III 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 618 

Observing the 100th birthday of civil rights icon Rosa Parks and 

commemorating her legacy. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 13, 2012 

Mr. LEVIN (for himself, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. ALEXANDER, Ms. 

LANDRIEU, Mr. COCHRAN, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. SHELBY, Mr. CORNYN, Mrs. 

BOXER, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. COBURN, Mr. KERRY, Mrs. HUTCHISON, 

Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. REID, Ms. MIKULSKI, 

Mr. DURBIN, Mr. PRYOR, Mr. NELSON of Florida, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, 

Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. CONRAD, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. KOHL, Ms. CANTWELL, Mrs. MCCASKILL, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. COONS, Mr. BAUCUS, Mr. 

WHITEHOUSE, Mr. MANCHIN, Mr. BENNET, Mr. CARDIN, Mrs. HAGAN, 

Mr. CASEY, Mr. BEGICH, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. WARNER, Mr. UDALL of 

New Mexico, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. INOUYE, Mr. CORKER, Mr. JOHNSON

of South Dakota, Mr. FRANKEN, Mr. ROCKEFELLER, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. AKAKA, Mr. REED, and Mrs. SHAHEEN) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Observing the 100th birthday of civil rights icon Rosa Parks 

and commemorating her legacy. 

Whereas Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was born on February 

4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama, the first child of James 

and Leona (Edwards) McCauley; 


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Whereas Rosa Parks dedicated her life to the cause of universal human rights and truly embodied the love of humanity and freedom; 

Whereas Rosa Parks was arrested on December 1, 1955, in 

Montgomery, Alabama, for refusing to give up her seat 

on a bus to a White man, and her stand for equal rights 

became legendary; 

Whereas news of the arrest of Rosa Parks resulted in approximately 42,000 African-Americans boycotting Montgomery buses for 381 days, beginning on December 5, 

1955, until the bus segregation law was changed on December 21, 1956; 

Whereas the United States Supreme Court ruled on November 13, 1956, that the Montgomery segregation law was 

unconstitutional, and on December 20, 1956, Montgomery officials were ordered to desegregate buses; 

Whereas the civil rights movement led to the Civil Rights Act 

of 1964 (Public Law 88–352; 78 Stat. 241), which broke 

down the barrier of legal discrimination against AfricanAmericans and made equality before the law a reality for 

all people of the United States; 

Whereas Rosa Parks has been honored as the ‘‘first lady of 

civil rights’’ and the ‘‘mother of the freedom movement’’, 

and her quiet dignity ignited the most significant social 

movement in the history of the United States; 

Whereas, in 1987, Rosa Parks and her close associate Elaine 

Steele cofounded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute 

for Self Development to motivate and direct youth to 

achieve their highest potential through Rosa Parks’ philosophy of ‘‘quiet strength’’ and cross-cultural exposure 

for nurturing a global and inclusive perspective; 


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Whereas Rosa Parks was the recipient of many awards and 

accolades for her efforts on behalf of racial harmony, including the Congressional Gold Medal, the Spingarn 

Award, which is the highest honor of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for civil 

rights contributions, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest civilian honor in the United 

States, and was named one of the 20 most influential 

and iconic figures of the 20th century; 

Whereas Rosa Parks sparked one of the largest movements 

in the United States against racial segregation, and by 

her quiet courage symbolizes all that is vital about nonviolent protest because of the way she endured threats of 

death and persisted as an advocate for the basic lessons 

she taught the people of the United States; 

Whereas Rosa Parks and her husband Raymond Parks relocated to Michigan in 1957, and remained in Michigan 

until the death of Rosa Parks on October 24, 2005; 

Whereas, on Tuesday, October 26, 2005 the United States 

Senate adopted a Resolution expressing its condolences 

on the passing of Rosa Parks, and honored her life and 

accomplishments; 

Whereas, in recognition of the historic contributions of Rosa 

Parks, her remains were placed in the rotunda of the 

Capitol from October 30 to October 31, 2005, so that the 

people of the United States could pay their last respects 

to this great American; 

Whereas, in November 2005, Congress authorized the Joint 

Committee on the Library to procure a statue of Rosa 

Parks to be placed in the Capitol; 


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Whereas the United States Postal Service will issue a stamp 

in February 2013 to honor Rosa Parks and her courage 

to act at a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement; 

Whereas, the bus on which Rosa Parks sparked a new era 

in the American quest for freedom and equality is one of 

the most significant artifacts of the American civil rights 

movement and is on permanent display in the Henry 

Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan; 

Whereas, on February 4, 2013, the Henry Ford Museum, will 

commemorate the 100th birthday of Rosa Parks by calling for a National Day of Courage and sponsoring a program that highlights her contributions to the civil rights 

movement, including a day-long celebration, with both 

virtual and on-site activities featuring nationally recognized speakers, musical and dramatic interpretative performances, a panel presentation of ‘‘Rosa’s Story’’ and a 

reading of the tale ‘‘Quiet Strength’’, featuring the actual 

bus on which Rosa Parks sat as the centerpiece in commemorating Rosa Parks’ extraordinary life and accomplishments, and affording everyone the opportunity to 

board the bus and sit in the seat that Rosa Parks refused 

to give up; and 

Whereas the Rosa Parks Museum at Troy University and the 

Mobile Studio will commemorate the birthday of Rosa 

Parks with the 100th Birthday Wishes Project, culminating on February 4, 2013, with a 100th birthday celebration at the Davis Theatre for the Performing Arts in 

Montgomery, Alabama, where 2,000 birthday wishes submitted by individuals throughout the United States will 

be transformed into 200 graphic messages: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 


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1 (1) observes the 100th birthday of civil rights 

2 icon Rosa Parks; and 

3 (2) commemorates the legacy of Rosa Parks to 

4 inspire all people of the United States to stand up 

5 for freedom and the principles of the Constitution. 

Æ 


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