[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 17] [Senate] [Pages 23599-23603] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]HONORING THE LIFE OF AND EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES OF THE SENATE ON THE PASSING OF ROSA PARKS Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 287, submitted earlier today. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title. The assistant legislative clerk read as follows: A resolution (S. Res. 287) honoring the life of and expressing the condolences of the Senate on the passing of Rosa Parks. There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the resolution. Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, last evening, we lost Rosa Parks. She died at the age of 92. Her personal bravery and self-sacrifice have shaped this Nation's history and she is remembered with reverence and respect by us all. A half century ago, Rosa Parks, the black seamstress whose refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery, AL bus to a white man sparked a revolution in American race relations. Rosa Parks decided that she would no longer tolerate the humiliation and demoralization of racial segregation on a bus. In her own words, Rosa Parks said, ``People always say that I didn't give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn't true. I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. I was not old, although some people have an image of me as being old then. I was forty-two. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.'' The strength and spirit of this courageous woman captured the consciousness of not only the American people but the entire world. Rosa Parks's arrest for violating the city's segregation [[Page 23600]] laws was the catalyst for the Montgomery bus, boycott. Her stand on that December day in 1955 was not an isolated incident but part of a lifetime of struggle for equality and justice. Twelve years earlier, in 1943, Rosa Parks had been arrested for violating another one of the city's bus related segregation laws requiring blacks to pay their fares at the front of the bus, then get off of the bus and reboard from the rear of the bus. The driver of that bus, was the same driver with whom she would have her confrontation years later. The rest is history; the boycott which Rosa Parks began was the beginning of an American revolution that elevated that status of African Americans nationwide and introduced to the world a young leader who would one day have a national holiday declared in his honor, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. For her personal bravery and self-sacrifice, in 1999, we honored Rosa Parks with the Congressional Gold Medal. My home State of Michigan proudly claims Rosa Parks as one of our own. Rosa Parks and her husband Raymond made the journey to Detroit in 1957 where Rosa Parks's brother resided. In the years since, she continued to dedicate her life to advancing equal opportunity and to educating our youth about the past struggles for freedom, from slavery up to the civil rights movement of the 1960s. In 1987, the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development was established. Its primary focus has been working with young people from across the country and the world as part of the ``Pathways to Freedom'' program. The pathways program traces history from the days of the underground railroad to the civil rights movement of the 1960s and beyond. Through this institute, young people, ages 11 to 17, meet with national leaders and participate in a variety of educational and research projects. During the summer months, they have the opportunity to travel across the country visiting historical sites. The Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development has expanded to include an intergenerational mentoring and computer skills partnership program, which teams young people with elderly Americans. Generational and age barriers break down as young people help the elderly develop computer skills, while the elderly provide their unique and personalized recollections of their lives in American history. To date, over 10,000 youth from around the world have participated in this program. With the work of her institute, we can truly say that in addition to having played a major role in shaping America's past and present, Rosa Parks is continuing to help shape America's future. Mr. President, I close with the profound, instructive words of Rosa Parks, which she spoke in 1988. She said: ``I am leaving this legacy to all of you . . . to bring peace, justice, equality, love and a fulfillment of what our lives should be. Without vision, the people will perish, and without courage and inspiration, dreams will die--the dream of freedom and peace.'' Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, one of the honors and duties of serving in the United States Senate is to note the passing of great Americans and to recognize their greatness. Last night, Rosa Parks died in her home in Detroit. She was 92 years old. Rosa Parks did not set out to become a hero on the evening of December 1, 1955. She was, like millions of other Americans, merely on her way home after a long day's work. She was a seamstress in Montgomery, AL, but her simple, profound act of civil disobedience was the spark that ignited the modern civil rights movement. For far too many African Americans at that time America did not live up to its promise that ``all men are created equal.'' Thanks to Rosa Parks, America was forced to look at itself in the mirror, admit its failing, and recommit itself to its founding ideals. Dr. Martin Luther King once wrote that ``human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men.'' This is the story of one such effort. Rosa Parks was heading home that winter night on the Montgomery city bus system, which was segregated. Front row seats were reserved for White passengers. Blacks were restricted to the back of the bus and sometimes the middle of the bus. But if a White passenger demanded a Black person give up his or her seat, that Black person was required to do so. On that first day in December, the White bus driver demanded that four African Americans give up their seats so a single White man could sit down. Three of them complied. Rosa didn't. ``If you don't stand up I'm going to call the police and have you arrested,'' said the driver. But Rosa Parks had had enough of the evil divisions of segregation, and she replied to the driver, ``You may do that.'' With this simple refusal, Rosa Parks set into motion a crusade that would eventually awaken the conscience of our country. Perhaps the time was right for a nation like America to erase the stain of segregation. But it was not inevitable that the struggle would start on that day in that town, lit by one woman's courage and conviction. Nor was it inevitable that Mrs. Parks took her stand in a town that counted among its residents a 26-year-old preacher named Martin Luther King, Jr. In response, Dr. King became the leader of the local bus boycott. Over time, as we all know, he led America's civil rights movement to overcome the injustices that robbed millions of our fellow citizens of their full rights as Americans. Rosa Parks' life proved that one American with courage can make a majority. We note her passing with sadness but also with deep gratitude for the gift she left all of us. Mr. REID. Mr. President, yesterday, our Nation lost one of our heroes, Rosa Parks--the mother of the modern civil rights movement. The movement that she helped launch changed not only our country but the entire world, as her actions gave hope to every individual fighting for civil and human rights. While history proudly remembers December 1, 1955, as Rosa Parks' bravest moment, her fight against oppression and segregation began long before that day. Mrs. Parks was active in the Montgomery NAACP, serving as secretary and as an adviser to the NAACP's Youth Council. She also worked to register African Americans to vote and was active in many other civil rights causes. While it was her act of defiance in 1955 that garnered national attention, she had been thrown off a bus 12 years earlier--by the same driver--for refusing to move. Why was she thrown off the bus? Even then, she refused to give up her seat. Rosa Parks' bravery triggered the Montgomery bus boycott. The boycott gained national attention, ushered in an atmosphere of change, and was the precursor to landmark legislation--most importantly, the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. Eventually, the issue of segregation and Montgomery's bus policy ended up in the Supreme Court-- another reminder of how important the institution is in protecting the rights of every American. And we should not forget something else. The boycott introduced the Nation to a young minister, a Baptist preacher named Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. While the Nation will miss Rosa Parks, we take heart in the fact that her legacy will be felt by generations to come. As Senators, all of us have a special responsibility when it comes to the legacy of Rosa Parks. It is not enough for us to celebrate her life with words. As leaders of this country, we must honor it with deeds, deeds that continue the fight Rosa Parks began almost 50 years ago. Specifically, we must reauthorize the Voting Rights Act, which has opened the doors of political participation to countless Americans. We must work to increase educational opportunities so that all young people have a chance for a better life. We must ensure that our policies build a better America for the meek and vulnerable, not only the powerful and strong. This work is how we [[Page 23601]] will truly celebrate the life of Rosa Parks. All of us in this Chamber have it in our power to further the fight she began, and we owe it to every American to ensure her legacy endures. Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, today the Nation mourns a genuine American hero. Rosa Parks died yesterday in her home in Detroit. Through her courage and by her example, Rosa Parks helped lay the foundation for a country that could begin to live up to its creed. Her life, and her brave actions, reminded each and every one of us of our personal responsibilities to stand up for what is right and the central truth of the American experience that our greatness as a nation derives from seemingly ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Rosa Parks' life was a lesson in perseverance. As a child, she grew up listening to the Ku Klux Klan ride by her house, fearing that her house would be burned down. In her small hometown in Alabama, she attended a one-room school for African American children that only went through the sixth grade. When she moved to Montgomery, AL, to continue her schooling, she was forced to clean classrooms after school to pay her tuition. Although she attended Alabama State Teachers College, Rosa Parks would later make her living as a seamstress and housekeeper. But she didn't accept that her opportunities were limited to sewing clothes or cleaning houses. In her 40s, Rosa Parks was appointed secretary of the Montgomery branch of the NAACP and was active in voter registration drives with the Montgomery Voters League. In the summer of 1955, she attended the Highlander Folk School, where she took classes in workers' rights and racial equality. Well before she made headlines across the country, she was a highly respected member of the Montgomery community and a committed member of the civil rights effort. Of course, her name became permanently etched in American history on December 1, 1955, when she was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery bus. It wasn't the first time Rosa Parks refused to acquiesce to the Jim Crow system. The same bus driver who had her arrested had thrown her off a bus the year before for refusing to give up her seat. Some schoolchildren are taught that Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat because her feet were tired. But our Nation's schoolbooks are only getting it half right. She once said: The only tired I was, was tired of giving in. This solitary act of civil disobedience became a call to action. Her arrest led a then relatively unknown pastor, Martin Luther King, Jr., to organize a boycott of the Montgomery bus system. That boycott lasted 381 days and culminated in a landmark Supreme Court decision finding that the city's segregation policy was unconstitutional. This solitary act of civil disobedience was also the spark that ignited the beginning of the end for segregation and inspired millions around the country and ultimately around the world to get involved in the fight for racial equality. Rosa Parks' persistence and determination did not end that day in Montgomery, nor did it end with the passage of the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act years later. She stayed active in the NAACP and other civil rights groups for years. From 1965 to 1988, Ms. Parks continued her public service by working for my good friend Congressman John Conyers. And in an example of her low-key demeanor, her job in Congressman Conyers' office did not involve appearances as a figurehead or celebrity; she helped homeless folks find housing. At the age of 74, she opened the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development, which offers education and job training programs for disadvantaged youth. And even into her 80s, Rosa Parks gave lectures and attended meetings with civil rights groups. At the age of 86, Rosa Parks' courage and fortitude was recognized by President Bill Clinton, who awarded her the Nation's highest honor for a civilian the Congressional Gold Medal. As we honor the life of Rosa Parks, we should not limit our commemorations to lofty eulogies. Instead, let us commit ourselves to carrying on her fight, one solitary act at a time, and ensure that her passion continues to inspire as it did a half-century ago. That, in my view, is how we can best thank her for her immense contributions to our country. Rosa Parks once said: As long as there is unemployment, war, crime and all things that go to the infliction of man's inhumanity to man, regardless--there is much to be done, and people need to work together. Now that she has passed, it is up to us to make sure that her message is shared. While we will miss her cherished spirit, let's make sure that her legacy lives on in the heart of a nation. As a personal note, I think it is fair to say were it not for that quiet moment of courage by Mrs. Parks, I would not be standing here today. I owe her a great thanks, as does the Nation. She will be sorely missed. I yield the floor. Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, with the passing of Rosa Parks, the Nation has lost a courageous woman, a true American heroine, and an icon of the civil rights movement. All of us mourn her loss. Half a century ago, Rosa Parks stood up not only for herself but for all future generations of Americans. Her quiet resoluteness in the face of segregation inspired America, transformed the civil rights movement, and roused the moral conscience of the Nation from its long slumber on civil rights. We will never forget her, and our hearts and prayers today are with her loved ones. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was a seamstress in Montgomery, AL, on her way home by bus from her work. Under the law at that time in Montgomery, and in many other places in the South, Rosa Parks, as an African American, was ordered to give up her seat for a white passenger when the bus became crowded. She refused, was arrested, and lost her job as a result. But her courageous act prompted the African American community to begin a boycott of the Montgomery bus system, which eventually broke the back of the Jim Crow rules in the system, and Montgomery buses were desegregated the following year. Her later life continued to demonstrate her quiet moral resolve and her extraordinary commitment to doing what is right. She continued her civil rights work after moving to Detroit in 1957, working with the office of Congressman John Conyers for over 20 years, and later starting the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development, a nonprofit organization that motivates youths to reach their highest potential. In 1996, Rosa Parks was honored by President Clinton with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and she received the Congressional Gold Medal in 1999. I join my colleagues from Michigan, Senators Levin and Stabenow, in support of a resolution honoring the life and accomplishments of Rosa Parks. Her courage, dignity, and determination symbolize the best of America, the spirit of patriotism that challenges us whenever we fail to live up to the highest ideals of our society. Today, as we mourn the passing of Rosa Parks, we are reminded how much has been accomplished because of her sacrifice, and how much work America still has to do to fully live up to her ideals of equality. We are grateful for her example, and proud to carry on her mission of hope, opportunity, and equal justice for all. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote about her courageous step towards equality, ``[N]o one can understand the action of Mrs. Parks unless he realizes that eventually the cup of endurance runs over, and the human personality cries out, `I can take it no longer'''. Let those words in honor of Rosa Parks be our guide today. Mr. ALLEN. Mr. President, we learned last night of the passing of one of this Nation's greatest Civil Rights heroes who will always be remembered for her steadfast leadership for equal justice. When Rosa Parks peacefully refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery public bus in 1955, her solitary act of courage for the cause of equality [[Page 23602]] became a defining moment in American history. It was Mrs. Parks' steady courage and unflinching character that helped set in motion changes that moved the hearts and minds of the American people. She clearly demonstrated the need for our country to live up to one of our founding principles, that all men are created equal. America is a much better place today because of the strength of this quiet seamstress from Tuskegee. My thoughts and prayers are with Mrs. Parks' family during these days of sadness. I would encourage young Americans to visit the Rosa Parks Library and Museum in Montgomery to learn about her life. It is my hope that the spirit of Rosa Parks continues to live on in America and that this Nation and its leaders never forget the important lessons about decency and equality of opportunity for all. I know that her spirit will live on in my life. Mr. KYL. Mr. President, America mourns the passing of a quiet hero, Rosa Parks, who died yesterday in Detroit at the age of 92. On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, AL, a seamstress named Rosa Parks refused to move from her seat near the front of a city bus so a White person could sit there. Like a shot heard round the world, her act of civil disobedience spurred the movement to gain social and political equality for Black people in this country. It is almost hard to recover, half a century later, a sense of how much courage it took for her to do what she did. By remaining seated, she violated a local segregation law that consigned African Americans to second-class citizenship. She was arrested for disorderly conduct, and the incident galvanized the Montgomery bus boycott, propelling Martin Luther King, Jr., the boycott's leader, to a national role in the civil rights movement. As the ancient poet once said, ``A good reputation is more valuable than money.'' Rosa Parks' sterling reputation was what civil rights leaders banked on in putting her in the spotlight for the cause that day--and they were never disappointed. Throughout her long life she exemplified honesty, integrity, and dignity, and articulated the all- important principle that political and social equality is every American's due. Mrs. Parks, along with Dr. King, A. Philip Randolph, Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer, Bob Moses, and the other campaigners for civil rights during the 1940s, 1950s, and early 1960s, had faith in the legal process. They had faith, too, in the moral conscience of America. They knew time had come. Their patience, their discipline, and their understanding that these two qualities would win the White majority to their cause, were admirable. Mrs. Parks deserves a share of the credit for accomplishments in the decade following the famous bus boycott: passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965. These laws made illegal racial segregation in public accommodations, in housing, in education, and in the workforce. These and other civil rights laws have not eradicated bigotry. They have not gotten us all the way to a colorblind society yet. But they were huge strides toward making America live up to its founding doctrine that ``All men are created equal.'' Mrs. Parks took risks to vindicate ideas that transcend race, color, and religious creed. She said: ``To this day I believe we are here on the planet Earth to live, grow up and do what we can to make this world a better place for all people to enjoy freedom.'' She stood for what is universal. That is why interest in one seamstress' act on a December day long ago in Alabama has never flagged. There are books, songs, and television shows about the bus boycott and its humble heroine, proving that unassuming people can do great things when they are animated by the highest ideals. Rosa Parks, Godspeed. Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, it is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that my wife Julianne and I learned of the passing of Mrs. Rosa Parks. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Parks family at this sorrowful time. Mrs. Rosa Parks, ``The Mother of the Civil Rights Movement,'' is an international symbol of freedom. She stood for what she believed in, and changed our Nation's history. Her act of courage inspired so many during the civil rights movement and continues to inspire people today. Rosa Parks sat quietly on a bus in Montgomery, AL 50 years ago, and refused to give up her seat to a white passenger. Because of the nonviolent protest that Mrs. Parks displayed on December 1, 1955 our entire Nation turned its attention to the gross indecencies that were affecting the black community. Her solitary action set into play the revolutionary 381-day bus boycott that was organized by Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. At the time not many Americans had heard of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. His protest and monumental following brought about the November 1956 Supreme Court Ruling that segregation on transportation is illegal, and in 1964 the Civil Rights Act, which outlawed racial discrimination in the U.S. Rosa Parks attended Alabama State College, and upon graduation worked as a seamstress and housekeeper. She and her husband, Raymond Parks, were active in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, NAACP. In 1943 Mrs. Parks was elected Secretary of the Montgomery Chapter of the NAACP, and later became its youth leader. She was also involved in the Montgomery Voters League, an organization that helped black citizens become registered to vote. Rosa Parks continued to set an example for our Nation in 1987 when she founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development. The Institute teaches young people the history of the civil rights movement through an annual summer program called ``Pathways to Freedom.'' Rosa Parks was one of the most significant figures in the 20th century, and appropriately received hundreds of awards and honors, including the Medal of Freedom Award, presented by President Clinton in 1996. Mrs. Parks will be deeply missed, and her legacy will forever be remembered. Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I rise tonight to honor the life of Rosa Parks. Let's ask an impossible question: Who was Rosa Parks? Rosa Parks was a seamstress. She was a community organizer. She was an activist and a leader. Rosa Parks was a carpenter's daughter and a barber's wife. She was a hero of the civil rights movement. She was a trusted Congressional aide and a respected youth development expert. And of course, Rosa Parks was the inspiring protagonist of a stirring American tale. Protest, reform, and reinvention marked the early pages of her great human story. On December 1, 1955, on a bus in Montgomery, AL, Rosa Parks, a black woman, refused to stand up and give her seat to a white man. She was arrested, tried, convicted, and fined for her act of civil disobedience in less than a week. The citywide boycott inspired by her actions would last more than a year. The full impact of those events would change a nation, last a lifetime, and reach far beyond. Rosa Parks has played a guiding role not only in the lives of countless individuals but, over the last half-century, in the shape of our ever-evolving Nation. Throughout it all, she has been a great American teacher. From Rosa Parks, we learned what it takes to be courageous in the face of oppression and hate. From Rosa Parks, we learned that sometimes to be strong is to say ``No.'' From Rosa Parks we learned that freedom without equality is no freedom at all. And from Rosa Parks we learned that fighting the bonds of orthodoxy and confronting the sources of ignorances is a noble and urgent cause. Rosa Parks' legacy reminds us that a lone person can effect great change; many people working together with united purpose can achieve even more. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the young Montgomery preacher who helped to transform Rosa Parks' act of resistance into a powerful movement, would later say the ``arc of the moral [[Page 23603]] universe is long, but it bends towards justice.'' If we are to honor the legacy of Rosa Parks, we must never rest in our pursuit of that justice. Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, I want to express my thoughts on the passing of a true civil rights pioneer. Rosa Parks' actions almost 50 years ago in Montgomery, AL, ignited a movement that dramatically changed the face of America and the world. Even before her refusal to give up her seat on December 1, 1955, Mrs. Parks was already actively involved in the civil rights movement as the secretary of the local chapter of the NAACP. But her actions that day laid the groundwork for the civil rights movement in the years to follow. As a result of her actions, a local public bus boycott ensued that garnered national attention and resulted in a U.S. Supreme Court ruling prohibiting bus segregation, mass demonstrations throughout the South ensued, and Martin Luther King, Jr. becoming a national civil rights leader. Mrs. Parks' refusal to give up her seat on December 1, 1955, was a simple but dangerous action that highlighted the inequalities faced by millions of Americans living under segregation. Former U.S. poet laureate, Rita Dove, wrote, ``How she sat there, the time right inside a place so wrong it was ready.'' America was ready for change and that change continues today. As the world grieves, let us remember her courage and work to ensure that her legacy continues. Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution and preamble be agreed to, en bloc, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the resolution be printed in the Record, without intervening action or debate. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The resolution (S. Res. 287) was agreed to. The preamble was agreed to. The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows: S. Res. 287 Whereas Rosa Parks was born on February 4, 1913, as Rosa Louise McCauley, to James and Leona McCauley in Tuskegee, Alabama; Whereas her moral clarity and quiet dignity shaped and inspired the Civil Rights Movement in the United States over the last half-century; Whereas Rosa Parks was educated in Pine Level, Alabama, until the age of 11, when she enrolled in the Montgomery Industrial School for Girls and then went on to attend the Alabama State Teachers College High School; Whereas on December 18, 1932, Rosa McCauley married Raymond Parks and settled in Montgomery, Alabama; Whereas, together, Raymond and Rosa Parks worked in the Montgomery, Alabama branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), where Raymond Parks served as an active member and Rosa Parks served as a secretary and youth leader; Whereas on December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat in the ``colored'' section of the bus to a white man on the orders of the bus driver because the ``white'' section was full; Whereas the arrest of Rosa Parks led African Americans and others to boycott the Montgomery city bus line until the buses in Montgomery were desegregated; Whereas the 381-day Montgomery bus boycott encouraged other courageous people across the United States to organize in protest and demand equal rights for all; Whereas most historians date the beginning of the modern- day Civil Rights Movement in the United States to December 1, 1955; Whereas the fearless acts of civil disobedience displayed by Rosa Parks and others resulted in a legal action challenging Montgomery's segregated public transportation system, which subsequently led to the United States Supreme Court, on November 13, 1956, affirming a district court decision that held that Montgomery segregation codes deny and deprive African Americans of the equal protection of the laws (352 U.S. 903); Whereas in 1957, Rosa Parks moved to Detroit, Michigan; Whereas in 1965, Representative John Conyers hired Rosa Parks as a member of his staff, where she worked in various administrative jobs for 23 years and retired in 1988 at age 75; Whereas Rosa Parks continued her civil rights work by starting the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development in 1987, a nonprofit organization that motivates young people to reach their highest potential; Whereas the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development offers educational programs for young people, including two signature programs: first, Pathways to Freedom, a 21-day program that introduces students to the Underground Railroad and the civil rights movement with a freedom ride across the United States and Canada, tracing the underground railroad into civil rights, and second, Learning Centers and Senior Citizens, a program that partners young people with senior citizens where the young help the senior citizens develop their computer skills and senior citizens mentor the young; Whereas Rosa Parks has been commended for her work in the realm of civil rights with such recognitions as the NAACP's Spingarn Medal, the Martin Luther King, Jr., Nonviolent Peace Prize, the Presidential medal of Freedom, and the Congressional Gold Medal; Whereas Time magazine named Rosa Parks one of the ``100 most influential people of the 20th century'', The Henry Ford Museum in Michigan bought and exhibited the bus on which she was arrested, and The Rosa Parks Library and Museum opened in Montgomery in 2000; Whereas in 2005, the year marking the 50th anniversary of Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat on the bus, we recognize the courage, dignity, and determination displayed by Rosa Parks as she confronted injustice and inequality; and Whereas in 1988 Rosa Parks said: ``I am leaving this legacy to all of you . . . to bring peace, justice, equality, love and a fulfillment of what our lives should be. Without vision, the people will perish, and without courage `and inspiration, dreams will die--the dream of freedom and peace'': Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate That the Senate honors the life and accomplishments of Rosa Parks and expresses its condolences on her passing. ____________________