[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 23, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E59]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING ROSA PARKS' 100TH BIRTHDAY

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. JERRY McNERNEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 23, 2013

  Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to ask my colleagues to join 
me in honoring Rosa Parks' 100th Birthday.
  Rosa Parks is a true American icon and a civil rights activist. She 
is best known for refusing to give up her seat on a bus in Alabama to a 
white passenger in 1955. Consequently, she was arrested for civil 
disobedience.
  Rosa Parks' actions were a catalyst for the Montgomery Bus Boycott. 
African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama boycotted local buses and used 
other methods of transportation to get to work. The boycott lasted 381 
days and helped bring about the repeal of the law requiring segregation 
on public buses. Her actions helped bring additional national attention 
to race inequality throughout the United States.
  Her courage and resolve was emblematic of the efforts made during the 
civil rights movement. Her actions remain part of the story of the 
fight to secure every individual's right to share the American dream.
  Rosa Parks' legacy continues to resonate throughout the country. For 
example, in my own district, the Aspire Rosa Parks Academy in Stockton, 
California celebrates Rosa Parks' birthday. This tremendous event 
serves as an important reminder of how far we have come as a nation and 
serves as an educational and historical tool. It brings the community 
together to recognize one of the true pioneers of the civil rights 
movement.
  Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing not only one of 
our nations' most well-regarded activists and her contributions to 
American history, but the countless schools and groups like the Aspire 
Rosa Parks Academy who celebrate her legacy every year.

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