[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 207 (Wednesday, December 1, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H6715-H6716]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING ROSA PARKS ON THE 66TH ANNIVERSARY OF HER ARREST AND THE 
                BEGINNING OF THE MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Alabama (Ms. Sewell) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SEWELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an American pioneer 
and one of the greatest heroines of our time, Mrs. Rosa Parks on the 
66th anniversary of her arrest in Montgomery, Alabama.
  Today, 66 years ago, Rosa Parks took a bold stand against racial 
discrimination by refusing to give up her seat on a public bus in 
Montgomery, Alabama. Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat did more 
than simply desegregate the bus systems of Montgomery. Her dignified 
courage inspired a movement that changed our Nation.
  Rosa Parks' quiet refusal to surrender her seat to a White passenger 
on December 1, 1955, sparked a city-wide boycott of the Montgomery bus 
system that lasted 1 whole year and broke the very will of a city 
heavily steeped in segregation.
  Biographer Douglas Brinkley recounted the powerful moment in his 
biography of Rosa Parks, he writes:

       Are you going to stand up? the driver demanded. Rosa Parks 
     looked straight at him and said, No. Flustered and not quite 
     sure what to do, the bus driver retorted: Well, I'm going 
     to have you arrested. And Rosa Parks sat next to the 
     window, and quietly said: You may do that.

  Her soft yet forceful response led to an arrest, a $10 fine, and the 
beginning of the most important demonstration in American history. The 
Montgomery bus boycott stands as a powerful testament of the will of a 
disenfranchised people to work collectively to achieve extraordinary 
social change.

[[Page H6716]]

  Today, while we commemorate the progress that has been made, we must 
also recommit ourselves to the struggle and the fight for equal 
justice. We must remain vigilant in the struggle for voting rights, 
criminal justice reform, and economic equity.
  Foot soldiers like Rosa Parks, Claudette Colvin, and Attorney Fred 
Gray, whose lifelong work in the fight for justice and equality still 
resonate with us today and reminds us that we cannot take for granted 
the battles endured by those before us; nor must we neglect our own 
responsibility to ensure liberty and justice.
  As benefactors of the sacrifices of these brave men and women, we 
must be willing to answer the modern day call and to dare to be 
trailblazers on our own. Rosa Parks' quiet refusal to surrender her 
seat on December 1, 1955, inspired generations of others to continue 
her legacy by standing up for the values that our democracy holds dear.
  Because of her contributions, I am proud to join with Congressman   
Jim Cooper and CBC Chairwoman Joyce Beatty in introducing the Rosa 
Parks Day Act, which would designate today, December 1, as a new 
Federal holiday in her honor.
  This bill will ensure that her brave sacrifice lives on in American 
history and serves as a reminder to continue to protect the gains that 
we have made over 60 years ago while tackling the challenges that 
plague this Nation today.
  While we honor the guardian of the Montgomery bus boycott today, we 
must also acknowledge her sacrifices and do our own responsibility as a 
call to action. Though Jim Crow is no more, there are modern-day 
challenges that require the time and talents of each of us. We must 
remain vigilant in seeking justice for the countless Black Americans 
that fall victim to police brutality.
  We must remain vigilant in our commitment to continuing the fight to 
protect the sacred right to vote. We owe Rosa Parks and so many others 
nothing less.

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