Joseph Cao: “Today I rise in support of this important resolution. I also congratulate my friend and colleague, Mr. Lewis, for his…”

“Today I rise in support of this important resolution. I also congratulate my friend and colleague, Mr. Lewis, for his leadership in bringing this to the floor today. I have the greatest pleasure of standing by Mr. Lewis, and I value his friendship greatly. In 1956, at a time when race relations were stressed in the South, the Orleans Parish School Board was ordered to develop a plan to desegregate its schools. After a 4-year delay, a plan designed by the United States Eastern District Court of Louisiana was ordered to be carried out. It was at that moment that a young girl by the name of Ruby Bridges became one of the first black children to attend an integrated school. Upon her arrival, every white parent came to remove their child from the elementary school Ms. Bridges was attending. All but one white teacher refused to teach, and it was that teacher who instructed Ruby in a room by herself for a full year. This experience did not deter Ruby who not only completed her education, but went on to found the Ruby Bridges Foundation, which has a clear and profound message: To promote the value of tolerance, respect, and appreciation of all differences. I was honored to meet Ms. Bridges in my New Orleans office last October. She is truly an extraordinary woman who has dedicated her life to service.”