John Spratt: “Mr. Speaker, I rise in proud support of H.R. 3287, which honors four South Carolina heroes. Because of the courage of…”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in proud support of H.R. 3287, which honors four South Carolina heroes. Because of the courage of Joseph A. DeLaine, Harry Briggs, Eliza Briggs and Levi Pearson, South Carolinians live in a better State; but more important, Americans live in a better country. I can think of no tribute to these brave South Carolinians more deserving or appropriate than a Congressional Gold Medal. Let me simply say that, Mr. Speaker, I have lived all my life in South Carolina. I can imagine the resistance and intimidation that Joseph DeLaine and Levi Pearson and Harry and Eliza Briggs faced. These brave Americans stood up for justice, and for their courage they paid a heavy price. Today we remember Dr. Martin Luther King and Thurgood Marshall, and we should. They were the giants of the civil rights movement. But without brave pioneers, foot soldiers like Joseph A. DeLaine, Levi Pearson, and Harry and Eliza Briggs, our schools would not have been desegregated in 1954.”