Recognizing the desegregation efforts at Girard College in Philadelphia, and the leaders involved in African-American integration and civil rights expansion.
H.Res. 1071 is a ceremonial resolution that honors the desegregation efforts at Girard College in Philadelphia and the civil rights leaders who fought to end the institution's racial discrimination. The resolution recognizes the long legal battle that began in 1954 when six African-American boys were rejected from the college based on founder Stephen Girard's 1848 will restricting admission to poor white male orphans, and it celebrates key figures like Raymond Pace Alexander and NAACP leader Cecil B. Moore who challenged these discriminatory practices. The resolution highlights major milestones, including the 1957 Supreme Court decision declaring the racial ban unconstitutional and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1965 speech at the college during NAACP protests, culminating in the college's vote to admit seven African-American students in May 1968. As a House resolution rather than legislation, this bill does not create new laws, provide funding, or establish timelines but instead serves as an official statement of Congress recognizing this important chapter of the civil rights movement and calling for continued protection of diversity in higher education.
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