[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.

                          ____________________