[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 18962]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             ROSA PARKS DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Ohio (Mrs. Beatty) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and celebrate the 
memory of the great Rosa Parks, also known as the mother of the modern 
civil rights movement.
  Today, December 1, marks the 60th anniversary of Rosa Parks' arrest 
for refusing to surrender her seat on a city bus in Montgomery, 
Alabama, to a White male. Her arrest on this date in 1955 put a face to 
Jim Crow and the disgrace of segregation in this country and, in many 
ways, united a nation in the struggle for civil rights for all.
  As many of you know the story, Rosa Parks refused to give up her 
seat, sparking the peaceful Montgomery bus boycott, which lasted 381 
days and led to the eventual desegregation of the public transportation 
system across this Nation.
  Rosa Parks in every way embodies the tremendous difference a single 
person, Mr. Speaker, can make through the power of protest, 
nonviolence, and courage.
  As a member of the Ohio General Assembly, where I served as House 
leader, I was proud to have led the efforts that resulted in the 2005 
passage of House Bill 421 designating December 1 as Rosa Parks Day, the 
first State in the Nation to do so. Each year, the State of Ohio, 
spearheaded by the Central Ohio Transit Authority, proudly celebrates 
the life of Rosa Parks in our State capital, Columbus, Ohio.
  It is important that we do not let her legacy of bravery die. I look 
forward to joining my constituents when I travel back to the district 
on December 3 to celebrate the 11th annual statewide tribute to Rosa 
Parks, ``The Power of One.''
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Congressman John Conyers, the dean 
of this House, for agreeing to participate in my Community Leaders 
Forum at this year's celebration.
  For five decades, Congressman Conyers has been a champion of civil 
rights and voting rights. His distinguished career is highlighted by 
his work on important civil rights legislation such as the Martin 
Luther King Holiday Act of 1983, the Motor Voter bill of 1993, and the 
Help America Vote Act of 2002. Today, he continues to fight for voting 
rights and civil rights as the ranking member on the House Judiciary 
Committee.
  I look forward to welcoming him to our Rosa Parks celebration because 
he shared a personal relationship with her. She worked for Congressman 
Conyers from 1964 until 1988. However, before working with Congressman 
Conyers, she took a stand for justice and equality. The power of one 
person changed our Nation forever.
  Our fight for racial equality and real inclusion is ongoing, as 
recently publicized tensions across our Nation have made clear. With 
the Supreme Court decision to strike down section 4 of the Voting 
Rights Act of 1965 in Shelby County v. Holder, we no longer have the 
safety net that ensures that Americans, especially minorities, are able 
to participate in our democratic process.
  Mr. Speaker, we should not be rolling back voting rights protection. 
Instead, we should honor the progress our country has made to ensure 
and protect equal rights and equal treatment for all.
  That is why I am the cosponsor of the Voting Rights Advancement Act 
of 2015, H.R. 2867, which enjoys bipartisan and bicameral support. 
Congress should immediately bring this legislation to the floor to 
ensure that all Americans may cast ballots to choose their leaders in 
public service.
  Mr. Speaker, many of the policies being pushed by the House 
Republican leadership would adversely and disproportionally affect 
people of color and individuals in low-income communities.
  When we talk about reform in Washington and starting with a clean 
slate without consideration of how these policies will affect all 
communities, we do our Nation a disservice. I am confident we can do 
better. I am hopeful that we can do better. We have a responsibility to 
do better.
  Today and every day, let us be inspired by Rosa Parks and remember 
that each person must live their life as a model for others.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to speak on this 
important issue.

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