[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 22 (Monday, February 8, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E156]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              CELEBRATING THE 86TH BIRTHDAY OF ROSA PARKS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, February 8, 1999

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 86th birthday of 
Rosa Parks, a pivotal force in the struggle for civil rights in 
America. Ms. Parks touched millions of lives when she refused to give 
up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama city bus. Rosa's courageous action 
served as a catalyst for the legendary bus boycott in Alabama and was 
one of the critical turning points in the Africa-American civil rights 
movement. With the support of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other 
civil rights activists, Rosa Parks' action and the subsequent boycott 
demonstrated the power of individuals and communities to tear down 
injustice and bring about social change. Her spark ignited a fire that 
helped to eradicate legal segregation in the South, raise the 
consciousness of people around the country, and challenge our democracy 
to guarantee and secure liberty and justice for all.
  Rosa Park's 86th birthday and her legacy are especially important 
today as we celebrate the fourth day of Black History Month, a history 
which Rosa Parks helped to create. Because of her labor of love and her 
continued work in the civil rights movement, our children have 
opportunities which, for many of our parents, were merely dreams and 
fantasies.
  On this day, the anniversary of her birth, I am pleased to join 
Congresswoman Julia Carson and others in a bipartisan effort to honor 
Rosa Parks by introducing legislation to present her with a long-
overdue Congressional Gold Medal. I hope that Members of Congress and 
people across our nation will join me in supporting this important 
legislation.
  The American people and I wish you a joyous 86th birthday, and we 
thank you, Rosa Parks, for your life's work and for your invaluable 
legacy.

                          ____________________