[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 139 (Thursday, October 27, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2205]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO ROSA PARKS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. DAVID SCOTT

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 26, 2005

  Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to address this chamber in 
honor of a civil rights hero, Rosa Parks. Mrs. Parks passed away on 
Monday evening but her legacy will continue to inspire us all. Her 
story is not just a civil rights story it is an American story. I am 
pleased to honor her here today and as a cosponsor of legislation that 
recognizes her courageous contributions to our nation.
  On December 1, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, Mrs. Parks was riding the 
bus home from work. On that December evening Rosa Parks was asked, 
along with other African-Americans, to give up her seat to a white 
passenger. Mrs. Parks was the only one that refused to do so and she 
was subsequently arrested and fined. Her actions that day put the civil 
rights movement into motion and changed the direction of our nation. 
Her arrest inspired a young minister named Martin Luther King, Jr. to 
organize a boycott of the city's buses. The 381 day boycott eventually 
lead to a Supreme Court ruling that struck down the Montgomery 
ordinance and outlawed racial segregation on public transportation.
  Rosa Parks was a humble woman who never wanted recognition, only 
equality. She continued to fight for equality through her local NAACP 
chapter. Her mother always told her to take advantage of opportunities 
no matter how few they are. She heeded that advice and seized 
opportunities and also provided a multitude of opportunities for 
others. Mrs. Parks will be remembered not only for her actions but for 
her courage. She did what so many others yearned to do. Her story 
catapulted the civil rights movement to the national stage and inspired 
many others to join the fight to end segregation.
  Later in her life, Rosa Parks co-founded an organization for young 
people, the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute, which enables youth to 
pursue educational opportunities, registers them to vote, and works 
toward racial peace. Mrs. Parks also hosted a special program organized 
through the Rosa and Rymond Parks Institute called Pathways to Freedom. 
This student program gives tours across the country that follows the 
Underground Railroad and highlights the events that spearheaded the 
civil rights movement. In 1996, President Clinton honored Rosa Parks 
with the presidential Medal of Freedom and in 1999, she received the 
Congressional Gold Medal.
  Although parts of our history are marred with inequality, 
discrimination, and hate, it is also filled with individual courage, 
perseverance, and hope. We must learn from it so that we can continue 
to progress as a nation. We must never forget our history and we must 
never forget Rosa Parks.