[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 110 (Monday, July 26, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H6007-H6008]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING SOJOURN TO THE PAST ON ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY
Mr. POLIS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 1058) honoring and praising the Sojourn to the
Past organization on the occasion of its 10th anniversary, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1058
Whereas the civil rights movement helped to better the
lives of millions of people and secured equality, civil
rights, and human rights for all people in the Nation;
Whereas in 1999, California public high school teacher Jeff
Steinberg combined a civil rights history lesson and a field
trip to civil rights movement landmarks to create the
educational program Sojourn to the Past;
Whereas Sojourn to the Past takes high school students on a
10-day excursion along the path of the civil rights movement
in the Southern United States, engaging them with historical
sites and talks with prominent veteran leaders of the civil
rights movement;
Whereas the goal of Sojourn to the Past is to inspire
students to become civic leaders with a duty and ability to
unite people in the communities in equality and justice,
through knowledge, understanding, and compassion;
Whereas Sojourn to the Past is the longest running civil
rights education and outreach program in the United States;
Whereas Sojourn to the Past has conducted 55 sojourns and
introduced over 5,000 high school juniors and seniors to the
lessons, locations, and leaders of the civil rights movement;
Whereas Sojourn to the Past teaches high school students
how the history of the civil rights movement is relevant to
ending discrimination, violence, hatred, bigotry, and
inequity in schools and communities;
Whereas Sojourn to the Past's mission of making the civil
rights movement relevant for younger generations strengthens
society in the United States by promoting civil rights and
equality; and
Whereas Sojourn to the Past continues to teach younger
generations of people in the United States about the civil
rights movement and challenges young people to define and
defend individual conceptions of justice
[[Page H6008]]
in communities and classrooms: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the 10th anniversary of the founding Sojourn
to the Past; and
(2) honors and praises Sojourn to the Past on the occasion
of its anniversary, and for its work in educating the next
generation of people in the United States about the civil
rights movement and the importance of social justice.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Colorado (Mr. Polis) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Colorado.
General Leave
Mr. POLIS. Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which
Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous materials on House
Resolution 1058 into the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Colorado?
There was no objection.
Mr. POLIS. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution
1058, which honors the 10th anniversary of Sojourn to the Past, an
educational program dedicated to developing students' appreciation for
an understanding of the Civil Rights Movement.
The Civil Rights Movement transformed the United States of America,
ensuring legal equality and civil rights for all people in our country
regardless of race or ethnicity.
Educator Jeff Steinberg understood the importance of teaching the
meaning of the civil rights movement when, 11 years ago, he decided to
lead a school trip to several civil rights landmarks. That field trip
quickly grew into its own education and outreach program, engaging
approximately 100 high school students in three trips each year through
visits to historical sites and discussions with prominent veteran
leaders of the civil rights era. The students visit five States and
landmarks, including the Edmund Pettus Bridge; the site of the Bloody
Sunday march of 1965, in Selma, Alabama; Central High School in Little
Rock, Arkansas; and the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis,
Tennessee.
More than 10 years later, Sojourn to the Past has its own rich
history, inspiring students to become civic leaders for the 21st
century with a base of awareness of the importance of the civil rights
movement of the 20th century. Newfound knowledge and personal
understanding of the civil rights movement, these sojourners, these
high school students, reflect on how they can fight to end
discrimination, bigotry, and inequality in their own schools and their
own communities.
Today, more than 5,000 high school juniors and seniors have learned
these lessons through participation in Sojourn to the Past. Just like
civil rights leaders before them, these students will take
responsibility for ending discrimination and promoting equality for all
Americans moving forward.
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank a great civil rights leader, who
I am deeply honored to serve with in the House of Representatives,
Representative John Lewis, for introducing this important resolution
and serving on the Sojourn National Advisory Committee.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PETRI. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of House Resolution 1048, honoring and praising the
Sojourn to the Past organization on the occasion of its 10th
anniversary. Since 1999, Sojourn to the Past, a nonprofit organization,
has taken thousands of students out of the classroom and across the
country for a life-changing educational experience via hands-on lessons
on the civil rights movement. Through a sometimes emotional and eye-
opening 10-day journey through a period of segregation in the Deep
South, students learn the history of the civil rights movement in the
United States.
Sojourn to the Past is the longest-running civil rights education and
outreach program in the United States. It has conducted 55 sojourns and
introduced over 5,000 high school juniors and seniors to the history of
the civil rights movement. This organization teaches high school
students how the lessons of the civil rights movement are still
relevant today.
We recognize Sojourn to the Past for teaching younger generations of
people about the history of the civil rights movement and challenging
them to make a difference in their schools and their communities, and I
support this resolution.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. POLIS. Madam Speaker, it is my honor to yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis).
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. I want to thank my friend and colleague from
Colorado and my friend and colleague from Wisconsin for bringing this
resolution before us.
Madam Speaker, I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member of
the Education and Labor Committee for their support of this bill, and
the Majority Leader for his support and for bringing this resolution to
the floor.
Madam Speaker, this year marks the 10th anniversary of an outstanding
organization called Sojourn to the Past, the longest-running civil
rights program in the United States. Sojourn to the Past was founded by
Jeff Steinberg, an inspired American history high school teacher from
northern California. He started by taking his students on a 10-day
field trip to the South to see where the most important moments of the
civil rights movement actually happened. He took them to places like
Atlanta, Tuskegee, Montgomery, Birmingham, and Selma. He took them to
Jackson, Little Rock, and Memphis.
While on these journeys, young people meet the leaders of the
movement. They get out of the classroom and visit historic places that
marked the time.
Through this program, I believe young people grow more informed about
the movement. They learn how it changed our country and our society,
and they are changed. They become better human beings and better
citizens not just of the United States but of the world.
Since it began, Sojourn to the Past has taken over 5,000 high school
students on these journeys, teaching them about the importance of
social justice and the philosophy and the discipline of nonviolence.
Like the civil rights movement itself, it challenges people to think
about their own values and about what kind of country they want America
to be.
Madam Speaker, I invite all of my colleagues to join with all of us
in honor of this important organization.
Mr. PETRI. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. POLIS. Madam Speaker, I once again express my support for House
Resolution 1058, which honors the 10th anniversary of Sojourn to the
Past, to help young Americans understand the importance and the history
of the very recent civil rights movement in this country. I urge my
colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1058, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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