Expressing support for the designation of September 23 as "Mary Church Terrell Day", and calling on Congress to recognize Mary Church Terrell's lasting contributions to the civil rights and women's rights movements.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 583 Expressing support for the designation of September 23 as ‘‘Mary Church Terrell Day’’, and calling on Congress to recognize Mary Church Terrell’s lasting contributions to the civil rights and women’s rights movements. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SEPTEMBER 24, 2019 Ms. NORTON submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform RESOLUTION Expressing support for the designation of September 23 as ‘‘Mary Church Terrell Day’’, and calling on Congress to recognize Mary Church Terrell’s lasting contributions to the civil rights and women’s rights movements. Whereas Mary Church Terrell was born on September 23, 1863, in Memphis, Tennessee, to former slaves; Whereas Mary Church Terrell’s father, Robert Reed Church, was a successful businessman and one of the South’s first African-American millionaires; Whereas Mary Church Terrell attended the Antioch College laboratory school and Oberlin College; Whereas Mary Church Terrell was one of the first African- American women to attend college; VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:42 Sep 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR583.IH HR583 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 583 IH Whereas Mary Church Terrell’s belief in the importance of education led her to the District of Columbia in 1887; Whereas Mary Church Terrell taught at the M Street Colored High School, now known as Paul Laurence Dunbar High School; Whereas Mary Church Terrell was the first African-American woman in the United States to be appointed to a school board; Whereas Mary Church Terrell believed that the end to racial discrimination could be achieved through education, work, and community activism; Whereas Mary Church Terrell’s activism was sparked by the lynching of an old friend, Thomas Moss, in 1892; Whereas Mary Church Terrell used her position to fight ra- cial and gender discrimination; Whereas Mary Church Terrell participated in antilynching campaigns alongside Ida B. Wells-Barnett; Whereas Mary Church Terrell led the fight to desegregate eating places in the District of Columbia; Whereas District of Columbia laws of 1872 and 1873 re- quired all restaurants ‘‘to serve any respectable, well-be- haved person regardless of color’’; Whereas Mary Church Terrell was 86 at the time she launched the campaign to enforce these civil rights laws; Whereas Mary Church Terrell and several colleagues entered Thompson Restaurant in the District of Columbia on February 28, 1950; Whereas the group was refused service on the basis of their race; VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:42 Sep 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR583.IH HR583 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 583 IH Whereas John R. Thompson Co. was prosecuted for violating these laws; Whereas Mary Church Terrell continued her fight through boycotts, picketing, and sit-ins at restaurants around the District of Columbia; Whereas, on June 8, 1953, three years after the lawsuit was filed, the Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. John R. Thompson Co., held these laws were enforceable; Whereas Mary Church Terrell also actively fought for wom- en’s suffrage; Whereas Mary Church Terrell was president of the National Association of Colored Women; Whereas Mary Church Terrell was one of the founders and charter members of the National Association for the Ad- vancement of Colored People; Whereas Mary Church Terrell persuaded the National Asso- ciation of University Women to admit Black members; Whereas the Mary Church Terrell House is a National His- toric Landmark located at 326 T Street NW in the Dis- trict of Columbia, and is open to the public; and Whereas September 23 would be an appropriate day to des- ignate as Mary Church Terrell Day: Now, therefore be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) supports the designation of ‘‘Mary Church 2 Terrell Day’’; and 3 (2) calls on Congress to recognize Mary Church 4 Terrell’s legacy of civil rights and women’s rights. 5 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:31 Sep 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR583.IH HR583 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS