[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 143 (Thursday, November 2, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H11789]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING ROXCY O'NEAL BOLTON, SOUTH FLORIDA'S PIONEER FEMINIST

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, tonight I would like to honor Roxcy 
O'Neal Bolton, a pioneer feminist in my congressional district who has 
and continues to champion the rights of women by widening the gate to 
equality.
  Born in Mississippi in 1926, Roxcy Bolton has always been a 
trailblazer. She is a persistent advocate who continues to serve as a 
powerful voice for women whose needs and pleas had not been heard.
  Through her actions, Roxcy has always demonstrated her courage and 
her deep convictions. She showcased the problems facing women of her 
time, and continues to encourage women to take action and to extend the 
fight for equal rights.
  In South Florida, Roxcy's fight for equality helped to facilitate 
change. In the workplace, Roxcy demanded equal respect, equal 
opportunity, and equal pay for men and women.
  For example, in dining clubs, as was the custom of the time, working 
men had a special dining area. During business day lunch hours men were 
seated and served quickly, while women, working women with short lunch 
hours, had to wait in line, looking at empty seats in the men's 
section.
  By writing letters, meeting with restaurant owners, and organizing 
women, Roxcy Bolton changed this policy, and soon the ``men only'' 
policy in South Florida became obsolete.
  Roxcy was also a fighter on behalf of abused women. In 1972 she 
founded Women in Distress, the first women's rescue shelter in Florida 
to provide emergency housing, rescue services, and care to women who 
found themselves in situations of personal crisis.
  During that time, no one talked about rape, much less did anything 
about alleviating the horrendous trauma that the victim undergoes. 
Brave crime victims who actually reported their rapes were often 
treated callously.
  Roxcy, however, was not afraid to speak on behalf of these 
unfortunate women, and did so publicly, with a march against rape down 
Flagler street in downtown Miami. Approximately 100 women gathered to 
march with Roxcy to make the community take notice of their concerns, 
of their anguish, of their need. It was the first time that South 
Florida women had taken to the streets, and Roxcy knew that if women 
banded together, we were going to make a difference.
  Shortly thereafter, Roxcy approached every local official and 
persuaded them that something had to be done about treating rape as the 
violent crime that it is. In 1972, her efforts resulted in the first 
rape treatment center in the country, located in my regional 
congressional district at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. In 1993, 
this rape treatment center was correctly named after Roxcy Bolton.
  Roxcy also organized Florida's first crime watch meeting to help curb 
crime against women. She has served on many boards and commissions, 
working for women's rights, and has been the recipient of numerous 
civic awards related to her work with women's rights. In 1992, she 
helped form the Women's Park, the first park in the United States 
dedicated to all women who have made contributions to our community.
  To this day, Roxcy continues to be a champion for humankind. We 
cannot keep her down. She continues to persevere and to recognize 
women's role in history. She continues to fight for women's rights, 
human rights, social welfare issues, and to put an end to the sexual 
discrimination in employment and in education.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have Roxcy O'Neal Bolton in my 
congressional district, and I wish her many more successful years in 
the ongoing struggle for women's issues. I ask my colleagues to join me 
in saluting this Florida heroine for her remarkable dedication to 
women, and for making South Florida a better place in which to live.
  We are a richer community for having hard-charging feminists like 
Roxcy O'Neal Bolton in our midst.

                          ____________________