CHICAGO – Today, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley issued the following statement regarding tomorrow’s anniversary of Emmett Till’s death (August 28, 1955) and the civil rights March on Washington (August 28, 1963), recognizing our nation’s ongoing fight for equal rights for all Americans:

On this August 28, a day of great historical significance, we remember that our fight for equality is far from over.

On August 28, 1955, Emmett Till, a young boy from Chicago, was brutally murdered in Money, Mississippi at just fourteen years old for whistling at a white woman. 

On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a young man from Atlanta, led a march on Washington seeking peace and progress, demonstrating an overwhelming national desire for civil rights.

The senseless murders of these young and honorable men forced Americans of all races and backgrounds to acknowledge that we were not on equal footing. 

It ignited the modern civil rights movement and reminded us that we are a people who are most triumphant when faced with extraordinary adversity. 

We are a people who believe that violent demonstrations and acts of hatred are intolerable.

We are a people who, now without the tirelessness of Senator Edward Kennedy and his commitment to equality, must honor his legacy and double our efforts to achieve more results.

It is not just for the memories of Mr. Till, Dr. King, or our late Senator that we need to continue to fight against discrimination.

Rather, it is our moral obligation to do so.

On this August 28, we recall the past for the sake of our future, to see how far we’ve come and remember how much further we have to go.

Earlier this year, less than a month after being sworn into Congress, Rep. Quigley stood in the Oval Office to witness President Obama sign the first of his cosponsored bills into law – the Civil Rights Oral History Project. The project will continue ongoing efforts to document this critical period by collecting audio and video recordings and making first-hand testimonials available to the public.

Quigley remarked at the time that the American Civil Rights movement was “marked by senseless discrimination and courageous determination, but more importantly, reminds us that change is possible and equality is non-negotiable.”

At the bill signing, Quigley stood beside Rep. John Lewis, Congressman of Georgia’s 5th District and the youngest speaker to address the assembled crowd of civil rights marchers on August 28, 1963.