[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 173 (Tuesday, December 1, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1684]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE NATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION'S CIVIL RIGHTS COMMEMORATION TOUR

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                          HON. TERRI A. SEWELL

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 1, 2015

  Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 
National Bar Association's Civil Rights Commemoration Tour during the 
60th Commemoration of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Today, we honor the 
pivotal role that black lawyers played during the Montgomery Bus 
Boycott and the Civil Rights Movement.
   Sixty years ago, demonstrators in Montgomery boldly challenged the 
segregated bus system with the help of talented black attorneys who 
were committed to eradicating social injustices across the State of 
Alabama. Gifted lawyers like Thurgood Marshall, Fred Gray, Constance 
Baker Motley, U.W. Clemon and countless other African American 
attorneys argued and won some of the most pivotal cases of the Civil 
Rights and Voting Rights Movement. Yet so often we overlook the 
courageous men and women who bravely defeated the government sanctioned 
oppression that was Jim Crow in the courtroom. Each of their stories is 
embedded in the fabric of this nation for they contributed to making 
America a more fair and just society.
   The State of Alabama was home to some of the key black lawyers in 
the civil rights movement. One of the most impactful lawyers of the 
Movement was Alabama native, Fred Gray. Attorney Fred Gray came to 
prominence representing key figures in the Montgomery Bus Boycott 
including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Claudette Colvin, and Rosa 
Parks. He represented Rosa Parks on appeal for her conviction for 
violating Montgomery's public transit segregation law which ultimately 
led to the desegregation of buses throughout the City of Montgomery. 
Attorney Fred Gray later secured a victory in Williams v. Wallace 
(1963) which protected the Selma to Montgomery marchers. Attorney Fred 
Gray continues today to provide legal counsel to so many in the fight 
for social and economic justice. Attorney Fred Gray's indelible legacy 
paved the way for many other black lawyers including Judge U.W. Clemon, 
Alabama's first black federal judge and Judge Oscar Adams who was the 
first African-American Alabama Supreme Court Justice.
   Likewise, the National Bar Association has consistently been 
recognized for its commitment to spearheading efforts to uplift those 
that are oppressed and disenfranchised. Since its inception in 1924, 
the National Bar Association has fostered and supported the important 
role of black lawyers in the fight for equal justice. Today, that 
legacy continues under the leadership of its President Attorney 
Benjamin Crump who is a modern-day example of what it means to fight 
for equality and justice in the courtroom.
   As a Member of Congress and a former member of the National Bar 
Association, I am honored to welcome the association to my district 
during the 60th commemoration of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. During 
this special commemoration, we thank the National Bar Association for 
all of the work it has done and continues to do, and we salute its 
individual members who are working to make a difference in the lives of 
everyday Americans.
   I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting the significant 
contributions and achievements to this nation of black lawyers and the 
National Bar Association during this 60th commemoration of the 
Montgomery Bus Boycott.

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