Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Representative Melvin L. Watt (D-NC), Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), released the following statement regarding the death of Rosa Parks:

"The Congressional Black Caucus extends its sincere condolences to the family of civil rights icon Rosa Parks. Ms. Parks, whose refusal to give up her bus seat to a white man, sparked the modern civil rights movement. Her act of defiance in 1955 demonstrated the power that one citizen can have in changing the course of history and earned her the title "mother of the modern day civil rights movement."

"She set a standard of courage, dignity and strength that people around the world can be proud of and can emulate in their daily lives.

"We trust that Ms. Parks' legacy will forever live on through the work of the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development which she helped co-found in 1987.

"With the loss of Ms. Parks and the recent deaths of Judge Constance Baker Motley, C. DeLores Tucker and Vivian Malone Jones, America has lost four extraordinary leaders who tirelessly fought to close the disparities gap between African Americans and other Americans, and sought to create opportunities for Blacks where none previously existed.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Parks family."