Richard Gephardt: “Mr. Speaker, in the 105th Congress we honored Nelson Mandela, the father of the struggle for freedom and equality in…”

“Mr. Speaker, in the 105th Congress we honored Nelson Mandela, the father of the struggle for freedom and equality in South Africa, with Congress' highest honor, the Congressional Gold Medal. Now, in the 106th Congress, we have the opportunity to bestow a similar honor on Rosa Parks, the mother of the American struggle for freedom, our civil rights movement. Through the simple act of keeping her seat on a Montgomery bus in 1955, Rosa Parks stood for the hopes of a people and a Nation. In a 1958 speech, Martin Luther King, Jr., said and I quote, ``You would never have heard of Martin Luther King if it had not been for Rosa Parks and the humble people of Montgomery, Alabama, who decided to walk in dignity, rather than ride in disgrace.'' Rosa Parks symbolizes the greatness in all of us and our ability to rise above our circumstances to achieve the extraordinary. One brave act of humble greatness triggered an avalanche of change which helped our country fulfill its commitment to equal rights for all Americans, regardless of race, regardless of anything. For her leadership and her example, Rosa Parks deserves to be honored with this Congressional Gold Medal.”