IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 827 

Honoring the life and accomplishments of Damu Amiri Imara Smith. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 19, 2006 

Ms. NORTON (for herself, Ms. LEE, Mr. RANGEL, and Mrs. CHRISTENSEN) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Government Reform 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the life and accomplishments of Damu Amiri 

Imara Smith. 

Whereas Damu Smith is in the annals of American and world 

history for his enduring work as a peace, civil rights, and 

environmental activist who has left his signature on the 

major issues of his time; 

Whereas in 1952, Damu Amiri Imara Smith was born LeRoy 

Wesley Smith in St. Louis, Missouri to Sylvester and 

Vernice Smith; 

Whereas Damu Smith took a field trip to Cairo, Illinois at 

the age of 17 to a Black Solidarity Day rally which 

helped to ignite his life of community service and activism; 


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•HRES 827 IH

Whereas at St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, 

where Damu Smith studied political science, he served as 

President of the Organization of Afro-American Students, led a protest and takeover of the school’s administrative offices to demand a Black studies program, and 

changed his name to Damu Amiri Imara Smith; 

Whereas in 1973, Damu Smith moved to Washington, D.C. 

to attend the Antioch College Center for the Study of 

Basic Human Problems; 

Whereas Damu Smith ardently and effectively lent his voice 

of advocacy to the successful campaign for the Martin 

Luther King Jr. Federal holiday; 

Whereas Damu Smith fought against apartheid in South Africa, especially as Executive Director of the Washington 

Office on Africa and co-founder of Artists for a Free 

South Africa; 

Whereas Damu Smith toiled against social ills such as gun 

violence, police brutality, and government injustice 

through his work with organizations such as the United 

Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice, the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, 

the National Wilmington 10 Defense Committee, and the 

National Black Independent Political Party; 

Whereas in his capacity as Associate Director of the Washington Office of the American Friends Service Committee, Damu Smith stood against the proliferation of 

nuclear weapons and for the cause of peace; 

Whereas Damu Smith’s leadership on the environment included his tenure as National Associate Director and national toxics campaigner for Greenpeace USA; 


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Whereas Damu Smith was a founder of the idea of environmental justice and played a central role in awakening African Americans and other people of color and lower income Americans to the special importance of environmental issues, which often affect those groups disproportionately; 

Whereas Damu Smith founded and served as the executive 

director of the National Black Environmental Justice 

Network, recognized as the first ever national network of 

Black environmental justice activists, to fight against 

contaminated water and toxic waste dumps in Black communities; 

Whereas in 1991, Damu Smith coordinated the first National 

People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit, 

which for the first time brought together the civil rights 

and environmental movements; 

Whereas Damu Smith, as the first coordinator for environmental justice for the Southern Organizing Committee 

for Economic and Social Justice, focused attention on the 

impact on the health and lives of poor and African American communities in the area in Louisiana called ‘‘Cancer 

Alley’’ because of its toxicity from chemical dumping and 

other environmentally detrimental corporate practices; 

Whereas in 1999, Damu Smith coordinated the historic National Emergency Gathering of Black Community Advocates for Environmental and Economic Justice, lauded as 

the largest environmental justice conference ever held; 

Whereas in 1999, Damu Smith co-founded Black Voices for 

Peace to mobilize the Black community with people of all 

races and nationalities to protest United States military 

action in Iraq and elsewhere, and to campaign in favor 


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of redirecting billions in Federal funding to universal 

healthcare and access, education, jobs, housing, environmental protection, equal justice, and other fundamental 

issues; 

Whereas Damu Smith co-hosted ‘‘Spirit In Action’’, a show 

dedicated to education and activism, on WPFW 89.3 FM 

with Milagros A. Phillips; and 

Whereas Damu Smith lived a life as full of meaning as his 

name: Damu, meaning blood—‘‘The blood that I am willing to shed for the liberation of my people;’’ Amiri, 

meaning leadership—‘‘The leadership I must provide in 

the service of my people;’’ and Imara, meaning 

strength—‘‘The strength and stamina I have to maintain 

in the struggle;’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors 

2 and celebrates the life of Damu Amiri Imara Smith and 

3 his accomplishments and expresses condolences at his 

4 passing. 

Æ 


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