Parks to Lie in Honor in Capitol

Posted October 28, 2005 at 9:48am

Nearly 50 years after refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Ala., city bus to a white man, Rosa Parks, who died Monday at age 92, is set to lie in honor Sunday and Monday in the Rotunda.

Parks, a longtime seamstress and former aide to Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) whose move helped spark the modern-day civil rights movement, will become the first woman and second black person to receive such an honor. Not since 1998, after the slayings of Capitol Police officers Jacob Chestnut and John Gibson, has a Capitol vigil been held for an unelected citizen.

The Senate approved a concurrent resolution allowing for Parks to “lie in honor” by unanimous consent last night. Meanwhile, the House is expected to approve the measure by unanimous consent later this morning.

A memorial service for Parks, whose body will arrive in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, is scheduled Monday for 1 p.m. at Metropolitan AME Church, located at 1518 M St. NW.