HR221 Summary

• Commemorates the life and legacy of Mrs. Recy Corbitt Taylor, who was born December 31, 1919, in Abbeville, Henry County, Alabama, to a family of sharecroppers.

• Recognizes that on September 3, 1944, Mrs. Taylor was kidnapped and gang-raped by six white men, and despite a confession from one assailant naming the others, two grand juries declined to indict and no charges were brought.

• Acknowledges that Mrs. Taylor's refusal to remain silent provided an early organizational spark for the Civil Rights Movement and sparked among the first instances of nationwide protest and activism in the African-American community.

• References the Alabama Legislature's 2011 joint resolution apologizing for the state's failure to prosecute her attackers and expressing profound regret for the government's role in failing to prosecute the crime.

• Honors and commends Mrs. Recy Corbitt Taylor for her courage and dignity, offering the resolution to her family in admiration and appreciation of her life's achievement and service; Mrs. Taylor passed away December 28, 2017, at age 97.