Bill Text: IL HR0341 | 2011-2012 | 97th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Recognizes the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides and the men and women who made a difference on those important trips through the South.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)
Status: (Passed) 2011-05-10 - Resolution Adopted [HR0341 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2011-HR0341-Introduced.html
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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, May 4, 2011 is the 50th anniversary of the Freedom | ||||||
3 | Rides; on September 22, 1961, because of the dedication and | ||||||
4 | sacrifice of almost 500 determined and strong men and women, | ||||||
5 | the Interstate Commerce Commission issued an order that all Jim | ||||||
6 | Crow signs must be removed from bus and rail stations in the | ||||||
7 | South; and
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8 | WHEREAS, On May 4, 1961, the Freedom Rides began in | ||||||
9 | Washington, D.C.; originally, 13 men and women boarded two | ||||||
10 | buses and headed for the Deep South to test the federal laws | ||||||
11 | prohibiting segregation; and
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12 | WHEREAS, The plan was to ride in the front of buses and sit | ||||||
13 | in bus stop waiting rooms that were designated "whites only" | ||||||
14 | and "colored"; and
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15 | WHEREAS, The Freedom Rides were organized by the Congress | ||||||
16 | of Racial Equality (CORE), which trained the men and women to | ||||||
17 | be peaceful and nonviolent in the face of hatred and anger, and | ||||||
18 | to not strike back against the people they would face on their | ||||||
19 | trip; and
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20 | WHEREAS, John Lewis, now a current United States | ||||||
21 | congressman, was one of the original 13 Freedom Riders; on May |
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1 | 9, 1961, after stepping off the bus and into a South Carolina | ||||||
2 | bus terminal, he was attacked and beaten by an angry white man; | ||||||
3 | after the beating, he was asked by police if he wanted to press | ||||||
4 | charges and he responded that he and the other Freedom Riders | ||||||
5 | were not there to cause trouble, so no charges would be | ||||||
6 | pressed; and
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7 | WHEREAS, Elwin Wilson, the man who attacked young John | ||||||
8 | Lewis that day, went to the congressman's office in 2009 and | ||||||
9 | offered his apology; for years he had prayed that he could meet | ||||||
10 | Representative Lewis and make amends for the beating; | ||||||
11 | Representative Lewis accepted his apology and the two men have | ||||||
12 | since become friends; and
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13 | WHEREAS, Other heroes included Hank Thomas, who was on a | ||||||
14 | bus that was attacked after crossing the Alabama state border; | ||||||
15 | as he laid in front of a small grocery store, the store owner's | ||||||
16 | daughter, Janie Forsyth, offered him assistance and water; and
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17 | WHEREAS, Diane Nash, the leader of the Nashville Student | ||||||
18 | Movement in 1961, offered to lead the second series of Freedom | ||||||
19 | Rides, without regard for her own safety; former United States | ||||||
20 | Attorney General Robert Kennedy sent his assistant, John | ||||||
21 | Seigenthaler, to the South to represent his office; Mr. | ||||||
22 | Seigenthaler was attacked by an angry mob in Nashville and | ||||||
23 | Diane Nash also saw violence during her experience; and
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1 | WHEREAS, There were so many people who sacrificed a great | ||||||
2 | amount to see changes in our country; through their love for | ||||||
3 | others, their ability to remain peaceful in the face of hatred | ||||||
4 | and bitterness, and their undying courage, change came to the | ||||||
5 | South, and across the nation as a result of the Freedom Rides; | ||||||
6 | and
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7 | WHEREAS, As a result of the examples of the original | ||||||
8 | Freedom Riders, 40 college students began a journey on May 4, | ||||||
9 | 2011 from Washington, D.C. to New Orleans to retrace the route | ||||||
10 | of those important and history-changing trips through the | ||||||
11 | South; therefore, be it
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12 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
13 | NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
14 | we commend Representative John Lewis, Hank Thomas, Janie | ||||||
15 | Forsyth, Diane Nash, John Seigenthaler, and all the brave men | ||||||
16 | and women who took part in or supported the original Freedom | ||||||
17 | Rides; and be it further
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18 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
19 | delivered to Representative John Lewis, Hank Thomas, Janie | ||||||
20 | Forsyth, Diane Nash, and John Seigenthaler as symbols of our | ||||||
21 | pride and respect for their bravery all those years ago.
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