123STA T . 1 6 12 PUBLIC LA W 111 – 1 9—M A Y 12 , 2 0 09 PublicLaw1 11 – 1 9 111 thCongres s A n Act Todirect t h e L i b r a ria n o fC on g re s s and the S ecretar y oftheS m ithsonian I nstit u tion to carry out a j oint p roject at the Library of Congress and the N ationa lM useum of A frican American H istory and Culture to collect v ideo and audio recordings of personal histories and testimonials of individuals w ho participated in the Civil R ights movement , and for other purposes .Beit e nac te dby t h e S enate and Hous eo fR e pr esentati v es of the U nited States of Am erica in C on g ress assemb l ed ,SECTION1. S H O R T TIT L E. ThisActmaybe cite d as the ‘ ‘ C i v i lR i g hts H ist or y P ro j ect Act o f20 0 9’ ’ . SEC. 2 . F IN D IN G S
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RPOSE. ( a )FIND IN GS . — Co n gress finds as follo w s
( 1 )Af u ndamental p rinciple of American democracy is that individuals should stand up for their rights and beliefs and fight for justice. (2) The actions of those who participated in the Civil Rights movement from the 19 5 0s through the 19 6 0s are a shining e x ample of this principle in action , demonstrated in events as varied as the M ontgomery B us Boycott, the sit - ins, the Freedom Rides, the March on W ashington, the drive for voting rights in Mississippi, and the March to S elma. ( 3 ) While the Civil Rights movement had many visible leaders, including Thurgood Marshall, D r. Martin L uther K ing, J r., and Rosa Par k s, there were many others whose impact and experience were just as important to the cause but who are not as well known. ( 4 ) The participants in the Civil Rights movement possess an invaluable resource in their first-hand memories of the movement, and the recording of the retelling of their stories and memories will provide a rich, detailed history of our N ation during an important and tumultuous period. (5) I t is in the Nation’s interest to undertake a project to collect oral histories of individuals from the Civil Rights movement so future generations will be able to learn of their struggle and sacrifice through primary-source, eyewitness mate- rial. A coordinated Federal project would also focus attention on the efforts undertaken by various public and private entities to collect and interpret articles in all formats relating to the Civil Rights movement, and serve as a model for future projects undertaken in museums, libraries, and universities throughout the Nation. 20USC8 0 s. 20 USC 80s note . C iv i lR i gh ts H isto ryP ro j e c t A ct o f 200 9 . Ma y 1 2 , 2009 [ H.R. 5 8 6]
