Washington, DC -

Note:  The following, in its entirety,
is a first-person statement by
Congressman Clay for direct attribution.

Remembering Rosa Parks

Almost fifty years ago, a petite quiet woman riding on a bus in Birmingham, Alabama spoke a few simple words that changed this nation forever and assured her place in history as the mother of the modern civil rights movement.  Rosa Parks’ courageous act of civil disobedience, in the face of humiliating segregation, ignited a movement that led to full citizenship for African Americans.

Five years ago, I had the honor of speaking with Mrs. Parks while serving my last term in the Missouri State Senate.  I was seeking her permission to respond to the Ku Klux Klan who had just won the right to participate in Missouri’s “Adopt-A-Highway” program. 
The KKK was to begin monthly trash cleanups along a section of Interstate 55, just south of St. Louis.  In response to this outrage, I sponsored a bill that designated that
portion of I-55 as the Rosa Parks Highway.  Mrs. Parks was delighted to grant us permission to use her name for this unique purpose.  Needless to say, the KKK didn’t appreciate our efforts and they never showed up to pick up the trash.

The lesson that Rosa Parks taught us is clear…violence, hatred and injustice can be defeated if we have the courage to confront it with truth and dignity.  Her life and legacy is one of a simple woman, who caused her country to finally live up to its true ideals.  May she rest in peace.  And may her legacy continue to inspire Americans for generations to come.