Authorizing the Remains of Rosa Parks to Lie in Honor in the Rotunda of the Capitol

Floor Speech

AUTHORIZING THE REMAINS OF ROSA PARKS TO LIE IN HONOR IN THE ROTUNDA OF THE CAPITOL -- (House of Representatives - October 28, 2005)

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Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, with the death of Rosa Parks, America has lost one of the great icons of the modem civil rights movement. No one could have known on that December day in 1955 what a great impact her simple yet courageous gesture would have on changing a perverse injustice in American society.

Mrs. Parks took a seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama after a long day at work. A white man approached her and wanted to take her seat. As was the custom at the time, she was expected to give up that seat. This happened countless times before in countless cities and towns all across the South. But this time was different. This time Rosa Parks decided to say ``no'' to this injustice, ``no'' to this ridicule, ``no'' to this insult.

By simply saying ``no,'' Rosa Parks set off a chain of events that in the subsequent months led to the U.S. Supreme Court decision that segregation in public transportation was unconstitutional.

Having the courage to refuse to accept injustice freed people of the subjugation of an oppressive society.

While we have lost Rosa Parks in life, we have not lost the memory of her life's acts. She will endure as an inspiration to freedom loving people for generations to come.

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