Elijah Cummings: “Mr. Speaker, Congressional Gold Medals are awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to our Nation…”

“Mr. Speaker, Congressional Gold Medals are awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to our Nation or humanity. Why bestow this honor on a woman who refused to give up her seat in the white section of a segregated Montgomery bus? The answer is very simple. Rosa Parks' selfless fortitude became the symbol of a commitment to freedom, equality and justice that paved the way to the end of legal segregation in America. As we salute our matriarch of civil rights, I am reminded of the words of Dr. King: ``We are caught up in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.'' Mrs. Parks recognized that in order for our Nation to move from what it has been to what it can be, our garment of destiny must be tightly woven with the policies of justice and inclusion as opposed to discrimination and separation. Again, I congratulate Mrs. Parks for her heroism, and challenge all Americans to embrace her concept of freedom and equality for all people.”