[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 929-930]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  IN SUPPORT OF UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE RELEASE OF COMMEMORATIVE 
                            ROSA PARKS STAMP

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOYCE BEATTY

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, February 4, 2013

  Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, today is the 100th birthday of Rosa Parks, 
the mother of the modern Civil Rights Movement.
  In celebration of this year's Black History Month, it is with great 
honor that I wholeheartedly lend my voice in support of the release of 
a commemorative stamp, created by the United States Postal Service, to 
pay respects to her legacy and contributions to this country to ensure 
the equal treatment of all citizens.
  Her civil disobedience in refusing to give up her seat on that bus in 
Montgomery, Alabama sparked a movement that continues today to push the 
possibilities of our society into new realms.
  As a member of the Ohio General Assembly, where I also served as 
House Minority Leader, I was proud to have led the efforts that 
resulted in the 2005 passage of House Bill 421 of the 130th General 
Assembly to mark December 1st as Rosa Parks Day--the first state to do 
so in the Nation.
  That day in 1955, she started something larger than herself.
  Her action sparked the peaceful Montgomery Bus Boycott that lasted 
381 days and successfully desegregated the public transportation system 
across the country. Her fight didn't end there: she continued to 
champion civil rights all across the country until her passing on 
October 24, 2005. And with this stamp, we further add to the 
recognition of her selflessness and pioneering spirit that she 
deserves.
  The unveiling of the stamp will take place in Detroit, Rosa Parks' 
final place of rest. Detroit is also the location of the Rosa and 
Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development, an organization she help 
found in 1987 to inspire young people--just as her actions inspired 
many across our nation in Alabama years before.
  Now that we are at the start of this year's Black History Month, a 
year that celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation

[[Page 930]]

Proclamation and the 50th anniversary Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on 
Washington, I cannot think of a better 100th birthday memorial to help 
further etch Rosa Parks' name into the fabric of our nation's history 
than with this stamp.




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