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Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (NY-4) Reintroduces Bill to Preserve Historic Accounts of the Civil Rights Movement

Thursday January 15, 2009
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (NY-4) Reintroduces Bill to Preserve Historic Accounts of the Civil Rights Movement
 
 
WASHINGTON D.C.—On Thursday, January 15, 2009, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy reintroduced legislation to create a Civil Rights Oral History Project. The bill which, was cosponsored by civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis (GA-5), will create a joint effort between the future National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Library of Congress to collect oral histories of the people that were involved in the civil rights movement and preserve their stories for future generations. 
 
Just days before the inauguration of the nation’s first African-American president, Barack Obama, Rep. McCarthy reintroduced the Civil Rights Oral History Bill, marking the historic occasion and the advancement of the causes fought for throughout the civil rights movement.
 
“The fight for civil rights was one of the most significant social and cultural movements in our nation’s history, and this project will help future generations understand the struggle to make the dream of equality and freedom a reality for all Americans. I am proud to acknowledge the significance of this extraordinary moment in American history as we prepare to swear in our nation’s first African American President by reintroducing this bill on the occasion of Dr. King’s birthday,” said Rep. McCarthy.
 
The goal of the Civil Rights Oral History Project is to collect video and audio recordings of those who participated in the civil rights movement, providing a historic catalogue of the period. It is modeled after the very successful Veterans History Project.
“Over the past few years we have lost some of our nation’s great civil rights leaders such as Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King, and every day that passes we lose more and more of the pioneers who fought for the freedom and equality that we all enjoy today. While we know so much about the lives of the leaders of the civil rights movement, such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Congressman John Lewis, and Thurgood Marshall, it is important that we learn about the everyday people of all races who took a stand during a pivotal time in our nation’s history. There were so many people who were crucial to the civil rights movement, but have not had as much recorded about their experiences for the public record,” said Rep. McCarthy.
The bill was passed in the House in September of 2007, but is being reintroduced in the 111th Congress.  
 
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