West Hunter Street Baptist Church Study Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, tonight, I rise to urge the House to adopt H.R. 4119, the West Hunter Street Baptist Church Study Act.

Mr. Speaker, this is a noncontroversial and bipartisan piece of legislation. I was proud to introduce this bill in partnership with my colleague and fellow Georgian, Congressman Austin Scott.

My bill has the support of both of Georgia's Republican U.S. Senators and 77 bipartisan Members of the House of Representatives.

This is an important piece of legislation for the people of Georgia's Fourth Congressional District, whom I represent, but also for the thousands of heroes who fought tirelessly during the civil rights movement for equality in the South and throughout the country.

The West Hunter Street Baptist Church Study Act authorizes the Department of the Interior to conduct a study of the West Hunter Street Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, to determine if it meets the requirements to become part of our Nation's park system. According to the National Park Service, the site may be considered for designation as a national park if it is associated with significant events and people in our Nation's history and contributes to the understanding of these historic events and figures.

During the civil rights movement, the West Hunter Street Baptist Church served as the headquarters for many civil rights workers and organizers. It was the site of many important leadership meetings and doubled as a school for nonviolent protests during initiatives such as the Voter Education Project and the Freedom Summer of 1964. It was also a spiritual refuge for the countless men and women who devoted their lives to the cause.

Rev. Dr. Ralph David Abernathy, Sr., the church's pastor, was the best friend and a partner of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He helped lead the bus boycotts after Rosa Parks famously refused to give up her seat. Rev. Dr. Abernathy, Sr. assumed his position at the church at Dr. King's urging following the success of the Freedom Rides. He was the pastor at West Hunter Street Baptist Church until his death in 1990.

Passage of this bill will allow the Department of Interior to assess how to more fully preserve and honor the contributions of all who played significant roles in advancing freedom and human rights, including the Rev. Dr. Ralph David Abernathy, Sr.

I urge the House to remember the pivotal nature of the civil rights movement. When considering this bill, think of what the movement meant to our Nation and to the world. As Dr. King said, the struggle for civil rights ``lifted our Nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.''

In addition to broad bipartisan support in the House, this bill enjoys the support of a number of prominent organizations, including the Coalition for the People's Agenda, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

I would like to thank Chairman Hastings and Ranking Member DeFazio and Subcommittee Chairman Bishop and Ranking Member Grijalva for their support of this bill, and I thank them for moving this bill through the Natural Resources Committee.

Again, I want to thank my colleague and homeboy, Austin Scott, for his work on this.

I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill.

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