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Home , Rosa Parks

Administration of George W. Bush, 2005 / Dec. 1 1805

spread a vision of hope as we stand with peo- ourselves to continue to struggle for justice ple from around the world to face the chal- for every American. lenges of HIV/AIDS with courage and deter- I’m honored the Secretary of State has mination. Together, we can build a better fu- joined us as well as Secretary Alphonso Jack- ture for all. son. I want to thank the bill sponsors, Jesse Now, Therefore, I, George W. Bush, Jackson, Jr.—I see you brought some of your President of the United States of America, family with you—[laughter]—Senator John by virtue of the authority vested in me by Kerry, Senator Thad Cochran, Senator Dick the Constitution and laws of the United Lugar joining us as well. States, do hereby proclaim , I’m proud that Bruce Gordon is here. He’s 2005, as World AIDS Day. I urge the Gov- the president and CEO of the NAACP. ernors of the States and the Commonwealth Thanks for joining us, Bruce. I want to thank of Puerto Rico, officials of the other terri- all the civil rights leaders who’ve joined us tories subject to the jurisdiction of the as well. I particularly want to say thanks to United States, and the American people to Elaine Steele, representative of the join me in appropriate activities to remember Parks Institute. those who have lost their lives to this deadly Elaine Eason Steele. Right here. disease and to comfort and support those liv- The President. Thank you. Welcome. ing with HIV/AIDS. We’ve got a seat for you. In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set It’s great to see Dr. as my hand this first day of December, in the well. Welcome, Dr. Height. I want to thank year of our Lord two thousand five, and of all of Rosa Parks’ family who have joined us the Independence of the United States of as well. You’re kind to come. America the two hundred and thirtieth. Rosa Parks was the daughter of the South who worked as a seamstress at a department George W. Bush store in a Montgomery, . On De- cember 1, 1955, she boarded a city bus. [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:25 a.m., December 2, 2005] Under local and State law, African had to give up their seats if any white people NOTE: This proclamation was published in the were standing. But after a lifetime of dis- Federal Register on . crimination and a hard day’s work, Rosa re- fused. As she would say later, quote, ‘‘I wasn’t tired physically or no more tired than I usu- Remarks on Signing Legislation To ally was at the end of a working day. No, Place a Statue of Rosa Parks in the the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.’’ at the United By refusing to give in, Rosa Parks showed States Capitol that one candle can light the darkness. Like December 1, 2005 so many institutionalized evils, segregation ultimately depended on public accommoda- The President. Welcome. Please be seat- tion. Like so many institutionalized evils, ed. Thank you all for being here. Laura and once the ugliness of these laws was held up I thank you for joining us on this special day. to the light, they could not stand. Like so Fifty years ago, an African American many institutionalized evils, these laws woman named Rosa Parks helped set in mo- proved no match for the power of an awak- tion a national movement for equality and ened , and as a result, the cruelty freedom when she refused a bus driver’s and humiliation of the are order to give her seat to a white man. The now a thing of the past. bill I’m about to sign calls for a statue of By refusing to give in, Rosa Parks helped Rosa Parks to be placed in the Capitol’s Na- inspire a nationwide effort for equal justice tional Statuary Hall. under the law. When she refused to yield By placing her statue in the heart of the her seat, Mrs. Parks was arrested, convicted Nation’s Capitol, we commemorate her work of violating the segregation laws, and fined for a more perfect union, and we commit $10, plus $4 in court fees. Her arrest sparked

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a boycott of the Montgomery bus lines by NOTE: The President spoke at 10:33 a.m. in Room its black passengers and the formation of a 450 in the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Of- local association of led by fice Building. In his remarks, he referred to Elaine a young preacher named Martin Luther Eason Steele, co-founder, Rosa and Raymond , Jr. The boycott ended more than a year Parks Institute for Self Development; and civil rights leader Dorothy I. Height. H.R. 4145, ap- later after the Supreme Court struck down proved December 1, was assigned Public Law No. segregation on buses. What had begun as a 109–116. simple act of ended up gal- vanizing the modern movement for civil rights. Remarks on Lighting the National By refusing to give in, Rosa Parks called Christmas Tree America back to its founding promise of December 1, 2005 equality and justice for everyone. When the police officer boarded the bus and told the Thank you all very much. Welcome to the seamstress that he had to arrest her, he ex- Christmas Pageant of Peace. Laura and I are plained that the law was the law. Rosa and so honored to join you all. The lighting of the black ministers who defended her in- the National Christmas Tree is one of the voked more than the law; they invoked the great traditions in our Nation’s Capital. Each Constitution and pointed to a higher law. Our year, we gather here to celebrate the season Declaration of Independence makes clear of hope and joy and to remember the story that the human right to dignity and equality of one humble life that lifted the sights of is not a grant of Government. It is the gift humanity. of the Author of Life. And by holding our Santa, thanks for coming. [Laughter] Glad Nation true to the words of its founding doc- you made it. I know you’ve got a lot of com- ument, Rosa Parks helped her fellow African mitments this time of year. By the way, we Americans claim their God-given freedoms have a lot of chimneys in the White House— and made America a better place. [laughter]—if you’re looking for something Eventually the to do. I appreciate all our entertainers. would succeed in persuading Congress to Thanks for being here. This is a fantastic pass more sweeping legislation that dealt evening. with voting rights and discrimination in pub- I want to thank Peter Nostrand, who is lic places and school segregation, and the the chairman of the Christmas Pageant of should renew the Peace, and John Betchkal, all the members Voting Rights Act of 1965. of the board. I appreciate Secretary of the Dr. King liked to say that our Civil Rights Interior Gale Norton, other members of my Act was written in the streets by the citizens Cabinet who are here. I appreciate the Mem- who marched for justice and equality. And bers of Congress who have come. on this day, we remember the great inspira- I particularly want to give a special thanks tion this movement drew from the quiet to the National Parks Service Director Fran courage shown by an Alabama woman riding Mainella and all the good folks who work for home on a Cleveland Avenue bus. the National Parks Service. Reverend Mar- It is fitting that this America hero will now tin, thank you very much as well. be honored with a monument inside the most Christmas is a time to rejoice and to give visible symbol of American democracy. We thanks for the blessings of the season and hope that generations of Americans will re- for the blessings that surround us every day member what this brave woman did and be of the year. We also remember that we have inspired to add their own contributions to a responsibility to help those in need. Amer- the unfolding story of American freedom for ica is a compassionate and generous land, and all. acts of kindness toward others fulfill the spirit And now it’s my honor to sign the bill that of the season. will make Rosa Parks the first African Amer- As we approach Christmas in this time of ican woman to be honored with a statue in war, we pray for freedom and justice and our Nation’s Capitol. peace on Earth. In his Christmas Eve address

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