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[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 827 Introduced in House (IH)]

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;
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;
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 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
    Resolved,  That the House of Representatives honors and celebrates 
the life of Damu Amiri Imara Smith and his accomplishments and 
expresses condolences at his passing.
                                 <all>
```