II 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 998 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
SEPTEMBER 22 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 17), 2008 
Received 
AN ACT 
To direct the Librarian of Congress and the Secretary of 
the Smithsonian Institution to carry out a joint project 
at the Library of Congress and the National Museum 
of African American History and Culture to collect video 
and 
audio 
recordings 
of 
personal 
histories 
and 
testimonials of individuals who participated in the Civil 
Rights movement, and for other purposes. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Civil Rights History 
Project Act of 2008’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds as follows: 
(1) A fundamental principle of American de-
mocracy is that individuals should stand up for their 
rights and beliefs and fight for justice. 
(2) The actions of those who participated in the 
Civil Rights movement from the 1950’s through the 
1960’s are a shining example of this principle in ac-
tion, demonstrated in events as varied as the Mont-
gomery Bus Boycott, the sit-ins, the Freedom Rides, 
the March on Washington, the drive for voting 
rights in Mississippi, and the March to Selma. 
(3) While the Civil Rights movement had many 
visible leaders, including Thurgood Marshall, Dr. 
Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rosa Parks, there 
were many others whose impact and experience were 
just as important to the cause but who are not as 
well known. 
(4) The participants in the Civil Rights move-
ment possess an invaluable resource in their first- 
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hand memories of the movement, and the recording 
of the retelling of their stories and memories will 
provide a rich, detailed history of our Nation during 
an important and tumultuous period. 
(5) It is in the Nation’s interest to undertake 
a project to collect oral histories of individuals from 
the Civil Rights movement so future generations will 
be able to learn of their struggle and sacrifice 
through primary-source, eyewitness material. A co-
ordinated Federal project would also focus attention 
on the efforts undertaken by various public and pri-
vate entities to collect and interpret articles in all 
formats relating to the Civil Rights movement, and 
serve as a model for future projects undertaken in 
museums, libraries, and universities throughout the 
Nation. 
(6) The Library of Congress and the Smithso-
nian Institution are appropriate repositories to col-
lect, preserve, and make available to the public a col-
lection of these oral histories. The Library and 
Smithsonian have expertise in the management of 
documentation projects, and experience in the devel-
opment of cultural and educational programs for the 
public. 
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