Thomas E. Petri: “I thank my colleague from California for yielding. I support House Resolution 562, which recognizes the importance of…”

“I thank my colleague from California for yielding. I support House Resolution 562, which recognizes the importance of preserving the oral histories of current and former Representatives' personal experiences regarding the historic Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, marches and the civil rights movement. As a student during the civil rights movement, I had the opportunity to witness the impact the Selma to Montgomery marches had on shifting public opinions. An example of the influence the marches wielded is the fact that, 2 days after witnessing the images of the initial march in the media, President Johnson presented a bill to a joint session of Congress, which became the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Like so many others, I tried to play my own small part in support of the civil rights movement. As a member of the NAACP and as a college student, I participated in a boycott of a Woolworth's store in support of the desegregation of the chain's lunch counters in the South. During that time, Dr. King came to our college, and I had the honor to very briefly meet him. While my direct involvement in the civil rights movement may have been limited, there are many former and current Members who have unique and inspirational stories to share about the historic 1965 marches and the civil rights movement. We have the honor of serving with Representative John Lewis, for example, who just spoke, who is an icon of the civil rights movement.…”