today as americans, we are united in reimagining rosa louise parks, clutching her purse in those tenseontgomery city bus number 2857 rolled down cleveland avenue. we are reminded of the power of simple acts of courage. on an otherwise ordinary evening in montgomery, she did the extraordinary by simply staying put. in the process, she helped all of us discover something about ourselves. and about the great region through -- regenerative capacity of america. we have the ability as a nation to recognize past mistakes. we have had the strength to confront those mistakes. it has always required people like rosa parks to help us get there. as of the changes she helped set in motion, entire generations of americans have been able to grow up in a nation where segregated buses only exist in museums. where children of every race are free to fulfill their god- given potential. and where this simple carpenters dr. -- daughter from tough lady -- from tuskegee could become a zero. -- a hero. what a story, what a legacy, what a country. thank you. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the majority lead

it is my honor to except the statue of rosa louise parks, a lady liberty for our time and all-time.it is my pleasure to introduce the president of the united states. [applause] >> thank you. thank you very much. mr. speaker, leader reid, leader mcconnell, leader pelosi, leader cliburn, friends and family of the distinguished guests rather tear today. this morning, we celebrate the seamstress, slight in stature, but mighty in cordage. --courage. she defied the odds and injustice. she lived a life of activism but also a life of the nifty and grace. -- dignity and grace. in a single moment, with the simplest of gestures, she helped change america and the world. rosa parks held no elected office. she possessed no fortune. she lived her life far from the formal seats of power. today, she takes her rightful place among those who have shaped this nation's course. i think all those persons, in particular the members of the congressional black caucus, both past and present, for making this moment possible. [applause] a childhood once -- friend once said about ms. parks, nobody ever cost her

it is my honor to except the statue of rosa louise parks, a lady liberty for our time and all-time.it is my pleasure to introduce the president of the united states. [applause] >> thank you. thank you very much. mr. speaker, leader reid, mcconnell, leader pelosi, leader cliburn, friends and family of the distinguished guests rather tear today. this morning, we celebrate the seamstress, slight in stature, but mighty in cordage. --courage. she defied the odds and injustice. she lived a life of activism but also a life of the nifty and grace. -- dignity and grace. in a single moment, with the simplest of gestures, she helped change america and the world. rosa parks held no elected office. she possessed no fortune. she lived her life far from the formal seats of power. today, she takes her rightful place among those who have shaped this nation's course. i think all those persons, in particular the members of the congressional black caucus, both past and present, for this moment possible. [applause] a childhood once -- friend once said about ms. parks, nobody ever cost her and got away w

thedette colvin was one of plaintiffs, mary louise smith was a plan to print one woman is intimidated to take her name off the case. rosas is not on that case for a couple of reasons. first, there were the case would just get thrown out because she has a separate case in state court and it could muddy the complaint. second, i think our concerns, rosa parks has a political history. her work with the naacp, the naacp getting red bated. >> she was the secretary of the local naacp. she had been challenging the law's four years. >> she was active in the decade before. the political history could become a liability. by june 1956, the naacp had been outlawed in alabama. claudette colvin is a plaintive but another incredible act of courage to be willing to be on that case. it is that case, not the case that rosa parks had, that once its way up to the supreme court, who ultimately decides then to desegregate montgomery's buses in december 1956. ask in termske to of the impact of the montgomery bus boycott throughout the rest of the south and the nation, placed in historical context of the civil-rights movement. >> i think there