Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Senator Angela Moseley and community witnesses back bill to designate Frankie Muse Freeman Day
Loading...
Summary
Senator Angela Moseley sponsored SB 16-13 to designate November 24 as Frankie Muse Freeman Day; supporters including Richard Jackson and Cheryl Dozier testified about Freeman's civil-rights work and Missouri ties. Committee recorded no opposition and the bill carried no fiscal note in the hearing.
Senator Angela Moseley (13th Senatorial District) told the Special Committee on Tourism she was sponsoring Senate Bill 16-13 to designate November 24 as Frankie Muse Freeman Day, noting Freeman’s role as the first woman appointed to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and her impact on civil-rights enforcement and housing desegregation.
"This designation is a unifying act that reflects Missouri's commitment to justice and equal protection," Moseley said, explaining the choice of date as Freeman’s birthday, November 24.
Community witnesses spoke in support. Richard Jackson, director and founder of Manasseh Ministry, described Freeman as a "hero" who advanced fair housing and civil justice and said she ‘‘poured her whole life into that’’ work. Cheryl Dozier, executive director of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus and a long-time legislative staffer, recounted personal and historical accounts of discrimination in Missouri to underscore Freeman’s legacy and said the designation would preserve that history.
Committee members praised the proposal; Representative Whaley and others asked brief questions about the potential ceremony and the statute’s local ties. Members recorded no opposition testimony during the hearing, and the sponsor said the bill carried no fiscal note.
The committee closed the hearing on SB 16-13 with the record indicating support from both the sponsor and community witnesses; no committee vote on the bill was included in this transcript extract.