[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 57 (Wednesday, April 24, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H2261-H2267]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AWARDING CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL TO ADDIE MAE COLLINS, DENISE McNAIR,
CAROLE ROBERTSON, AND CYNTHIA WESLEY
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 360) to award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to
Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley
to commemorate the lives they lost 50 years ago in the bombing of the
Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, where these 4 little Black girls'
ultimate sacrifice served as a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement,
as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 360
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
The Congress Finds the following:
(1) September 15, 2013 will mark 50 years since the lives
of Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and
Cynthia Wesley were suddenly taken by a bomb planted in the
Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.
(2) The senseless and premature death of these 4 little
Black girls sparked ``The Movement that Changed the World.''
(3) On that tragic Sunday in September of 1963, the world
took notice of the violence inflicted in the struggle for
equal rights.
(4) The fact that 4 innocent children lost their lives as
they prepared for Sunday School shook the world's conscience.
(5) This tragedy galvanized the Civil Rights Movement and
sparked a surge of momentum that helped secure the passage of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and later the Voting Rights Act
of 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
(6) Justice was delayed for these 4 little Black girls and
their families until 2002, 39 years after the bombing, when
the last of the 4 Klansmen responsible for the bombing was
charged and convicted of the crime.
(7) The 4 little Black girls are emblematic of so many who
have lost their lives for the cause of freedom and equality,
including Virgil Ware and James Johnny Robinson who were
children also killed within hours of the 1963 church bombing.
(8) The legacy that these 4 little Black girls left will
live on in the minds and hearts of us all for generations to
come.
(9) Their extraordinary sacrifice sparked real and lasting
change as Congress began to aggressively pass legislation
that ensured equality.
(10) Sixteenth Street Baptist Church remains a powerful
symbol of the movement for civil and human rights and will
host the 50th anniversary ceremony on Sunday, September 15,
2013.
(11) It is befitting that Congress bestow the highest
civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, in 2013 to the
4 little Black girls, Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair,
Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley, posthumously in
recognition of the 50th commemoration of the historical
significance of the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist
Church.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate
shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on
behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to
commemorate the lives of Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair,
Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley.
(b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation
referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury
(referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a
gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions
to be determined by the Secretary.
(c) Award of Medal.--Following the award of the gold medal
described in subsection (a), the medal shall be given to the
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham, AL, where it
shall be available for display or temporary loan to be
displayed elsewhere, as appropriate.
SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of
the gold medal struck under section 2, at a price sufficient
to cover the costs of the medal, including labor, materials,
dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses, and amounts
received from the sale of such duplicates shall be deposited
in the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
SEC. 4. STATUS OF MEDALS.
(a) National Medals.--The medals struck under this Act are
national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31,
United States Code.
(b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and
5136 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under
this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Alabama (Mr. Bachus) and the gentlewoman from Alabama (Ms. Sewell) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Alabama.
General Leave
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
and submit extraneous materials for the Record on this legislation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Alabama?
There was no objection.
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 4 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, it's an honor to manage this bill and to have worked
with my colleague and the sponsor of this legislation, Congresswoman
Terri Sewell, who is the driving force behind this legislation. She's
worked tirelessly to bring this bill to the floor, and it has come to
the floor with bipartisan support. Through her work, and those of many
Members on both sides, including the Alabama delegation, we're proud
that this bill has 296 Members as cosponsors.
The bill, as the title reflects, posthumously awards a Congressional
Gold Medal that recognizes these four little African American girls.
Their pictures are on the floor of the House. You can see their very
tender age. Their lives were cut short by a bombing of the Sixteenth
Street Baptist Church in Birmingham on September 15, 1953. Many trace
this decisive and heinous act to an impetus for a passage of the
historical Civil Rights Act of 1964. There was a national revulsion
caused by the deaths of these innocent lives, the calculated bombing in
a place of worship. It was, indeed, a sad day for the entire country.
It can correctly be said that 50 years ago my hometown found itself
the epicenter of the civil rights movement. The images of conflicts and
violence from Birmingham that flickered nationally on what were still
predominantly black-and-white TV screens shocked the conscience of the
Nation and, I believe, most citizens of Alabama.
During the recent Faith and Politics Congressional Civil Rights
Pilgrimage to Alabama, a large bipartisan delegation of Members viewed
some of the historic sites in Birmingham. We were led on the pilgrimage
by my friend and Congresswoman Sewell's friend, Congressman John Lewis,
who, from personal experience, spoke authoritatively about those years.
As we know, he was beaten many times himself.
The Sixteenth Street Baptist Church is still a vibrant place of
worship. Just a few months ago, we stood in a moment of silence in
remembrance of the haunting act of evil that occurred there a half
century ago.
Churchgoers gathered peacefully on that beautiful fall morning, as
they faithfully did every Sunday, to praise, pray, and worship. In
fact, 26 children were making their way to the downstairs assembly room
to prepare for a sermon, entitled, ``The Love That Forgives,'' when the
bomb went off. The four little girls, whose pictures are on the floor
of the House--Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and
Cynthia Wesley--were almost instantly killed.
Looking at those faces now, they speak as strongly to me on the House
floor today as they did to newspaper readers and television viewers at
the time of the bombing. As a Congress and
[[Page H2262]]
a country, our eyes were opened and we were shocked enough to finally
pass civil rights legislation affirming that the rights and protections
of the U.S. Constitution do not depend on what color your skin happens
to be.
The civil rights struggle was long and hard, filled with both sorrow
and joy. There's a special place in history and in our hearts for all
of those who were killed and injured in Birmingham.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 5 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to join my colleague, Spencer Bachus,
as we begin consideration of our bill, H.R. 360. I am proud to have had
the entire Alabama delegation, Representatives Bonner, Aderholt,
Rogers, Roby, and Brooks, as well as Alabama natives Representatives
Lewis and Bishop, join me as original cosponsors on this legislation. I
am also thankful for the leadership of both parties, Speaker Boehner,
Leader Pelosi, Majority Leader Cantor, Whips Hoyer and McCarthy, as
well as Financial Services Committee Chairman Hensarling and Ranking
Member Waters, for their support and leadership. I also want to thank
the more than 296 Members of Congress who cosponsored this bill.
H.R. 360 requests that Congress bestow its highest civilian honor,
the Congressional Gold Medal, to Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair,
Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley, who tragically lost their lives
during the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in 1963.
These beautiful girls never got a chance to live out their promise, but
their lives were not in vain. As Dr. King said at their funeral, ``They
are the martyred heroines of a holy crusade for freedom and human
dignity.''
At 10:23 on Sunday, September 15, 1963, amid high racial tensions, a
bomb went off in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church as people gathered
to worship for Sunday. The explosion killed four little girls who were
in the basement bathroom preparing to return for Sunday school. Twenty-
two people were injured by the blast, including the younger sister of
Addie Mae Collins, Sarah, who survived but lost her eye.
The senseless deaths of four little girls shocked the Nation and
became a galvanizing force for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of
1964. But, Mr. Speaker, justice was long delayed because it wasn't
until 37 years later, on May 18, 2000, that all four Ku Klux Klan
members who planted the bomb were finally brought to justice for their
crimes.
These innocent girls lost their lives much too young. Addie Mae
Collins, 14, was a reserved and sweet little girl. She liked for people
to be at peace around her, they said.
Denise McNair, 11 years old, was a loving and friendly child who
already exhibited a take-charge and generous spirit, helping others as
she went along the way.
Carole Robertson, 14, was a vivacious young girl who was an avid
reader and played the clarinet in the band.
Cynthia Wesley, 14, was an honor student who enjoyed playing the
saxophone in her school band. That fateful Sunday was going to be her
first day serving as an usher in church.
Although there are many individuals and events of the civil rights
movement that rightfully are worthy of recognition, the selection of
the four little girls was emblematic of so many who sacrificed and lost
their lives for the cause of freedom.
{time} 1250
Medgar Evers, Emmett Till, Jimmy Lee Jackson, as well as Virgil Ware
and James Johnny Robinson--who was also killed within hours of the 1963
bombing--they were all martyrs for justice whom we should never forget.
It was their blood which was shed for the bounty that so many of us now
enjoy.
While we recognize that this medal cannot in any way replace the
lives lost nor the injuries suffered as a result of the horrific
bombing, I hope this medal serves as a powerful reminder of the
importance of the many sacrifices made and the great achievements
obtained so that this Nation could live up to its ideals of equality
and justice for all.
This Nation should never forget those who marched, those who prayed
and died in the pursuit of civil rights and social change. It is my
sincere hope that their families will receive this highest civilian
honor in the humble spirit in which it was intended.
I am delighted today to be joined by the sisters of Denise McNair and
Carole Robertson, and the president of the Birmingham Civil Rights
Institute, who are all in the gallery as witnesses to this debate
today.
Mr. Speaker, I want to urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this
legislation in honoring the lives of these four girls as we pay tribute
to their families and recognize the enormous progress that we as a
Nation have obtained.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 additional
minute.
This recognition is long overdue, and I am grateful to this body for
its consideration during this 50th anniversary year.
Dr. King offered the best rationale for granting this Gold Medal in
the eulogy that he made at their funerals. He poignantly acknowledged:
History has proven over and over again that unmerited
suffering is redemptive. The innocent blood of these girls
may well have served as a redemptive force that will bring
new light to this dark city. The Holy Scripture says, ``A
little child shall lead them.'' The death of these little
children may lead our whole Southland from the low road of
man's inhumanity to man to the high road of peace and
brotherhood.
I urge my colleagues to support this Gold Medal bill so that this
country can finally recognize the redemptive force that the deaths of
these four girls made in bringing light to a dark Nation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded that it is not in order
to draw to the attention of the House occupants in the gallery.
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to my friend, the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Schock).
Mr. SCHOCK. Mr. Speaker, in March, I had the honor to join my friends
from Alabama in traveling to Birmingham as part of the 13th annual
Congressional Civil Rights Pilgrimage. I was joined by my esteemed
colleague, Congressman John Lewis of Georgia, who led the delegation to
numerous landmarks that defined the civil rights movement at the time,
including the tragedy that occurred at the Sixteenth Street Baptist
Church.
The legislation we are considering today comes 50 years after the
senseless death of four young girls when a bomb exploded in their
church one Sunday morning in September of 1963.
Less than a month before this bombing, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial--not far from where I stand
today in the House Chamber--and declared that he dreamed of a day where
all people could coexist and thrive together in peace and justice. The
echo of his call for peaceful protest was still fresh in the mind of
millions when it was replaced by the violent explosion at the Sixteenth
Street Baptist Church, which injured dozens and killed the four
innocent girls. Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and
Cynthia Wesley did not live to see Dr. King's dream realized, but their
tragic deaths catalyzed the civil rights movement and produced a
backlash against these unthinkable acts of violence across the country.
As we have seen in recent tragedies, acts of violence often produce
the opposite outcome than that desired by the perpetrators. Less than 1
year after the bomb went off at the church, the Civil Rights Act passed
out of this very Chamber and became law in 1964. A year later, in 1965,
this Chamber passed and put into law the Voting Rights Act.
Today, the House continues to act. The legislation before us awards
the Congressional Gold Medal--which is the highest civilian honor given
by Congress--to the four girls whose sacrifice advanced the march of
freedom in this country. Their memory is rightly recognized by those
who love justice, and it is befitting that we should honor them with
the highest recognition.
I am proud to support this legislation and urge my colleagues to do
the same.
Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters).
Ms. WATERS. I rise today in support of H.R. 360.
The bill posthumously honors the lives of Addie Mae Collins, Denise
[[Page H2263]]
McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley who were tragically lost
50 years ago in the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in
Birmingham, Alabama. The horror of this senseless act of violence
stunned the Nation and served as a catalyst for the civil rights
movement.
I would like to thank my colleagues on the Financial Services
Committee, especially Congresswoman Terri Sewell and Chairman Emeritus
Spencer Bachus, for their work to ensure that these girls receive our
highest civilian honor as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of their
deaths.
The Sixteenth Street Baptist Church was not an accidental bombing
target for the perpetrators. Rather, members of the Ku Klux Klan
deliberately targeted the church, designing their attack to strike fear
into the hearts of those seeking equal rights. The church was a known
sanctuary for civil rights leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King,
the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the Congress on
Racial Equality which had become involved in a campaign to register
African Americans to vote in Alabama.
On that fateful morning of September 13, 1963, roughly 1 month after
the March on Washington, the girls went to Sunday school to hear a
sermon entitled ``The Love that Forgives'' when the bomb exploded,
killing them and injuring many others. The bombers had hidden under a
set of cinder block steps on the side of the church, tunneled under the
basement, and placed a bundle of dynamite under what turned out to be
the girls restroom.
The cruelty and violence of this act shocked the Nation and drew
international attention to the violent struggle for civil rights,
inspiring a wave of legislative action in Congress. By 1964, Congress
had passed the Civil Rights Act, a landmark achievement in the fight to
outlaw discrimination. By 1965, Congress had passed the Voting Rights
Act, which aimed to eliminate voting restrictions that unjustly
disenfranchised qualified voters.
I thank you, Ms. Sewell, for your leadership on this issue and
helping this Nation to remember what took place on that day.
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 1 minute to the distinguished
majority leader, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cantor).
Mr. CANTOR. I thank the gentleman.
Mr. Speaker, I'm honored to stand before the House today in support
of this award to honor Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole
Robertson, and Denise McNair by awarding them the Congressional Gold
Medal.
The 50th anniversary of the attack on the Sixteenth Street Baptist
Church in Birmingham is a strong reminder of how many people fought and
died in the civil rights movement so that this country could live up to
its founding ideals of equality and opportunity.
On a recent trip to Selma, Alabama, I had the opportunity to stand
shoulder to shoulder with Congressman John Lewis and other civil rights
heroes who stood on the front lines and fought to change America for
the better. We must never forget the hardships they confronted and
sacrifices they made.
While reflecting on such moments in our history, and by honoring
those who come before us, I look forward to continuing to focus on ways
in which we all can stand together once again and continue to solve our
Nation's problems and move forward in unison.
I would like to thank Congresswoman Sewell, Congressman Bachus, and
the rest of the Alabama delegation for their hard work on this matter
and bringing it forward.
Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman
from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), my mentor and a great leader.
Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 360. This
timely legislation will provide for the posthumous awarding of the
Congressional Gold Medal to Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole
Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley. These four precious girls were killed in
the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham,
Alabama, 50 years ago this year.
{time} 1300
1963 was a pivotal year in the struggle for civil rights in our
Nation. It marked 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation and was
the year of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, stirring ``Letter from
Birmingham City Jail,'' which sounded the call for nonviolent civil
disobedience to counter oppression in the Jim Crow South. In that
letter, Dr. King famously proclaimed:
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Mr. Speaker, as a veteran of those efforts, I know that the struggle
for justice, empowerment, and equal opportunity for all continues to
this day.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. I yield the gentleman an additional 30
seconds.
Mr. CLYBURN. I want to thank my colleague, Representative Terri
Sewell, for her leadership in this outstanding effort. Representative
Sewell has quickly made her mark in this institution for her tireless
devotion to duty and her thoughtful approach to legislating. I am proud
to join her in this effort and urge all of my colleagues to support
this legislation.
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Alabama (Mr. Bonner).
Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, this is the right thing to do at the right
time and for the right reasons. Hopefully, in some small way, this
legislation will bring some form of closure to a cowardly act, one so
outrageous that it became a turning point in the passage of the
historic Civil Rights Act of 1964.
On behalf of the people of Alabama, I want to say a special thank you
to our colleague, Congresswoman Terri Sewell, as well as the dean of
our delegation, Congressman Spencer Bachus, for their example of
working together hand in hand to bring this very appropriate bill to
the floor for consideration and for a vote.
While nothing that we do here will ever replace the loss of these
four innocent young girls, especially to their families and to their
loved ones who have lived with a void in their hearts for the last 50
years, may this action today ensure that their spirit lives on forever.
With that, I urge the adoption of this bill.
Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the
distinguished leader of the Democratic Party, the gentlelady from
California (Ms. Pelosi).
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank our distinguished colleague,
Congresswoman Sewell, for yielding.
As you can see, there are many of us who are very eager. Our
distinguished Democratic whip, Mr. Hoyer, and I have had the
privilege--he, more than I--to travel to Alabama with John Lewis. And
thank you this morning for informing the Members that that's a
transformative experience. Anybody who travels there and sees what
happened in the lifetime of many of us here, and certainly in the
lifetime of everyone's parents here, in our very own country cannot
help but be moved. So I'm pleased to be joining you, Congresswoman
Sewell, Mr. Bonner, Mr. Bachus, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Bishop, and other
colleagues in coming to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, as we are all acknowledging, 50 years ago, on a Sunday
morning, four precious little girls walked into the Sixteenth Street
Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, the same day they did every
week.
These four little girls were there for Sunday school. They were not
civil rights activists; they were not agitators or advocates. They had
simply come to church to learn, to pray, to be with their friends and
classmates. When you visit there, you see they didn't really have a
chance. They were in such close quarters when they went down those
steps and the rest.
These four little girls did not enter the church seeking to become
symbols of the struggle of equality; yet, in a moment of brutal,
horrific, unspeakable tragedy, they would become icons of a movement
for justice. The names Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole
Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley remain seared in the hearts and minds of
us today as painful reminders of a dark moment in our history.
For their families, for their friends, for their loved ones, their
loss in a bombing at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church would change
their world forever. Yet even at that time of great change across our
country, little did we know that their deaths would change our world
forever too.
Among the many milestones of the civil rights movement, September 15,
[[Page H2264]]
1963, may be bestowed with some of the greatest pain and anguish. But
it was on that day, as this resolution states:
The world took notice of the violence inflicted in the
struggle for equal rights.
It was that day that stirred the conscience of our Nation, galvanized
the forces of justice, and spurred the momentum to pass the Civil
Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act--landmark steps in righting the
wrongs in our country's past.
It was on that day that the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church became a
symbol in the cause of human rights and human dignity, from the streets
of Birmingham to communities nationwide. It was that day that once
again reinforced what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., just weeks earlier,
called the ``fierce urgency of now.''
These four girls made the ultimate sacrifice in the battle for civil
rights, joining too many fellow Americans in paying for freedom with
their lives.
This weekend, I will join the Southern Poverty Law Center to rename
and rededicate the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama. This
memorial is a tribute to 40 individuals killed during the struggle. It
is a place to remember the fallen, to take heed of their message, to
deepen our understanding, and to renew our commitment to equal rights
under the law.
They were four small little children going to church--four students,
four daughters, four members of a tight-knit community in Birmingham.
Four lives ended too soon; four victims to the forces of hatred and
prejudice, racism, and injustice. Their senseless and premature deaths
ignited the fires of progress and fanned the flames of equality.
I thank the gentlelady, one of our new, not brand-new, but newer
Members of Congress, for coming here and joining with colleagues Mr.
Bachus, Mr. Bonner, certainly John Lewis, and Members of Congress not
representing Alabama, but from Alabama. As the resolution that she
presents declares, the legacy that these four little Black girls left
will live in the minds and hearts of all for generations to come.
To honor that legacy, to cherish their memories, to inscribe their
names once more in the pages of history, it is only fitting to bestow
our highest civilian honor, the highest honor that Congress can bestow
on a civilian, the Congressional Gold Medal, on these four Americans.
That will be a glorious day in the Capitol when we all come together
under the rotunda, under the dome of the Capitol, to remember them. I
hope that is a comfort to their families. They gave so much. So much
sprang from that, and we will always remember.
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Alabama (Mr. Aderholt).
Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues, as
mentioned, in support of H.R. 360, and to honor the memory of Addie Mae
Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley, who lost
their lives at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham.
What we do here today honors these four innocent young girls, whose
lives were sacrificed in an act of hatred and of violence. And no doubt
their deaths, as has been mentioned, marked a significant turning point
in the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
As Congressman Bachus mentioned in his opening remarks, these four
young girls, who ranged in age from 11 to 14, were walking into the
basement of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church to hear a sermon that
was ironically entitled, ``The Love That Forgives.'' Though they could
not have known at the time, these four little girls changed the course
of history for our Nation. Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole
Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley's young lives were cut short on September
15, 1963, but their legacy still lives on today, especially with what
we do here, by the Congressional Medal of Honor, which is America's
highest civilian honor.
{time} 1310
I want to thank my colleague Ms. Sewell for her leadership on this
bill, and I am a proud supporter of H.R. 360. I also thank Mr. Bachus
for this time to speak on the legislation.
Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to the
distinguished Democratic whip, my dear friend, the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).
Mr. HOYER. I thank Congresswoman Sewell for her leadership and for
yielding this time, and I thank my good friend Spencer Bachus for his
leadership as well, and I congratulate him and his family for the
courage they showed at a time of great stress that this Gold Medal
reflects.
Mr. Speaker, the recognition for the victims of this terrible tragedy
that befell our whole country on September 15, 1963, is absolutely
appropriate, and it is an opportunity for us to say once again the
respect we have for these young girls, the respect we have for their
families. I say ``our whole country'' because a wound opened in the
soul of America that day from a heinous act of racism and terror.
Those who set a bomb inside the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church that
Sunday did so because they believed in a Nation where not all are
created equal, where not all are entitled to life and liberty. On that
day, many Americans who had turned away with indifference could no
longer look away.
Since that day, we have forcefully declared to future generations
that America will not be that Nation that looks away. In America, we
strive to protect our children from hurt and harm no matter the color
of their skin, their faith, their national origin. We hold fast to the
values and memory of these four little girls who were killed that day,
not the twisted, warped, hateful ideals of their killers.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. BACHUS. I yield the gentleman an additional 2 minutes.
Mr. HOYER. Their names have been mentioned but warrant re-mentioning:
Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Denise
McNair--four of God's children, four beautiful assets of America.
If you go down into the basement of the church, you see their
pictures, you see the memorial--and your heart cries. They were
brutally murdered while attending Sunday school, as the leader, Spencer
Bachus, and as Terri Sewell have related.
My colleagues, let us honor their lives and their faith in the face
of the evil of segregation and prejudice and hate. Let us remember the
words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., from the funeral of three of
those four little girls. He said this:
They have something to say to each of us in their death.
Their death says to us that we must work passionately and
unrelentingly for the realization of the American Dream.
That fight began with the Declaration of Independence: that we hold
these truths to be self-evident, that all men--and, surely, Jefferson
meant mankind, women as well--are endowed by God, not by the
Constitution and not by our votes on this floor, with certain
unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness.
These four little girls had those robbed that day. Let us recommit
ourselves. Let us recommit ourselves to that proposition and to
unrelentingly and courageously ensure that that dream, that that
promise is fulfilled for all of the little children of this Nation and
for all the adults as well.
Let us pass this bill, Mr. Speaker, and send a message that we will
never, ever forget their memory.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Alabama has 5\1/2\
minutes remaining. The gentleman from Alabama has 10\1/2\ minutes
remaining.
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge and thank Mr.
Hoyer for his recognition of my father's role, of our family's. I am
very proud of my father and the courage he showed.
At this time, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the esteemed chairman of the
Financial Services Committee, the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Hensarling).
Mr. HENSARLING. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
I rise in strong support of H.R. 360 to posthumously bestow Congress'
highest civilian honor to Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole
Robertson, and Denise McNair.
I also want to commend my two colleagues on the Financial Services
Committee--Ms. Sewell and our chairman emeritus, Mr. Bachus, both from
Alabama--for bringing this bill before the House.
Mr. Speaker, I was a mere child when these innocents were murdered. I
am
[[Page H2265]]
no longer a child, but I'm the father of two small children--a 9-year-
old and an 11-year-old. I cannot imagine the unspeakable horror of
knowing that my children were in church and that one of the great acts
of evil known in our Nation's history could be perpetrated upon them.
That act 50 years ago jarred millions in our Nation to the
realization that racial prejudice and hatred had just manifested itself
in pure, unimaginable evil. Within a year, this body had passed the
1964 Civil Rights Act.
In his eulogy for these four little girls, Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr., said:
These children--unoffending, innocent and beautiful--were
the victims of one of the most vicious, heinous crimes ever
perpetrated against humanity. Yet, they died nobly. They are
the martyred heroines of a holy crusade for freedom and human
dignity.
I certainly cannot add to the words of this great American hero,
martyred himself.
I will just end by saying, Mr. Speaker, it is a good and right thing
that this body honor these innocent children martyrs, that we never
forget, that we always confront evil, and although our Nation was
founded on noble principles, we must never cease the work of making
America a more perfect Union. With the passage of this bill, I think we
do one small act to do that.
Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the dean of
the House, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell).
(Mr. DINGELL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I commend the sponsors of this legislation,
and I urge the adoption of the bill.
It is appropriate that we should honor these four young girls who
gave so much to the cause of civil rights. They gave their lives.
Just before this event, we had passed the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
Immediately thereafter, we passed legislation, cosponsored by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Loser) and me, which made it a crime to
travel in interstate commerce for the purpose of destroying buildings
or churches. Shortly thereafter, outraged by the events that took place
on this awful day, the Congress passed the '64 and then the '65 Civil
Rights Acts.
{time} 1320
These four beautiful children contributed in a most meaningful way to
those events which caused the legislation to become law, and they saw
to it that we honor their doings today with enactment of this
legislation.
I rise in support of H.R. 360, legislation to award a Congressional
Gold Medal to four brave little girls who tragically lost their lives
50 years ago in the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in
Birmingham, Alabama.
I want to thank the gentlewoman from Alabama, Congresswoman Sewell,
for bringing the attention of Congress to this fateful incident that
helped transform the history of our nation and for giving the victims
of this attack the recognition for which they are long overdue.
I remember the day of this tragic incident, and my thoughts and
prayers continue to be with the families of the victims of this
senseless act of violence.
The Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing changed the nature of the
conversation in Congress, which had stagnated in the 1950s and early
1960s.
With the strong leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and other
leaders in civil society, those four little girls did not die in vain.
The Birmingham bombing galvanized the nation and gave real urgency to
the Civil Rights movement, which culminated in the signing of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 less than a year later, and the Voting Rights Act of
1965 after that.
I was proud to stand with President Lyndon Johnson as he signed the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 because nothing is more important than
ensuring that the rights enshrined in our Constitution are granted to
everyone in our society.
In many respects, the movement that was sparked by this tragic
bombing 50 years ago continues today. We must continue to make every
effort to rid our nation of discrimination of any kind.
Our work today goes beyond voting rights or the right to own
property. The battle we must focus on now is one of social justice.
Americans of all walks of life deserve to be treated fairly and
decently, whether it's in the workplace, in our businesses, or in
political discourse.
As we reflect on this tragedy, let us not forget Dr. King's wise
words, which he penned from a Birmingham Jail 50 years ago this month.
He said, ``Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.''
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick), who has visited the Sixteenth
Street Baptist Church with us, and I thank him for doing that.
Mr. FITZPATRICK. I thank my friend from Alabama (Mr. Bachus).
Mr. Speaker, I rise also to urge passage in support of the bill as we
commemorate the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham.
It was a Sunday morning. It was September 15, 1963. And I think it's
appropriate that we mention their names again: Addie Mae Collins,
Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Denise McNair.
They were entering their church before the 11 a.m. service when a
bomb detonated on the church's east side, and the explosion killed all
four young girls and maimed dozens of the parishioners there.
The bombing of that church gave further momentum in the struggle to
end segregation and helped to spur support for the passage of the
landmark Civil Rights Act right here in this Chamber.
Last month, many of us were honored to commemorate that event and
another event that served as a catalyst for action in the civil rights
movement. I also joined Members of Congress in the annual pilgrimage
across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, the event that
marked the beating of peaceful voting civil rights marchers, known as
Bloody Sunday, on March 7, 1965. And the pilgrimage was meaningful, as
other Members of Congress and I reflected together on how far we've
come as a country.
Bloody Sunday and the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing remind
us of the long and difficult struggle to end segregation; and it is
immensely important, Mr. Speaker, that we commemorate these moments and
these four little girls, that they led to the advancement of civil
rights for the African American community and for our entire country.
Again, I urge passage of the bill.
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 4 minutes of my
time be given to Ms. Sewell to manage, and I reserve the balance of my
time. I do that in acknowledgement of her fine work on this legislation
and those of her colleagues who visited the church.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Alabama?
There was no objection.
Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman
from Alabama. It has been a pleasure to not only represent Jefferson
County with him, but to serve in this body with him. And I thank you
for yielding me that time.
I now yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Georgia
(Mr. Lewis); and while he may represent Georgia, we claim him as
Alabama's native.
Mr. LEWIS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friends, Congresswoman
Sewell and Congressman Bachus.
It is true that I grew up in Alabama, and I represent Georgia, but
Alabama is in my blood.
I want to thank the two of you for bringing this resolution forward
to honor these four beautiful little girls killed by a bomb while
attending Sunday school on September 15, 1963, at the Sixteenth Street
Baptist church.
On that Sunday, when I heard about the bombing that morning, I
traveled to the city of Birmingham and stood outside of the church with
my friend and my coworker, Julian Bond. We stood and we looked at the
church. Later, I had an opportunity to attend the funeral of three of
the little girls.
That bombing took place 18 days after Martin Luther King, Jr., had
stood here in Washington and said: ``I have a dream, a dream deeply
rooted in the American Dream.''
That was a sad day. It tore out the essence of our hearts. But we
didn't give up. We didn't become bitter. We didn't become hostile. We
continued. Because of what happened in Birmingham, it inspired us to go
to Selma to fight for the right to vote.
I think we're doing the right thing today by honoring these four
little
[[Page H2266]]
girls. They must be looked upon as those who gave their very lives,
gave their blood to help redeem the soul of America and move us closer
to a beloved community.
I wonder sometimes why, what, and how. We're a different country and
we're a better country because they gave their all.
Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to another
native of Alabama who happens to represent Georgia, the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Bishop).
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. I thank the gentlelady for yielding.
Alabama named me, but Georgia claimed me.
I remember vividly the Sunday of the bombing as a young boy in
Mobile, Alabama. I'm reminded of the words of James Weldon Johnson:
Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chastening rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet.
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears have been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the
slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,
Till now we stand at last,
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley:
four little girls are bright stars in the constellation shining down
now as beacons of light for freedom and justice.
So today, 50 years after the senseless bombing in Birmingham, it's
altogether fitting and proper that we should look back and commemorate
the significance of the sacrifice of these young girls, these four
young lives.
Truly, it was a turning point; and the murder of these youngsters,
whose only crime was going to the bathroom in church, sparked a Nation
not only to mourn the death of innocence, but to act to quell the
turmoil and to move us toward freedom.
I'm happy to join my colleagues, Congresswoman Sewell, Congressman
Bachus, and all of the colleagues here in this House, to appropriately
pass legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to these four
young martyrs in the fight for freedom.
Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the
former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Cleaver).
Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Speaker, I say congratulations to Ms. Sewell and Mr.
Bachus.
I had returned home from a movie. If we went to church, we had the
opportunity to do other things; and I went on to church, and so my
parents allowed me to go to the movies.
When my sisters and I walked back into the house, our mother was in
the living room with some friends and they were crying. We didn't know
what happened, and she said that they had killed some little black
girls down in Birmingham.
I had no idea that I would eventually become deeply involved in the
Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and I realized later that the
reason for the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church is that
it had been the headquarters, the meeting place of the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference led by Martin Luther King, Jr.; the
vice president, Ralph David Abernathy, and my father in the ministry,
who wrote to me, ``I am your Paul; you are my solace.'' And there was
also Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, who says he taught me how to preach.
{time} 1330
They met there, and that was reason enough to blow up that building
and kill these little girls, innocent little girls.
I was pleased in 1979 when Richard Arrington was elected mayor of
Birmingham. And I remember thinking Fred Shutterworth had coined the
term ``Bombingham'' because his own home was blown to bits; and on the
day Richard Arrington, a Black man, was elected mayor, I said, ``It is
no longer Bombingham; it is now Birmingham.''
Ms. Sewell, congratulations to you. This should be done, it is being
done, and it furthers the way of that name from ``Bombingham'' to
``Birmingham.''
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute.
What we need to fully realize is that the civil rights victories were
achieved with the guiding principle of nonviolence. There are many
regions and nations of the world that have been trapped in endless
cycles of ethnic and political violence across multiple generations
that have torn the fabric of their societies and families. We always
like to think that could never happen here. It did not happen during
the civil rights movement because of the principle of nonviolence.
I journeyed, at John Lewis' invitation, to India where we retraced
the steps of Martin Luther King as he retraced the journey of Ghandi.
Dr. King took his own religious convictions, affirmed and strengthened
by those of Ghandi, and brought back a powerful nonviolent movement
which overcame police dogs, water hoses, brutal beatings, bombs,
bullets, and acts of violence in a nonviolent way. And love carried the
day against hate. That was a proud moment for our country, and it is a
model as we go forward.
We in America have the right to petition our government in a peaceful
way. Let us use that example and that tradition.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to yield the balance
of my time to the gentlewoman from Alabama to manage as she sees fit
and give her the right to close, which I think should be her honor.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Alabama?
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Alabama controls the
remaining 5 minutes.
Ms. SEWELL. I again thank the gentleman from Alabama. It is indeed an
honor to be able to manage the floor with you on this bill and
cosponsor it with you, and I thank you for your generosity.
At this time I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentlelady
from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, often we are taught in the Christian
Baptist and African American tradition, which is paraphrasing the words
of the Bible, give honor unto those upon whom honor is due. For that
reason, I can give tribute to the two Members of Congress without
reservation for recognizing the importance, both Congresswoman Sewell
and Congressman Bachus, for giving honor to those families who
languished for over 50 years and wondered did anybody care. We thank
Congresswoman Sewell for her great leadership and Congressman Bachus
for joining and exuding the kind of partnership, the spirit of his
family tradition against all adversity, saying I want to join and to
speak of nonviolence.
I rise today with great enthusiasm for H.R. 360 and say to the family
members, the sisters, the friends of Addie Mae Collins, Carole
Robertson, Cynthia Wesley, and Denise McNair, it has been too long.
And so we rise today to be able to make amends for justice that had
not been served because of the callousness and indifference, sometimes
of criminal collusion, and many times the lack of enforcement of
devastation against coloreds, Blacks, Negroes, and African Americans.
There was an era that we look sadly upon; but now today, in the spirit
of Dr. King's message of nonviolence, we are able to say yes,
profoundly yes.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Ms. SEWELL. I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlelady.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. I thank the gentlelady for her kindness.
We are able to now say profoundly to these girls' relatives that we
honor the children who lost their future. We honor them by saying to
their families, We care for you. And in the words of John F. Kennedy:
We are confronted primarily with a moral issue. It is as
old as the Scriptures, and it is as clear as the American
Constitution--justice delayed is sometimes justice denied.
But as Martin Luther King said in the Birmingham jail: ``Go wherever
injustice is.''
Today on the floor of the House, we will remedy injustice. I'm
delighted to be a supporter and cosponsor of this great resolution.
Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis).
[[Page H2267]]
(Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois asked and was given permission to
revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the
gentlewoman from Alabama for yielding me this time. I want to commend
her for her leadership and commend the leadership of Representative
Bachus from Alabama.
I remember that day vividly as a young activist at the time. We
thought it was unbelievable that this kind of tragedy could take place.
But I think it reminds all of us that yesterday is yesterday. We look
forward to tomorrow, and I again commend the gentlewoman from Alabama
and Mr. Bachus for reminding us of that time and what can happen when
we join hands together.
And so I thank you both.
Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the
distinguished gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson).
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I think many times
people wonder why so often we go back and give homage to our past. It's
because we still suffer the damages of the past. And we don't forget
the families that have given up so much just for us to be able to vote.
And we still struggle for that vote. We still struggle for the right to
vote, but we must continue. And I want to say to these families, and I
know some of them personally, how much we appreciate the fact that they
have been loyal to the cause, loyal to this country, loyal to our
military, and stand strong today. And so I want to thank you very much
for giving honor. I thank my colleague.
Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I want to conclude by thanking
all of my colleagues, especially my colleagues from Alabama, and all of
my colleagues who have participated in today's debate. It is indeed an
honor and a privilege for me, a native of Selma, Alabama, a 30-year
member of Brown Chapel AME Church, to have the humble honor to be a
sponsor of this bill.
I know that I drink deep from wells that I didn't dig, my whole
generation does. It is a long time overdue, but I just want to say
humbly, Thank you, and I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 360.
And again, I thank the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus). It has been
an honor to serve with you and to share this time with you.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BACHUS. (Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember that the 4 men
suspected of the bombing, Bobby Frank Cherry, Herman Cash, Thomas
Blanton, and Robert Chambliss, were not immediately prosecuted because
authorities believed it impossible to obtain a conviction in the heated
racial climate of the mid-1960s. Alabama Attorney General Bill Baxley
successfully prosecuted Robert Chambliss 13 years after the bombing.
After the indictment and conviction of Robert Chambliss the bombing
investigation was closed. The investigation was reopened in 1995 due to
the efforts of Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Rob
Langford and local African-American leaders. In 2001 and 2002 a joint
Federal and State task force, under the supervision of United States
Attorney Douglas Jones and Alabama Attorney General William Pryor,
successfully prosecuted Thomas Blanton and Bobby Frank Cherry with the
assistance of State and local law enforcement personnel. We in Alabama
and the Nation Owe a Debt of Gratitude for the tireless efforts of then
Attorney General Bill Baxley, FBI Special Agent Rob Langford, Local
African-American leaders, United States Attorney Douglas Jones, and
Alabama Attorney General William Pryor as well as those state and local
law enforcement personnel who brought these perpetrators to justice.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise as a
supporter of today's legislation that would award a Congressional Gold
Medal to commemorate the lives of Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair,
Carole Robinson and Cynthia Wesley.
This year we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the atrocious
bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama that
killed these four little girls on their way to Sunday School. While
nothing can bring these innocent victims back, today we honor their
legacy with this bill to award them Congressional Gold Medals.
Earlier this year I attended the anniversary of Freedom March in
Selma. It was a moving experience. The stories of the struggle for
civil rights remind us to continue to fight for the rights and freedoms
of all Americans. Today we take another step forward by honoring these
four innocent girls who lost their lives on that fateful day, 50 years
ago.
{time} 1340
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 360, 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. SEWELL of Alabama. 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, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________