Rosa Parks Day
Floor Speech
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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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