On the recordSeptember 28, 2015
Mr. Speaker, Amelia Boyton Robinson was an American hero who devoted her entire life to the fight for equal rights for all. She was a child suffragette, who alongside her mother, advocated for the women's vote and then as a young woman fought for the right of blacks to have their say at the ballot box. After bold run to represent Alabama in Congress, Mrs. Robinson helped organize the Bloody Sunday March from Selma to Montgomery. She was hospitalized after being knocked unconscious by a white officer on that perilous day, which left her undaunted and even more determined to fight for the African- American vote. It was my honor to nominate her for a Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Phoenix Award earlier this year, but sadly, she died before I could present it to her. Thankfully, however, Mrs. Robinson was able to share enough stories about her courageous experiences to fill a history book and resonate for generations to come. ____________________





