HR 221

HR221 191776-1 By Representative Knight RFD: First Read: 22-FEB-18 191776-1:n:02/15/2018:AR/ar LSA2018-880 COMMEMORATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MRS. RECY TAYLOR. WHEREAS, Mrs. Recy Corbitt Taylor was an extraordinary Alabamian whose story and fight for justice was an early catalyst of the Civil Rights Movement; and WHEREAS, Mrs. Taylor was born on December 31, 1919, to a family of sharecroppers in Abbeville in Henry County, Alabama; and WHEREAS, on September 3, 1944, Mrs. Taylor was kidnapped while leaving church and gang-raped by six white men; despite a confession from one of the men who also named the others who took part, two grand juries subsequently declined to indict the men and no charges were ever brought against her assailants; and Mrs. Taylor's refusal to remain silent about a brutal rape she suffered, perpetrated by white men, provided an early organizational spark for the Civil Rights Movement; and WHEREAS, Mrs. Taylor's rape and the subsequent court cases were among the first instances of nationwide protest and activism among the African-American community; and WHEREAS, the publication of Danielle L. McGuire's book "At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance - a New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power" in 2011, led to a joint resolution being adopted by the Alabama Legislature officially apologizing on behalf of the state "for its failure to prosecute her attackers" and acknowledged "the lack of prosecution for crimes committed against Recy Taylor by the government of the State of Alabama," and that "failure to act was, and is, morally abhorrent and repugnant, and that we do hereby express profound regret for the role played by the government of the State of Alabama in failing to prosecute the crime"; and WHEREAS, Mrs. Taylor passed away on Thursday, December 28, 2017, just days shy of her 98th birthday, and three weeks after the release of the documentary, "The Rape of Recy Taylor"; and WHEREAS, Mrs. Taylor's story is a pivotal link in the ever evolving pursuit of justice for victims of sexual assault; her legacy continues to live on in the countless lives she touched and fuels justice for victims of sexual violence in all communities, especially for those who feel as if they have no voice; now therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA, That Mrs. Recy Corbitt Taylor is highly honored and commended for her courage and dignity, and this resolution is offered to her family in admiration and appreciation of her life's achievement and service, along with heartfelt sympathy.