|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Congressional Gold Medal.com |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| |
| |
Congressional Gold Medal Recipient
Rosa Parks
Senator John Breaux Remarks on the Presentation to Rosa Parks July 11, 1999
In 1776 the Congress presented its first
Congressional Medal of Honor to
George Washington for his heroism in the
Revolutionary War. More than 200 years later the Congress honored a 20th Century hero, when it presented civil rights leader Rosa Parks with this highest honor, for her dedication to humanity and the nation. Unlike Washington, Parks' heroism was a silent statement of peaceful disobedience. But like our first President, her actions forever changed the course of American history. Mrs. Parks is now joining a select group, including
Mother Teresa and
Nelson Mandela, to receive the
Congressional Gold Medal. Rosa Parks truly belongs among these great leaders. Throughout her life, Mrs. Parks has stood up for her beliefs at the risk of personal danger in the pursuit of justice for all. She serves as a role model in a society where public figures are often driven more by poll numbers than by personal compasses. This award is not only a reminder of the civil rights struggles; it is also a reminder of how so-called ordinary people can do the extraordinary. A woman refusing to give up her seat on a public bus may not seem worthy of congressional recognition, but in 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, as an
African-American seamstress, Rosa Parks had everything to lose -- her job, her home and her personal safety. Mrs. Parks' arrest set off a 381-day bus boycott led by the
Reverend Martin Luther King and supported by thousands of
African Americans in Montgomery. The boycott eventually lead the Supreme Court to declare Montgomery's bus segregation law unconstitutional. And, ultimately, the civil rights movement led the Congress to approve legislation to dismantle systematic discrimination and unequal treatment. Mrs. Parks' choice to sit at the front of that city bus that day was not without real sacrifice, including the loss of her seamstress job, and harassment and threats to her family. The harassment forced her to move to Detroit in the 1950's where in 1965 she joined the staff of Democratic Representative John Conyers of Michigan. In today's world, taking a stand against discrimination and injustice is sometimes hard to find. And role models who put personal bravery and self-sacrifice before self-interest and personal gain are few and far between. We can all look at Rosa Parks as someone who possesses these virtues. We have come a long way in recognizing and changing the wrongs of racial prejudice and discrimination, but more work needs to be done. I will continue to work to end prejudice and discrimination of all kinds. I am proud to have cosponsored the legislation that awarded this well-deserved congressional medal to Rosa Parks. And I thank Rosa Parks for all she has done to make this nation a better place for all of us to live.
The Rosa Parks Congressional Gold Medal Ms. Rosa Parks was awarded the
Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of her contributions to the Nation as the first lady of civil rights and the mother of the freedom movement. Ms. Parks has dedicated her life to the cause of universal human rights and truly embodies the love of humanity and freedom. Vice President Albert Gore presented the gold medal in Michigan on November 28, 1999. The obverse of the medal features her portrait with the following inscriptions centered along the top ROSA PARKS and centered along the bottom and sides MOTHER OF THE MODERN DAY CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. The reverse features the motto QUIET STRENGTH centered along the top above the earths globe, which is beneath the scales of justice, framed by a swag of oak leaves on the left and right sides. The quotes, PRIDE, DIGNITY, COURAGE, and BY ACT OF CONGRESS 1999 are inscribed on the center bottom of the reverse.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Articles & Breifings
