Figures, Sewell Introduce Legislation to Protect Civil Rights Landmarks on the National Register of Historic Places from Being Sold

March 12, 2025 - WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Shomari C. Figures (AL-02) and Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) introduced legislation, the Civil Rights Landmarks Protection Act, to protect civil rights landmarks on the National Register of Historic Places. This bill comes on the heels of the Trump Administration putting the Montgomery Greyhound Bus Station, which houses the Freedom Rides Museum, on a list of properties for GSA to sell.

"The Montgomery Greyhound Bus Station, which is in my district, is a historic landmark that should be protected," said Rep. Figures. "Former Congressman John Lewis and many other civil rights activists were nearly killed at this bus station for simply fighting for their constitutional rights. This landmark, and many others like it, are part of the story of America and we should not allow the Trump Administration-or any Administration-to simply sell it away."

"Our historic civil rights landmarks are not just Black history. They are not just Alabama history. They are American history, and they deserve to be protected for future generations," said Rep. Sewell. "After all, if we are to avoid repeating our painful past, we need to remember it, acknowledge it, and learn from it. Rest assured, Congressman Figures and I will not sit by and let Donald Trump, Elon Musk, or anyone else sell off historic landmarks like the Freedom Rides Museum to the highest bidder. Our civil rights history is not for sale."

This legislation prohibits the sale of all federally-owned landmarks listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which is operated by the National Park Service. If the federal government decides to sell a landmark listed on the Register, Congress must pass a resolution approving the sale. If Congress does not pass the resolution, then the landmark cannot be sold.

On March 6, 2025, Figures and Sewell sent a letter to the General Services Administration calling for the immediate removal of the Montgomery Greyhound Bus Station from the list of properties slated for sale. To date, GSA has not responded to the request to remove the building from the list.

To read the bill text:

https://figures.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/figures.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/crlp-act.pdf