizen who did not hold public office, and the first time a woman, has been recognized in this way. With that vote, we commemorated more than the great civil rights movement that her act initiated. In bestowing this honor upon Ms. Parks, we recognized that one person, one individual citizen, can have an impact, and can change lives.

Rosa Parks' legacy is one that will lead us in continuing the fight for social justice and the struggle for equality for all people. We must all remain committed to fighting the inequities that remain in our country and to championing fundamental rights for all whether they are voting rights, or a commitment to ending poverty in America. This is the true legacy of Rosa Parks which will live for years and decades to come.

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