Full Text of HR0694 94th General Assembly
HR0694 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
|
|
|
HR0694 |
|
LRB094 14917 MKM 49976 r |
|
| 1 |
| HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 |
| WHEREAS, State Representative Monique Davis and the | 3 |
| members of the Illinois House of Representatives join with the | 4 |
| entire nation in mourning the loss of civil rights leader, Rosa | 5 |
| Parks; and
| 6 |
| WHEREAS, Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her bus seat to a | 7 |
| white man in 1955 triggered a 381-day boycott of the bus system | 8 |
| in Montgomery, Alabama, organized by the Rev. Martin Luther | 9 |
| King, Jr., sparked the modern civil rights movement, changed | 10 |
| the course of history, and earned her the title, "mother of the | 11 |
| civil rights movement"; and
| 12 |
| WHEREAS, Rosa Parks' simple act of defiance exposed the | 13 |
| indecency of Jim Crow laws in the South that had been in place | 14 |
| since the post-Civil War Reconstruction era and that required | 15 |
| separation of the races in buses, restaurants, and public | 16 |
| accommodations throughout the South and the pervasive, legally | 17 |
| sanctioned racism that prevented African-Americans from | 18 |
| obtaining jobs and housing in the North; the civil rights | 19 |
| movement spawned by her actions ultimately resulted in the | 20 |
| passage of comprehensive federal civil rights legislation that | 21 |
| prohibits racial discrimination; and
| 22 |
| WHEREAS, Rosa Parks continued throughout her life to work | 23 |
| for the civil rights of all Americans; after taking her public | 24 |
| stand for civil rights, Rosa Parks endured threats and | 25 |
| harassment and had trouble finding work in Alabama; she moved | 26 |
| with her husband, Raymond Parks, to Detroit, Michigan, where | 27 |
| she continued her struggle to advance the cause of civil | 28 |
| rights; she worked as an aide to U.S. Representative John | 29 |
| Conyers for 23 years and became a revered figure in Detroit, | 30 |
| where a street and a middle school bear her name; in 1995, she | 31 |
| was among the civil rights leaders who addressed the Million | 32 |
| Man March; and
|
|
|
|
HR0694 |
- 2 - |
LRB094 14917 MKM 49976 r |
|
| 1 |
| WHEREAS, Upon her retirement from the office of Rep. | 2 |
| Conyers, she devoted her time and efforts to the Rosa and | 3 |
| Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development, which she founded | 4 |
| to develop leadership among Detroit's young people and initiate | 5 |
| them into the struggle for civil rights; and
| 6 |
| WHEREAS, Rosa Parks' inspiring story has been the subject | 7 |
| of many published works, including, "Rosa Parks: My Story", | 8 |
| "Quiet Strength: The Faith, the Hope and the Heart of a Woman | 9 |
| Who Changed a Nation", and a collection of letters entitled, | 10 |
| "Dear Mrs. Parks: A Dialogue with Today's Youth"; and | 11 |
| WHEREAS, In 1996 Rosa Parks was awarded the Presidential | 12 |
| Medal of Freedom, awarded to civilians that have made | 13 |
| outstanding contributions to American life; in 1999, she was | 14 |
| awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation's highest | 15 |
| civilian honor; and | 16 |
| WHEREAS, The passing of Rosa Parks does not extinguish her | 17 |
| legacy of peace, justice, equality, love, and fulfillment; she | 18 |
| encouraged us all to live with a vision of a better tomorrow | 19 |
| and with courage and inspiration to achieve the dream of | 20 |
| freedom and peace; therefore, be it
| 21 |
| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 22 |
| NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 23 |
| we express our profound sorrow at the death of Rosa Parks, that | 24 |
| we join with the rest of the nation and with freedom-loving | 25 |
| people everywhere in mourning the loss of this civil rights | 26 |
| champion, and that to her bereaved family and friends we extend | 27 |
| our heartfelt sympathy; and be it further
| 28 |
| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 29 |
| presented to the family of Rosa Parks.
|
|