sojourner truth is probably the most famous resident of friedman's village. the truth was a mainstay at the village and washington, d.c.'s nist hospital which of course is now a harvard university hospital. more than just a preacher, sojourner truth was also a protector for the people of friedman's village. the owners from maryland had taken to reading the friedmans the ledge for black children to work for them and the children's parents complained they were thrown in jail. but they were telling their parents they didn't have to stand for such treatment because they had rights as well. some of them more upset that an african-american woman once telling freed slaves about their rights and they threatened to throw sojourner truth in the present. she wasn't intimidated in the slightest, however. if they tried to silence her, sojourner truth would make this nation a lot like a cradle she was left alone. she was likely the first african-american woman to be received at the white house as a guest of the president and his office and. her work at friedman's village d

, because sojourner truth basically said, "take those rights." >> exactly. >> hinojosa: "take them." >> "if they want more rights than what they got, why don't they just take them and not be talking about it," she said. >> hinojosa: well, so what do you think about that in this moment in history? are we... where are we in terms of the talking and the taking of women's rights and... >> well, i think that a lot of the legal barriers have been broken, and there is a perception even among women that "all i have to do is find a way personally to make that journey." that's really a misperception of the reality, because an individual struggle is far less powerful, far less successful, than a collective. and i think that's the message that sojourner truth was trying to offer the people of that... or the women of that day, white women primarily. and she was an ex-slave, and she just simply could not understand why they continued to talk about it, because in their numbers they had the power to make change. and that's also where we are today. in women's numbers, we have the power to make chan

. >> it felt like harriet tubman was pushing me down on one shoulder and sojourner truth was pushing car. >> reporter: it caught the attention of community activists looking for a case to challenge segregation laws in court. rosa parks was the secretary of a local civil rights association and took colvin under her wings. >> she thought i was this overgrown teenager that sassed white people. >> reporter: and what did she realize once she met you? >> she realized that i really was intellectually mature enough to know right from wrong. >> reporter: but ultimately parks, a seamstress with a spotless reputation was chosen to be the face of the boycott. leaders believed parks would garner strong public support unlike colvin who had become pregnant. are you sorry they didn't pick you? >> no i'm glad they picked miss parks because i wanted the bus boycott to be 100% successful. >> reporter: parks continued to lead the montgomery boy caught but it was the federal lawsuit filed by colvin and three others marie brouwer and susan mcdonald that landed a supreme court decision. that ruling in 1956

martin luther king, sojourner truth, those are leaders from a historical perspective. i and supervisor breed stand ort shoulders of more recent giants, like espinola jackson, like ms. westbrook, ella hill hutch, doris ward, willie b. kennedy, just to name a few. anyhow, i welcome you and i'm looking forward to -- [laughter] (applause) >> thank you very much. look forward to having a spirited conversation and i'd like to give supervisor breed an opportunity to welcome you as well. >> thank you, supervisor cohen. i just want to start by just thanking you all so much for your patience. i know many of you have been here for a very long time waiting for this opportunity. i'm looking forward to hearing the stories. i'm looking forward to the folks here being honored for the great work that they've done in the community. i, of course, had a really challenging time choosing who i would honor. i settled it at careen mayfield and pat scott who are here today and i'm looking so forward to honoring them and seeing some of the -- my other colleagues on the board who they plan to ho

. >> it felt like harriet tubman was pushing me down on one shoulder and sojourner truth was pushingith the other. they put me in a patrol car. >> reporter: colvin's arrest and conviction caught the attention of community activists looking for a case to challenge segregation laws in court. rosa parks was the secretary of a local civil rights organization and took colvin under her wing. >> she thought i was this overblown teenager that sassed white people. >> reporter: what did she realize once she met you? >> she realized that i was intellectually mature enough to know right from wrong. >> reporter: but ultimately, parks, a seamstress with a spotless reputation, was chosen to be the face of the boycott. leaders believed that parks would garner strong public support unlike colvin, who had become pregnant. are you sorry that they didn't pick you? >> no. i'm glad they didn't pick me because i wanted the bus boycott to be 100% successful. >> reporter: parks continued to help lead the bus boycott, but it was the federal lawsuit filed by colvin and three other women that resulted in a land

so rosa parks should feel right at home in the capital attorneys sojourner truth, dr. are quite stained, pride, dignity, courage. he shows you how rosa parks is recognized by congress. now if they could share comments from one of my invited guests, the baseball great willie mays, my favorite port in alabama who sells the same injustice is this rosa parks did when he was growing up. he couldn't be here today, but he sent a letter and said i could share these words about her. he said more than mass -- he said most times change does happen fast. most times it happens but i bet, little by little, one person's actions inspired in another. this approach simply did what was natural. she was tired so she sat down and that simple act sparks outrage in the average spread and one person's actions inspired change. he went on to say, we will try to remember to encourage change when it serves justice and today we will remember with admiration the simple acts of a preformatted. we will remember, we've are on our rosa parks. buckley was a fellow alabama, all-american willie mays. i de

so rosa parks can feel right at home in the capitol joining sojourner truth, dr. martin luther king and other american heroes. she inspires all who walk the halls with her quiet strength, her pride, her dignity, her courage. i told you how rosa parks is recognized by congress and friends of congress. now i'd like to share with you comments from one of my invited guests. the baseball great willie mays, my fellow californian, born in alabama, who saw the same injustices as rosa parks did as he was growing up. he couldn't be here today, but he sent a letter and he said i could share these words about her. he said more than this, and i gave the complete letter to sheila, rosa niece. he said, most times change doesn't happen fast. most times it happens bit by bit, little by little. one person's actions inspiring another. rosa parks simply did what was natural. she was tired so she sat down, and that simple act sparked outrage. and that outrage spread and one person's actions inspired change. he went on to say, we will try to remember to encourage change when it serves

united states capitol when her statue joins other great american women, like helen keller and sojourner truth, who stand sentinal over average citizens and members of congress alike in this hallowed place, reminding us of the quality of courage and the humble face of justice. i'm proud to welcome eugene todd, the talented artist and cup ture who he created this magnificent statue to the nation's capital. san pedro is a community of artists in los angeles and it means a lot that a member of our own community was chosen to show a woman whose quiet indignity stood up against the daily injustice of jim crow. what an honor for them. rosa parks would have been 100 years old this year, but i know this is overwhelm the first century we will be inspired by her example and this statue. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise. >> to address the house for one minute. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> thank you, mr. speaker. today i rise in support of the academic -- let me start again, mr. speaker