[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 117 (Monday, September 9, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S6298]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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 SENATE RESOLUTION 218--HONORING THE LEGACY OF A. PHILIP RANDOLPH AND 
 SALUTING HIS EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES TO 
                     FORM ``A MORE PERFECT UNION''

  Mr. NELSON submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 218

       Whereas A. Philip Randolph was born on April 15, 1889, and 
     grew up in Jacksonville, Florida;
       Whereas Mr. Randolph attended the Cookman Institute, one of 
     the first high schools for African Americans in the United 
     States, located in Jacksonville, Florida, and graduated 
     valedictorian of his class in 1907;
       Whereas Mr. Randolph was an inspirational person who 
     demonstrated an unyielding struggle for human rights on 
     behalf of marginalized groups in society;
       Whereas Mr. Randolph was active in both the civil rights 
     movement and the labor movement in the United States;
       Whereas Mr. Randolph was a tireless and highly effective 
     advocate for African-American rights during the 1930s and 
     1940s, focusing particularly on employment rights;
       Whereas Mr. Randolph led the effort to organize the porters 
     of the Pullman Company, one of the largest railroad car 
     companies in the United States at that time;
       Whereas Mr. Randolph founded the Brotherhood of Sleeping 
     Car Porters, an organization that advanced the rights of 
     African-American workers to dignity, respect, and a decent 
     livelihood;
       Whereas Mr. Randolph urged President Franklin Roosevelt to 
     end employment discrimination against African Americans in 
     the Federal Government;
       Whereas, after the urging of Mr. Randolph, President 
     Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802 (6 Fed. Reg. 3109) on 
     June 25, 1941, declaring that ``there shall be no 
     discrimination in the employment of workers in defense 
     industries and in government because of race, creed, color, 
     or national origin'' and established the Fair Employment 
     Practices Commission to oversee that order;
       Whereas Mr. Randolph urged President Harry Truman to end 
     segregation in the Armed Forces of the United States;
       Whereas, after the urging of Mr. Randolph, President Truman 
     issued Executive Order 9981 (13 Fed. Reg. 4313) on July 26, 
     1948, declaring that ``[T]here shall be equality of treatment 
     and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without 
     regard to race, color, religion or national origin. This 
     policy shall be put into effect as rapidly as possible, 
     having due regard to the time required to effectuate any 
     necessary changes without impairing efficiency or morale.'' 
     and closed the segregated Marine Corps boot camp at Montford 
     Point in Jacksonville, North Carolina;
       Whereas Mr. Randolph was actively involved in the planning 
     and organization of many civil rights efforts, including the 
     prayer pilgrimage for freedom in 1957, the marches for school 
     integration in 1958 and 1959, and the March on Washington in 
     1963;
       Whereas Mr. Randolph was the first speaker of the day at 
     the March on Washington on August 28, 1963, during which Dr. 
     Martin Luther King delivered his famous ``I Have a Dream'' 
     speech;
       Whereas the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Public Law 88-352; 78 
     Stat. 241), the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-110; 
     79 Stat. 437), and the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Public Law 
     90-284; 82 Stat. 73) are the fruits of the seeds that Mr. 
     Randolph and others like him sowed many years before;
       Whereas Mr. Randolph helped to found the Leadership 
     Conference on Civil and Human Rights;
       Whereas Amtrak named one of its luxury sleeping cars, the 
     Superliner II Deluxe Sleeper 32503, the ``A. Philip 
     Randolph'' in honor of Mr. Randolph;
       Whereas a bust in the likeness of Mr. Randolph stands in 
     Union Station in Washington, DC, as a tribute to his work on 
     behalf of African-American rail workers;
       Whereas, in 1964, Mr. Randolph was awarded the Presidential 
     Medal of Freedom by President Lyndon Johnson;
       Whereas the civil rights revolution was launched, in no 
     small part, based on the efforts of Mr. Randolph and the work 
     of statesmen like him; and
       Whereas, upon the celebration of the 50th anniversary of 
     the March on Washington in 2013, it is fitting to honor the 
     work of Mr. Randolph and his commitment to a better United 
     States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate honors the legacy of A. Philip 
     Randolph and salutes his efforts on behalf of the people of 
     the United States to form ``a more perfect union''.

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