[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.

                          ____________________