[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 148 (Monday, November 15, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H7412-H7414]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF SCHOOL DESEGREGATION BY RUBY
BRIDGES
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 1713) recognizing the 50th anniversary of Ruby
Bridges desegregating a previously all-White public elementary school.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1713
Whereas, on May 17, 1954, the United States Supreme Court
announced in Brown v. Board of Education (347 U.S. 483) that,
``in the field of education, the doctrine of `separate but
equal' has no place'';
Whereas the Brown decision recognized as a matter of law
that the segregation of public schools deprived students of
the equal protection of the laws under the Fourteenth
Amendment to the Constitution of the United States;
Whereas in 1960, six years after the landmark Brown v.
Board of Education decision, the promise of access and
equality within the realm of education remained unfilled in
New Orleans, Louisiana, and throughout much of the Nation;
Whereas in 1960, the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) contacted Ruby Bridges'
family to solicit her participation in the integration of New
Orleans public schools;
[[Page H7413]]
Whereas six years after the Brown decision, on November 14,
1960, Ruby Bridges, at the age of six, was the first African-
American child to integrate the previously all-White William
Frantz Elementary School;
Whereas Ruby Bridges courageously took the first step into
a desegregated future made possible by the Supreme Court's
historic ruling in the Brown decision;
Whereas Ruby Bridges was the only student in her class for
an entire year, taught by the only remaining teacher, Mrs.
Barbara Henry, after the other teachers and students withdrew
from the school in a gesture of disapproval of desegregation;
Whereas Ruby Bridges was a pioneer in the movement for an
integrated public education system that afforded equal
educational opportunities to all, regardless of race;
Whereas in the face of verbal abuse and unveiled bigotry,
Ruby Bridges exhibited the courage and equanimity of a person
many times her age;
Whereas Norman Rockwell's The Problem We All Live With
offers a depiction of Ruby Bridges' uncanny resolve and
singularity of purpose in the face of adversity as she
attended her first day of school;
Whereas Ruby Bridges' story is symbolic of the victorious
dismantling of school segregation, as well as the full and
equal participation in United States society to which all
citizens are entitled;
Whereas the significance of Ruby Bridges' actions have been
acknowledged with numerous awards and recognitions, including
the Presidential Citizens Medal awarded by President William
Jefferson Clinton in 2001; and
Whereas Ruby Bridges was among the first in a line of civil
rights pioneers that paved the way for the eventual
desegregation of all public schools in the United States:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the 50th anniversary of Ruby Bridges
desegregating a previously all-White public elementary
school;
(2) encourages people in the United States to recognize the
historical importance of the desegregation of elementary
schools and Ruby Bridges, who not only secured integration
for William Frantz Elementary School, but hundreds of
thousands of schools across the Nation; and
(3) commits itself, in the wake of recent challenges, to
continuing the legacy of Brown v. Board of Education by
protecting and advancing equal educational opportunity for
all.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Conyers) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.
General Leave
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on the resolution now under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may
consume.
This resolution is to recognize and honor the 50th anniversary of
Ruby Bridges, who helped desegregate a previously all-white public
elementary school. This is the 50th anniversary, yesterday, actually,
of the integration of the William Frantz public school located in New
Orleans, Louisiana.
I had the pleasure of meeting Ruby Bridges once, and she's a very
impressive lady. On November 14, 1960, she became the first African
American student to attend the school, and one of the first African
American students to integrate an elementary school in the South.
My commendation goes to our colleague, the great civil rights leader,
John Lewis of Georgia, for offering this resolution that commemorates
this significant occasion.
In recognizing this civil rights and education milestone, I want to
point out that the success of the civil rights movement itself was due
in large part to the resolve of young people, men and women of all
races and backgrounds, who were courageous enough to take a stand
against racial injustice in America.
The famous artist, Norman Rockwell, caught this in a famous painting
of this little 6-year-old girl escorted into the school by United
States marshals, a girl only seeking a decent and equitable education.
Little did she probably know that she would be making history. But she
wanted to go to school. She wanted to learn. And she had no idea that
there were people and forces that would stand in her way and do
everything in their power to make sure that her simple personal
objective would not be accomplished.
And so the incredible thing that is the reaction against this attempt
of a first grader was so complete that she was the only member in her
class that semester. And by the time she got to the sixth grade, this
elementary school was finally integrated.
Now, this realized the promise of the 1954 case that we're all
familiar with, Brown v. The Board of Education, and the separate but
equal realm of education. And it's worth observing, and to have our
history brought back to us by this great colleague of Dr. Martin Luther
King, John Lewis, whose heroic courage as a young man himself is yet
another chapter in this remarkable history of America turning around a
long history of segregated practices in America.
The success of the Montgomery bus boycott, led by my dear friend,
Rosa Parks, and the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the foundation
upon which Ruby Bridges could begin school at William Frantz
Elementary. And her actions on November 14, 1960, served as the
foundation for even further achievements yet to come.
And so following her first day of the first grade, the 1960 sit-in
movement and the civil rights activity that followed called attention
to segregated lunch counters and public facilities, not only in the
South, but throughout the country. And so later that year, during the
freedom rides, segregated restaurants and waiting areas in interstate
bus terminals were successfully challenged.
And so this all culminated into what?
Well, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965,
and the Fair Housing Act of 1968.
And so Ruby Bridges continues her struggle today. She's working to
ensure that the school she integrated is an institution that affords
children of all races a quality education.
And the struggle of John Lewis continues today as now, at the Federal
level. He helps create and implement the laws that started not so many
years ago when this 6-year-old began her quest for a fair and just and
equal society, not only in the realm of education, but in all America
to make it a real democracy.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may
consume.
I want to thank Representative John Lewis, the gentleman from
Georgia, for authoring this legislation and for his long, long work,
many years in the civil rights movement, along with the chairman, for
bringing this legislation to the House floor and his work in the civil
rights movement.
This resolution recognizes and honors the 50th anniversary of Ruby
Bridges. Now, unlike the chairman, I think 50 years was a long time
ago, but maybe it wasn't. But it was 50 years any way you look at it
since Ruby Bridges played a role in desegregating a previously all-
white public elementary school in the South.
{time} 1540
I was in elementary school at the same time she was, but not the same
school having been in Texas and going to school there.
In 1954, this all started when the United States Supreme Court made
possible desegregation of American schools in Brown v. Board of
Education. Six years later, Ruby Bridges, an African American child, a
first grader, would help further the goal of the Court's decision in
Brown v. Board of Education.
Sometimes we have to leave it up to the kids to get things done. In
this case, it was a first grader, a 6-year-old in elementary school who
just wanted to go to school, and she was determined to get an
education.
In 1960, she had started to attend William Frantz Elementary School.
It was an all-white school in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the New
Orleans school system. She endured hateful crowds and threats to her
physical safety. White parents initially pulled their kids out of the
school, and only one teacher taught Bridges for more than a year.
Robert Coles, a child psychiatrist who provided counseling to this
young girl, later wrote a book, a children's
[[Page H7414]]
book called ``The Story of Ruby Bridges,'' to educate other children
about this child's role in desegregating not just one school but
really, in essence, all the schools in the United States both in the
South and the North.
The courage demonstrated by Bridges and her parents continues to
serve as an inspiration for children and adults. After 50 years, her
example still encourages us to uphold the principles of equality and
respect in our own lives and in our own culture. I urge my colleagues
to join me in supporting this resolution.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind Judge Poe that if he
had been around during the Hayes-Tilden episode, 50 years wouldn't seem
so long to him, either.
I now turn to John Lewis and yield him such time as he may consume.
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend, the
chairman, Mr. Conyers, for bringing this resolution to the floor, and I
want to thank Mr. Poe for his support for this resolution. The two
gentlemen are right.
Fifty years ago today, a brave African American, a 6-year-old girl,
young Ruby Bridges, walked bravely to the doors of the previously all-
white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Louisiana.
It was not your typical first day of school. This little girl walked
to her new school with her mother and armed Federal agents. She was not
met with the smiles of schoolyard friends. She was met with screaming,
angry mobs of people who did not want her to be there. In protest,
parents withdrew every other student from her class. The only remaining
teacher, Mrs. Barbara Henry, attended school each and every day to
teach young Ruby.
Ruby Bridges was born the year that the United States Supreme Court
handed down the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision. They
struck down the doctrine of ``separate but equal'' schools. Yet, 6
years after that historic decision, Louisiana and much of the South had
yet to make Brown's promise of equality a reality. It took courage,
nothing but the raw courage of a little girl, to integrate the schools
in Louisiana. In the face of verbal abuse, threats, and unveiled
hatred, Ruby Bridges learned to drown out the shouts with her prayers.
Little did she know on that first day of school 50 years ago that her
image, immortalized in the painting of Norman Rockwell, would symbolize
the end of segregation in schools.
Her story is the story of our Nation. She paved the way for
integrated public schools all across the United States.
Today, Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to pause and recognize
the 50th anniversary of Ruby Bridges' courageous walk to school. I
encourage all of my colleagues and all Americans to reflect on the
historic Brown decision and importance of desegregating of schools. I
ask all of my colleagues to support this resolution and recommit
ourselves to equality in education for all Americans.
Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman
from Louisiana (Mr. Cao), who not only is from Louisiana, he is from
New Orleans, Louisiana.
Mr. CAO. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of this important
resolution. I also congratulate my friend and colleague, Mr. Lewis, for
his leadership in bringing this to the floor today. I have the greatest
pleasure of standing by Mr. Lewis, and I value his friendship greatly.
In 1956, at a time when race relations were stressed in the South,
the Orleans Parish School Board was ordered to develop a plan to
desegregate its schools. After a 4-year delay, a plan designed by the
United States Eastern District Court of Louisiana was ordered to be
carried out.
It was at that moment that 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 from
the elementary school Ms. Bridges was attending. All but one white
teacher refused to teach, and it was that teacher who 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, which has
a clear and profound message: To promote the value of tolerance,
respect, and appreciation of all differences.
I was honored to meet Ms. Bridges in my New Orleans office last
October. She is truly an extraordinary woman who has dedicated her life
to service. At a time when my district is still fighting to rebuild its
schools and provide for a stable and safe environment for our children,
I am thankful to have her as an inspiration for all in rebuilding our
communities today, tomorrow, and beyond.
I am proud to note that as we reflect on a turning point in our
Nation's history, it was the bravery of one New Orleanean who helped
make it happen.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution honoring
the 50th anniversary of Ruby Bridges.
Mr. CONYERS. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman for
bringing not just this legislation, but all the legislation that has
been brought up today to the House floor, and to emphasize the point
that he made: Good legislation, most important legislation, is
bipartisan legislation. What most Americans don't realize, most
legislation is bipartisan that is passed through this House, and it
will continue to be so.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I am so glad that we were able to reveal
this important part of American history, not just through our
colleagues but through our countrymen. I share the spirit of the
remarks of my friend on the Judiciary Committee, Judge Poe.
Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support
of H. Res. 1713, ``Recognizing and Honoring the 50th Anniversary of
Ruby Bridges Desegregation of a Previously All-White Elementary
School.'' Let me begin by thanking my colleague, Representative John
Lewis, for introducing this legislation into the House of
Representatives as it is important that we recognize the great strides
of the minority citizens of this country.
In so doing, we remind America that she must never serve on her
citizens the atrocities that occurred to the African-American under her
watchful legal eye. This legislation celebrates the life of Ruby
Bridges, born in Mississippi during a very turbulent era. It
acknowledges a citizen's courageousness in holding America to the
language of her landmark ruling--Brown v. Board of Education.
Ruby Bridges acknowledges that growing up for her presented a very
hard life. Having heard there were better opportunities in the city,
Bridges moved along with her family, to New Orleans. While in New
Orleans, the public schools were finally forced, under federal court
order, to desegregate.
In the spring of 1960, Bridges took a test, along with other black
kindergarteners in the city, to see if she would go to an integrated
school come September. That summer she and her parents learned she
passed the test and had been selected to start first grade at William
Frantz Public School.
On the morning of November 14 federal marshals drove her and her
mother the five blocks to William Frantz.
We applaud Ruby Bridges for her stalwart tenacity and her courage, at
such a young age, to be an advocate for change in America.
Mr. CONYERS. I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1713.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. CONYERS. 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.
____________________