[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 79 (Tuesday, May 15, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H3949-H3951]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MEDGAR EVERS HOME NATIONAL MONUMENT ACT
Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 4895) to establish the Medgar Evers National Monument in
the State of Mississippi, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4895
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Medgar Evers Home National
Monument Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Monument.--The term ``Monument'' means the Medgar Evers
Home National Monument established by section 3.
(2) Historic district.--The term ``Historic District''
means the Medgar Evers Historic District, as included on the
National Register of Historic Places, and as generally
depicted on the Map.
(3) Map.--The term ``Map'' means the map entitled ``Medgar
Evers Home National Monument'', numbered 515/142561, and
dated February 2018.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National
Park Service.
(5) College.--The term ``College'' means Tougaloo College,
a private educational institution located in Tougaloo,
Mississippi.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF MEDGAR EVERS HOME NATIONAL MONUMENT.
(a) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), there is
established the Medgar Evers Home National Monument in the
State of Mississippi as a unit of the National Park System to
preserve, protect, and interpret for the benefit of present
and future generations resources associated with Medgar
Evers' pivotal role in the American Civil Rights Movement.
(2) Conditions.--The Monument shall not be established
until the date on which the Secretary--
(A) has entered into a written agreement with the College
providing that all parcels within the Medgar Evers Home
National Monument boundary as depicted on the Map shall be
donated to the United States for inclusion in the Monument to
be managed consistently with the purposes of the Monument;
and
(B) has otherwise acquired sufficient land or interests in
land within the boundaries of the Monument to constitute a
manageable unit.
(b) Boundaries.--The boundaries of the Monument shall be
the boundaries as generally depicted on the Map.
(c) Availability of Map.--The Map shall be on file and
available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of
the National Park Service.
(d) Acquisition Authority.--The Secretary may only acquire
any land or interest in land located within the boundary of
the Monument by--
(1) donation;
(2) purchase with donated funds; or
(3) exchange.
(e) Administration.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall administer the
Monument in accordance with--
(A) this Act; and
(B) the laws generally applicable to units of the National
Park System, including--
(i) section 100101(a), chapter 1003, and sections
100751(a), 100752, 100753, and 102101 of title 54, United
States Code; and
(ii) chapter 3201 of title 54, United States Code.
(2) Management plan.--
(A) Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds
are first made available to the Secretary for this purpose,
the Secretary shall prepare a general management plan for the
Monument in accordance with section 100502 of title 54,
United States Code.
(B) On completion of the general management plan under
subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall submit it to the
Committee on Natural Resources of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the Senate.
(f) Cooperative Agreements.--
(1) Monument.--The Secretary shall enter into a cooperative
agreement with the College for interpretive and educational
programming related to the Monument, and may enter into other
cooperative agreements for the purposes of carrying out this
Act.
(2) Historic district.--The Secretary may enter into
cooperative agreements with the owner of a nationally
significant property within the Historic District, to
identify, mark, interpret, improve, restore, and provide
technical assistance with respect to the preservation and
interpretation of the property.
(g) No Buffer Zones.--Nothing in this Act, the
establishment of the Monument, or the management of the
Monument shall be construed to create buffer zones outside of
the Monument. The fact that an activity or use can be seen,
heard, or detected from within the Monument shall not
preclude the conduct of that activity or use outside of the
Monument.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Utah (Mr. Bishop) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Soto) each will
control 20 minutes.
[[Page H3950]]
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah.
General Leave
Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Utah?
There was no objection.
Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I know this is somewhat unusual, but
I really would like to have the sponsor of this bill have the first
opportunity to speak towards it. It is one of my favorites, so I am
going to reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson).
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from
Florida for being so kind in yielding.
Mr. Speaker, today the House will consider H.R. 4895, the Medgar
Evers Home National Monument Act, a bipartisan bill to designate the
home of civil rights leader Medgar Evers as a national monument.
Located in Jackson, Mississippi, the Evers family home, which was
designated a national historic landmark in 2017, is hallowed ground for
those of us who lived through the struggle for racial equality and
desegregation.
That single-story ranch-style house bore witness to one of the most
consequential moments in the civil rights era: the assassination of
Medgar Wiley Evers, a son of Mississippi, who was assassinated in his
driveway by those who saw his efforts at making America a more perfect
and just Union as a threat.
Through his work for the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People, Medgar Evers earned an indelible place in the annals of
American history and the civil rights movement. Mr. Evers was a hero
for change, resistance, and equal rights for African-American citizens
in this country.
Mr. Speaker, I am honored to, in my capacity as a Congressman of the
Second Congressional District of Mississippi, author this legislation
to honor the sacrifice of not just civil rights icon Medgar Evers, but
his widow, Myrlie, by designating their home as a national monument.
Medgar Evers had a vision to defeat injustice for African Americans
in the State of Mississippi as well as throughout the United States.
Born in Decatur, Mississippi, Mr. Evers lived through the Jim Crow
South and wrangled with the overwhelming plight of racial
discrimination head-on.
Mr. Evers was a 1952 graduate of what is now known as Alcorn State
University, a great institution situated in my district. After
graduating, Evers worked on the Regional Council of Negro Leadership,
which provided him with critical training in activism. Then, in 1954,
he applied to the University of Mississippi School of Law, and despite
the landmark Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision, his
application was rejected.
After the rejection by the University of Mississippi School of Law,
Mr. Evers accepted the position of State field secretary for the NAACP.
Over a 9-year period, Mr. Evers crisscrossed the State, working to get
African Americans involved in civil rights activism and to register to
vote.
Even though racial discrimination and oppression had polluted the
minds of an overwhelming majority of Whites in Mississippi and
throughout the South, Mr. Evers led many of the fights against
injustice. His dogged pursuit for justice made him a target for hate,
and on June 12, 1963, Mr. Evers was gunned down in the driveway of his
home and later died at a local hospital.
Designating the home of Medgar Evers a national monument will be an
everlasting tribute to his legacy and journey that countless Americans
undertook for equality.
This legislation is of great personal importance to me because I,
like many others, was inspired by the magnitude of the determination of
Mr. Evers to dedicate himself to others and fight against adversity. I
am honored to walk the path paved by such a civil rights icon.
H.R. 4895 is a bipartisan measure. Representative Rob Bishop of Utah
is an original cosponsor.
Additionally, it adds significant support from stakeholders. I
received letters of support for H.R. 4895 from Tougaloo College, the
Mississippi Department of Archives and History, and the Jackson
Historic Preservation Commission.
Mr. Speaker, I include these letters of support in the Record.
Tougaloo College,
Tougaloo, MS, January 29, 2018.
Hon. Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Natural Resources Committee,
Washington, DC.
Dear Congressman Bishop: I have discussed with the
leadership of Tougaloo College's Board of Trustees the plan
to designate the Medgar Evers Home Museum as a national
monument through congressional legislation. We have reviewed
the proposed draft legislation and spoken with Congressman
Bennie G. Thompson, our congressional representative. We have
also spoken with the Mrs. Myrlie Evers Williams and her
daughter. We have received no opposition to the plan to move
forward with this designation through congressional
legislation.
We support the transfer of ownership to the National Park
Services, if the legislation passes. We are inspired by the
distinction this designation would mean for the Medgar Evers
Home and the legacy of Medgar Evers. We are also encouraged
to know the Home would be maintained by the National Park
Services. We are equally encouraged that there will be
opportunities for the College to continue to play a role with
the Home through interpretative and educational programming
as well as other learning opportunities that might be
available for our students.
Thank you for contacting Tougaloo College. We look forward
to hearing from you regarding the next steps.
Sincerely,
Beverly W. Hogan,
President.
____
Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Historic
Preservation Division,
Jackson, MS, February 5, 2018.
Re Medgar Evers National Monument.
Mr. Terry Camp,
Professional Staff, Committee on Natural Resources,
Subcommittee on Federal Lands.
Dear Mr. Camp: The Mississippi Department of Archives and
History (MDAH) is pleased to know that the Committee of
Natural Resources will be considering House Bill 4895, which
would establish the Medgar and Myrlie Evers House in Jackson,
Mississippi, as a National Monument. The Medgar and Myrlie
Evers House was designated as a Mississippi Landmark in 1993
and for the past two decades, MDAH has worked closely with
the property's owner, Tougaloo College, on the house's
restoration. In 2017, the Medgar and Myrlie Evers House was
designated as a National Historic Landmark by the Secretary
of the Interior. Thanks to all those efforts, the house is
now an important venue for telling the stories of
Mississippi's Civil Rights struggle and explaining how the
dedication and labors of one couple changed not only
Mississippi but the nation as a whole. With the recent
opening of the new Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, those
stories have an even wider audience.
We certainly appreciate the efforts of Congressman Thompson
in drafting this legislation and join our friends and
colleagues at Tougaloo College in wholeheartedly endorsing
House Bill 4895.
Sincerely,
Kenneth H. P'Pool,
Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer.
____
Jackson Historic Preservation
Commission,
Jackson, MS, February 5, 2018.
Hon. Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Natural Resources Committee,
Washington, DC.
Dear Congressman Bishop: I have reviewed the Bill H.R. 4895
and the Legislative Hearing Memo on this bill with other
Jackson Historic Preservation Commissioners. I
enthusiastically support the establishment of the Medgar
Evers National Monument under the purview of the National
Park Service.
Medgar Evers was Field Secretary for the NAACP in
Mississippi from January 1955 until his assassination on 12
June 1963, in front of this house. The house was designated
as Jackson local landmark in 1992 and the neighborhood
surrounding the house was designated a local historic
district, called the Medgar Evers Neighborhood Historic
District, in 1994.
We are inspired by the establishment of the Medgar Evers
National Monument would mean for the Medgar Evers Home, the
legacy of Medgar Evers, and for the Medgar Evers historic
neighborhood. We are also encouraged that there will be
opportunities for Jackson Historic Preservation Commission to
continue to play a role in preserving Medgar Evers
Neighborhood Historic District.
Thank you for contacting Jackson Historic Preservation
Commission. As the chairman of Jackson Historic Preservation
Commission, I urge the committee to offer favorable
consideration to this request for establishing
[[Page H3951]]
the Medgar Evers National Monument in the State of
Mississippi, and for other purposes.
Sincerely,
Jeff Seabold,
Chairman.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from
Florida for his very kind yielding of time.
Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Mississippi for,
one, chronicling the legacy and untimely death of Medgar Evers, a
favorite son of Mississippi and civil rights hero, and also for his
personal remarks on how he inspired him.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Mr. Thompson introducing this bill, and
introducing it with his remarks so far. This is an important one to me,
too, which is why I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bill.
I remember this gentleman, and I remember the events of his
assassination. I think it had an impact on everybody.
Medgar Evers was born in 1925 and served in the military during World
War II in both Germany and France and then became one of those who
fought to try and integrate a law school in the 1950s.
He was assassinated, as Mr. Thompson said, in 1963, and I clearly
remember watching that on the news at the time and being impacted by
it.
{time} 1715
Mr. Soto probably wasn't even born then, but the rest of us still
remember this event going on there.
He tragically died within an hour after that shooting and is now
buried in Arlington National Cemetery. The home was donated to Tougaloo
University, and it is currently being operated as a museum with period
pieces, as well as the memorabilia that talks about the legacy of this
icon of the civil rights movement.
I am happy that we are doing this particular bill, because these are
the kinds of projects that should be national monuments. These are the
historical sites that need to be in the National Park System so that
people can go there, they can learn, and, more importantly, so they can
remember. Because it is in forgetting in which we sin; in remembering
is when we will never forget the legacy of Medgar Evers and what he
sacrificed to move this country forward in some particular way.
So I commend Representative Thompson for introducing this
legislation. I am very proud of the way we are doing it. This is the
proper way of creating a national monument: by legislative action and
going through the legislative process, during the hearing, during the
committee, bringing it to the floor, and then taking it over to the
Senate.
I expect this to be passed very quickly. I expect this to become a
reality. And I expect this to be an illustration of how Congress should
be creating national monuments going forward in the future.
Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers, and I reserve the balance of
my time.
Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, while I was born 15 years after the untimely
death of Mr. Medgar Evers, we live in a more just and perfect union as
a result of his sacrifices.
So I thank his sacrifices and the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr.
Thompson) for bringing this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I will not say the gentleman is just
a child.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 4895, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to
establish the Medgar Evers Home National Monument in the State of
Mississippi, and for other purposes.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________