[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 15 (Tuesday, February 2, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H435-H437]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING 49TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INTEGRATION OF NEW ORLEANS SCHOOLS

  Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 901) recognizing November 14, 2009, as the 49th 
anniversary of the first day of integrated schools in New Orleans, 
Louisiana, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 901

       Whereas, in 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that segregated 
     schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th 
     amendment to the Constitution;
       Whereas Judge J. Skelly Wright, of the United States 
     District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, ordered 
     the Orleans Parish School Board to develop a school 
     desegregation plan in 1956 and, after years of delay, in 
     1960, ordered the Orleans Parish School Board to carry out a 
     plan designed by the United States District Court for the 
     Eastern District of Louisiana;
       Whereas 6 years after the Brown v. Board of Education (347 
     U.S. 483) decision, on November 14, 1960, Ruby Bridges, at 
     the age of 6, became the first African-American student to 
     attend the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New 
     Orleans, Louisiana;
       Whereas Ruby Bridges had the courage to attend the William 
     Frantz Elementary School every day during the 1960-61 school 
     year despite ongoing riots and protests in New Orleans, 
     having to be escorted to school by Federal marshals, and 
     having no other students in her classroom;
       Whereas Ruby Bridges was also supported by her white first-
     grade school teacher, Ms. Barbara Henry, whose lessons remain 
     with Ruby Bridges to this day;
       Whereas Ms. Henry faced retaliation for teaching Ruby 
     Bridges by not being invited to come back and teach at 
     William Frantz School following the 1960-61 school year;
       Whereas, in 1995, Ruby Bridges contributed to ``The Story 
     of Ruby Bridges'', a book for children, and, in 1999, wrote 
     ``Through My Eyes'' to help educate children and people of 
     all ages about her experiences and the importance of 
     tolerance;
       Whereas Ruby Bridges established the Ruby Bridges 
     Foundation in 1999 to help eliminate racism and improve 
     society by educating students about the experiences of Ruby 
     Bridges, discuss ongoing efforts to promote diversity, and 
     provide lessons students can take back to their own 
     communities; and
       Whereas, in 2002, the Ruby Bridges Foundation, along with 
     the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Museum for Tolerance in Los 
     Angeles, launched The Ruby's Bridges Project, a program that 
     brought together students from diverse backgrounds to develop 
     relationship-building skills and promote an appreciation of 
     one another: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) recognizes the 49th anniversary of the first day of 
     integrated schools in New Orleans, Louisiana;
       (2) remembers Judge J. Skelly Wright for his advocacy, 
     support, and lifelong commitment to promoting civil rights, 
     fairness, and equality;
       (3) commends Ruby Bridges for her bravery and courage 49 
     years ago, and for her lifetime commitment to raising 
     awareness of diversity through improved educational 
     opportunities for all children; and
       (4) supports policies and efforts to promote equal 
     opportunities for all students regardless of their 
     backgrounds.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Ohio (Ms. Fudge) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Ohio.


                             General Leave

  Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which 
Members may revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous 
materials on H. Res. 901 into the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Ohio?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 901, which recognizes 
the 49th anniversary of integrated schools in New Orleans, Louisiana.
  Forty-nine years ago, Ruby Bridges became the first African American 
student to attend the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New 
Orleans. Amidst deadly threats, violence, and abuse, Ruby attended her 
first grade class every day over the course of the year. She was 
escorted to school by Federal marshals just so she could receive the 
same education as her white peers. When Ruby entered her new classroom, 
the white students refused to sit and learn next to her.
  Ruby was fortunate to have Ms. Barbara Henry as her teacher during 
this tumultuous year. Ms. Henry instructed Ruby in an empty classroom 
over the course of the school year. The two played games, talked, and 
learned from each other amongst the racially tense times. It is not 
surprising that Ms. Bridges still considers her year with Ms. Henry as 
one of the most pleasant times in her life.
  Outside the classroom, Ruby came face to face with the ugliness that 
erupted during this time. Militant segregationists took to the streets 
in protest, and riots erupted all over the city. Her family also felt 
the impact of her bravery. Her father, Abon Bridges, and her 
grandparents were all fired from their jobs. However, many folks, both 
black and white, supported the Bridges family during their trying

[[Page H436]]

time. People sent letters of support, neighbors watched after their 
house, and helpful friends and community members made financial 
contributions.

                              {time}  1445

  In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that 
segregated schools violated the equal protection clause of the 14th 
Amendment. Prominent figures like the Reverend Martin Luther King, 
Justice Thurgood Marshall, and the Little Rock Nine are civil rights 
activists who are typically credited with moving the civil rights 
movement forward. While the story of Ruby Bridges is not widely known, 
her contributions to the movement are equally deserving of great 
recognition.
  Today, Ruby stands as a hero to all of us. She has taken the lessons 
she has learned from her youth and dedicated her life to helping 
students. Her foundation helps students deal with racism and diversity 
at school and within their own community. She also wrote ``Through My 
Eyes,'' explaining her first-grade experience, and now partners with 
organizations that promote nonviolence in schools. Her monumental 
contributions to the American civil rights movement deserve to be 
recognized.
  I want to thank Representative Gwen Moore for bringing this 
resolution forward, and urge my colleagues to support this measure.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I am delighted today to rise in support of the resolution before us, 
House Resolution 901, introduced by my colleague from the State of 
Wisconsin, Gwen Moore, recognizing November 14, 2009, as the 49th 
anniversary of the first day of integrated schools in New Orleans, 
Louisiana.
  In 1954, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of 
Education of Topeka that State laws establishing separate public 
schools for black and white students denied black children equal 
educational opportunities. Louisiana District Judge J. Skelly Wright 
ordered the Orleans Parish Board to carry out a plan to integrate the 
State's schools. After a 6-year delay, Ruby Bridges became the first 
African American to attend the all-white William Frantz Elementary 
School in New Orleans, Louisiana.
  Ruby Bridges faced many challenges during her first day and ongoing 
years at William Frantz. Only Barbara Henry was willing to teach Ruby, 
and for over a year Mrs. Henry taught her alone. Mrs. Henry's lessons 
left an indelible mark on Ruby and remain with her to this day.
  Ruby and her family suffered many hardships as a result of Ruby's 
attendance at William Frantz. However, many of the community showed 
support in a variety of ways. Some white families continued to send 
their children to Frantz, despite the protests, and local members of 
the community walked behind the Federal marshals' car on the trips to 
school.
  Today, Ruby Bridges is the chair of the Ruby Bridges Foundation, 
which she formed in 1999 to promote the values of tolerance, respect, 
and appreciation of all differences.
  In 2002, the Ruby Bridges Foundation, along with the Simon Wiesenthal 
Center Museum for Tolerance in Los Angeles, launched the Ruby's Bridges 
Project. The project brought together students from diverse backgrounds 
to develop relationship-building skills and promote an appreciation of 
one another.
  So I stand before you today to recognize the 49th anniversary of the 
first integrated schools in New Orleans, Louisiana. I also want to 
acknowledge Judge J. Skelly Wright and Mrs. Barbara Henry for their 
support and lifelong commitment to civil rights and equal opportunity. 
In addition, I want to commend Ruby Bridges for her bravery and courage 
49 years ago and for her commitment to raising awareness of diversity 
through educational opportunities for all children.
  I thank my colleague, Gwen Moore of the State of Wisconsin, for 
giving us an opportunity to recognize her contribution. I urge my 
colleagues to support this resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. FUDGE. I am pleased to recognize the gentlewoman from Wisconsin 
(Ms. Moore) for such time as she may consume.
  Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague 
from Wisconsin for supporting House Resolution 901.
  I can tell you that you have heard the history of Ruby Bridges, but 
in my own Fourth Congressional District of Wisconsin, last spring 
another teacher, a first-grade teacher, started a class project to 
teach her 6-year-old students the historic impact of Ruby Bridges 
during last February's Black History Month.
  The students, recognizing the bravery of another child their age, 
thought Ruby Bridges should have her own special day of recognition. So 
what started as a very modest class project sort of built this 
groundswell where 2,200 signatures were collected throughout the Fourth 
Congressional District of Wisconsin, and indeed throughout the State. 
The project gained letters of commendation from Milwaukee Mayor Tom 
Barrett and from then-State Superintendent of Education Elizabeth 
Burmaster. They sent the full list to President Barack Obama and other 
elected officials in support of a Ruby Bridges Day.
  It is so truly remarkable that a first-grade class in my district not 
only learned the historic lessons of 6-year-old Ruby Bridges, but also 
learned how extraordinary it is to have a voice in this great country 
of ours through the power of the pen. In fact, the initiative of these 
small children brings me to the floor of the House of Representatives 
today seeking support for H. Res. 901.
  Ruby Bridges is the young black girl in the classic Norman Rockwell 
painting wearing a white dress, escorted, for her safety, by Federal 
marshals to school. And years after the Supreme Court had ruled the 
segregated schools were unconstitutional, Louisiana was finally forced, 
under a Federal court order, to implement a desegregation plan for the 
New Orleans public schools.
  How frightened but how brave was a 6-year-old girl who took that test 
and qualified to become one of the first official African American 
students to attend this all-white school. And although she was only 6 
years old, Mr. Speaker, and the lone black student at the school, she 
never missed a day, attended each and every day. Ruby, a jewel, 
Bridges, bridging a cultural gap.
  I am so proud to support this resolution honoring Ruby Bridges.
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield such time as he may 
consume to my colleague, the Representative from New Orleans, 
Louisiana, Joseph Cao.
  Mr. CAO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to request my colleagues to join 
me in supporting House Resolution 901.
  In 1956, the Orleans Parish School Board was ordered to develop a 
school desegregation plan. After years of delay, a young girl by the 
name of Ruby Bridges became one of the first black children to attend 
an integrated school. Upon her arrival, every white parent came to 
remove their child. All but one white teacher refused to teach. That 
one teacher instructed Ruby in a room by herself for a full year.
  This experience did not deter Ruby, who not only completed her 
education but went on to found the Ruby Bridges Foundation. The 
foundation's mission: To promote the values of tolerance, respect, and 
appreciation of all differences.
  I was honored to have met Mrs. Bridges in New Orleans on a number of 
occasions, and she still expresses the same radiant smile now as she 
did in 1956. She is truly an extraordinary woman.
  At a time when my city is fighting to rebuild its schools and build 
up young people, I am thankful to have her as an ally and an 
inspiration for future generations. And, having lived in New Orleans 
all of her life, I am sure she would like to join me in proclaiming 
``Who Dat.''
  I hope that my colleagues will join me in supporting House Resolution 
901, recognizing the 49th anniversary of the first day of integrated 
schools in New Orleans, Louisiana.
  Mr. PETRI. I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I just want to close by of course recognizing 
the fact that, as we begin Black History Month, there is no better 
person for us to recognize today than Ruby Bridges. I want to thank her 
for her courage,

[[Page H437]]

her determination, and the work she is doing today to help students 
across our great Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution, 
H. Res. 901.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H. Res. 
901, a resolution to recognize November 14, 2009 as the 49th 
anniversary of the first day of integrated schools in New Orleans, 
Louisiana. I urge my colleagues to support this meaningful and 
important resolution.
  In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that segregated schools violated the 
equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. On November 14, 1960, 
Ruby Bridges, at the age of six, became the first African American 
student to attend an all-white school in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ruby 
Bridges attended William Frantz Elementary School every day, despite 
riots and protests. Ruby was taught by Barbara Henry in a classroom 
with no other students. Sadly, due to her efforts to educate young 
Ruby, Ms. Henry was not invited back to teach at William Frantz 
Elementary school after that year. In 1999, Ruby Bridges established 
the Ruby Bridges Foundation that fights racism and works to improve 
society by sharing the experiences of Ruby Bridges.
  Of course the need to integrate schools was not unique to New 
Orleans. The University Of Georgia, UGA, was a segregated school until 
1961. UGA had strict admissions requirements--such as requiring 
personal recommendations from alumni, all of whom were white--in order 
to block African Americans from being admitted. In 1960, Charlayne 
Hunter and Hamilton Holmes applied to UGA. They were more than 
qualified for admission. Holmes was valedictorian of his high school 
and senior class president. Hunter finished third in her graduating 
class and edited the school paper. The University rejected their 
applications, providing a number of different--and ultimately false--
reasons for denying their admission. On January 6, 1961, federal judge 
William A. Bootle found that ``the two plaintiffs are fully qualified 
for immediate admission, and would already have been admitted if not 
for their race and color.'' This ruling became national news and the 
students were admitted and met on registration day by protests. On the 
third evening after their registration, a large group of students 
showed up outside of their residence and began hurling bricks and 
bottles before being dispersed by police. After this incident, the Dean 
of Students then told them that he was withdrawing them from admission 
for ``their own safety.'' This decision was quickly overruled by a 
court order after over 400 faculty members signed a resolution to bring 
them back. Holmes graduated from UGA and earned a medical degree from 
Emory University in Georgia. Hunter graduated with a degree in 
journalism and worked for the New York Times, PBS, and CNN.
  Thanks to the courage of these individuals and many others like them, 
we are now as close to full integration as we have ever been, and 
continue to gain ground on that ultimate goal.
  As President Obama recently stated during his unveiling of his new 
budget proposal, ``the most important tool to combat poverty is a world 
class education.'' Prior to November 14, 1960, African Americans were a 
long way from having the opportunity to receive a world class 
education. Although the desegregation of schools did not instantly give 
African Americans a high quality education, it was the first step in a 
long battle for equality in educational opportunities. Without the 
events that took place on November 14, 1960, and the bravery of Ruby 
Bridges, Barbara Henry, Hamilton Holmes, and Charlayne Hunter, we would 
not be where we are today in relation to educational equality for 
African Americans. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, I urge 
my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Ms. FUDGE. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Fudge) that the House suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution, H. Res. 901, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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