[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 89 (Tuesday, May 23, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3099-S3100]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
By Mr. COTTON (for himself and Mr. Leahy):
S. 1202. A bill to modify the boundary of the Little Rock Central
High School National Historic Site, and for other purposes; to the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, September will mark the 60th anniversary
of the Little Rock Nine, the nine African-American students who
enrolled in the then-all-white Little Rock Central High School in 1957.
Ask anyone who lived through the crisis, and they will tell you they
remember it vividly. They may not have been there in person, but they
remember the photos, those searing images of an angry mob, the stoic
students, the bayoneted troops, all gathering in a high school, of all
places.
Perhaps the most searing image is of Elizabeth Eckford, one of the
nine who was then only 15 years old. She didn't get word that the other
students were going as a group. She went alone in a simple black-and-
white dress she had made just for the occasion. The mob baited her,
menaced her, cursed her, some threatened to lynch her. She later said
of her walk to the school's entrance: ``It was the longest block I've
ever walked in my whole life.''
I think it is of the highest importance that we preserve their story
and share it with our kids. It is a reminder of pretty sad times in our
history and, more important, of the courage shown by nine young
Arkansans, who helped our State and our Nation overcome deep-seated
prejudices by appealing to the better angels of our nature.
We preserve historic battlefields like Yorktown and Gettysburg
because we want our children to know what it took to gain and keep our
freedom--the sacrifices made, the hardships endured. Equally important
is preserving historic sites like Central High, where our citizens
began the long road to freedom from oppression and intolerance.
That is why we made Central High School a historic site years ago,
though with one oversight. There are seven homes across the street from
the school. Their exteriors were in many of the pictures that are now
so famous. There has long been a movement to preserve those exteriors
so future generations will be able to see Central High exactly as it
looked when the Little Rock Nine arrived to school.
I am proud to say that today I am introducing a bill with three of my
colleagues--the senior Senator of Vermont Pat Leahy, Congressman French
Hill of Little Rock, and civil rights legend Congressman John Lewis--
that would do just that. It would extend the boundary of the Central
High historical site to include these seven homes.
It would add about an acre and a half to the park, although I should
say this bill would not authorize the Federal Government to take
ownership of the homes and wouldn't allow the National Park Service to
buy them in the future. Instead, it would simply encourage the
homeowners and National Park Service to work together to preserve these
homes so future generations could see them and learn from them. That is
one reason our bill has the support of the homeowners, the Central High
Neighborhood Association, and my State's historic preservation advocacy
group, Preserve Arkansas. All three have written to me to express
support for the bill. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have
their letters printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Central High Neighborhood Inc.
May 16, 2017.
U.S. Senator Tom Cotton,
ATTN: Lisa Harst,
Washington DC.
Dear Senator Cotton: On behalf of the Central High
Neighborhood, Inc. (CHNI), I would like to express support
for your proposed legislation that would move the boundary of
the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site to
include seven properties across the street from the high
school.
CHNI is proud to support this initiative, which would
recognize the historical significance of seven homes located
on the 1400 and 1500 blocks of Park Street. The boundary
adjustment encourages proper care and preservation of these
homes by allowing property owners, on a case by case basis,
to enter into cooperative agreements with the National Park
Service.
CHNI understands that property owners will maintain
rightful ownership and that the Park Service has no intention
to purchase the homes neither now, nor in the future.
CHNI would like to thank you for your work on this very
important issue and hopes you will remain engaged with us as
your bill advances through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Whitney Patterson,
President, on behalf of Central High Neighborhood, Inc.
Preserve Arkansas,
May 4, 2017.
Ms. Lisa B. Harst,
Legislative Assistant, U.S. Senator Tom Cotton,
Washington, DC.
Dear Ms. Harst: My name is Rachel Patton, and I am the
executive director of Preserve Arkansas, Arkansas's statewide
historic preservation advocacy group. On behalf of our board
of directors, I am writing to support the proposed expansion
of the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site
boundary to include the seven homes across the street from
the high school. This
[[Page S3100]]
simple boundary adjustment will encourage the preservation of
the seven historic homes in the 1400 and 1500 blocks of Park
Street and allow homeowners, on a case by case basis, to
enter cooperative agreements with the National Park Service
while retaining private property ownership.
We feel that this is an important step in the right
direction for the Central High School Neighborhood Historic
District as a whole. Please let me know if I may provide
further assistance with this initiative.
Sincerely,
Rachel Patton,
Executive Director.
____
From: Patricia McGraw.
Subject: Washington Heritage House.
To Whom It May Concern: City Officials
Dear Ms. Harst: We, the owners of the properties, addresses
listed above, located directly across Park Street in front of
the famous and renowned educational facility, Little Rock
Central High School, wish to express our gratitude and
appreciation of all that you do for our neighborhood, our
city, and our state, particularly in learning that the
National Park Service wishes to expand their boundaries to
include our seven houses. It is our belief that our houses
add to the beauty and dignity of the structural and
environmental beauty, dignity, and grace to this area of
Little Rock.
In that we are greatly interested in the continuous
celebrated dignity of this site, we are very supportive of
direction to expand upon this historic city development, and
we appreciate our being included in this significant idea.
Please continue to keep us abreast of new developments and
ideas which we intend to implement as wished by the city
officials, and intend to seek funding to make this dream of
our foreparents to come true.
Thanks again for including us, and please take care of
yourselves and our city. Love and Deep Appreciation For All
That You Do:
Sincerely,
Dr. Patricia Washington McGraw,
Mrs. Grace Blagdon,
Other Concerned Owners.
Mr. COTTON. There is widespread agreement in the community and in our
State that this site is not just a part of Arkansas' history, it is a
part of our national heritage.
Central High stands as a reminder of an article Billy Graham
published during the crisis, ``No Color Line in Heaven.'' It was a
hard-won lesson and one I think we should do everything we can to pass
on to the next generation.
____________________