[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 83 (Monday, May 21, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6394-S6395]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            CIVIL RIGHTS ACT

 Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, the struggle to protect the civil 
rights of all Americans remains an unfinished project, but we have come 
a long way. I am proud of our country's progress, and I am proud to be 
an original cosponsor of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Commemorative 
Coin Act, which marks the 50th anniversary of one of the most 
significant civil rights victories in American history.
  The Civil Rights Act of 1964 provided affirmation to Americans who 
knew this country could do better. This legislation outlawed 
discrimination based on sex, national origin, color, race, and 
religion. Access to offices, schools, housing, the voting booth, and 
public spaces would no longer depend on the color of one's skin or the 
country of one's birth. Heeding President Kennedy's call for ``the kind 
of equality of treatment which we would want for ourselves,'' this 
historic legislation affirmed that all Americans were equal under 
before law. Years passed before the Civil Rights Act was enforced 
fully, but its passage represented a necessary step in the advancement 
of civil rights.
  Passage of the Civil Rights Act was possible because of the 
persistent, nonviolent efforts of countless Americans. Heroes like Dr. 
Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and John Lewis inspired a generation, 
and the marches, sit-ins, freedom rides, and individual acts of civil 
disobedience reminded our country's leaders that the time to act had 
arrived. All Americans are indebted to these patriots for their courage 
and success, and we honor them with this legislation.
  In addition to marking the Civil Rights Act in word, this bill also 
commemorates the act in deed. Proceeds from the sale of these coins 
will go to the United Negro College Fund, UNCF, an organization that 
embodies the spirit of the Civil Rights Act. The United Negro College 
Fund works to uproot the core causes of discrimination by providing 
minorities with opportunities that discrimination stole from them. 
Education provides students the opportunity to fulfill their potential 
and overcome stereotypes and, indeed, discrimination. Frederick 
Douglass described education as ``the pathway from slavery to 
freedom.'' The days of slavery have passed, but education still enables 
young people to take advantage of their faculties and their freedom.
  The United Negro College Fund achieves this aim by providing support 
to more minority students and higher institutions than any other 
organization in the country. Since its founding in 1944, UNCF has 
helped hundreds of thousands of students attend college. It includes in 
its alumni some of the foremost leaders in American history, including 
Dr. King and Congressman Lewis. Today, the United Negro College Fund 
raises money for operating funds for member colleges and universities, 
provides access to new technology to historically Black colleges and 
universities, and provides assistance to young people who hope to 
further their careers and their lives by going to college.
  This legislation commemorates historic sacrifices and victories and 
reminds us that we must continue to work for a more equal 
America.

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