IV 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 780 

Honoring the life, accomplishments, and legacy of Chokwe Lumumba. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 11, 2014 

Mr. CONYERS submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the life, accomplishments, and legacy of Chokwe 

Lumumba. 

Whereas Chokwe Lumumba was born on August 2, 1947, as 

Edwin Taliaferro, to Lucien and Priscilla Taliaferro in 

Detroit, Michigan; 

Whereas Chokwe Lumumba was a staunch advocate for African-American self-determination and equality under the 

law in the United States; 

Whereas throughout his life, Chokwe Lumumba worked to 

defend the rights of African-American activists and communities, and opposed human rights violations throughout the world; 

Whereas growing up as a young man, Chokwe Lumumba experienced racism first hand, from ‘‘white only’’ restaurants that would not serve his family to housing and 


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•HRES 780 IH 

job discrimination in his community, and became a political activist engaging in protest activities and raising 

money for the Student National Coordinating Committee 

(SNCC); 

Whereas because of the racism he experienced as a young 

man, Chokwe Lumumba developed a level of social consciousness that grew as he internalized the racist acts of 

the Civil Rights Era, such as the killing of Emmitt Till, 

the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, and the assassinations of Malcolm X and Medgar Evers; 

Whereas like many other young Black activists during the 

Civil Rights Era, Chokwe Lumumba took on a deep radical activism following the assassination of Dr. Martin 

Luther King, Jr., becoming a leading figure of the New 

Afrika Republic movement and adopting the names of an 

African tribe and the slain Congolese revolutionary 

Patrice Lumumba; 

Whereas in 1969, Chokwe Lumumba graduated from Kalamazoo College, where he formed the Black United Front 

student movement which advocated for the establishment 

of African-American studies departments at universities 

throughout the Midwest; 

Whereas in 1975, Chokwe Lumumba graduated first in his 

class from Wayne State University Law School, where he 

advocated for fair grading procedures and support programs for African-American students; 

Whereas upon graduating law school, Chokwe Lumumba became an advocate for the protection of Black communities in Detroit, against attacks by local police, and established the Malcolm X Center to train young Black acVerDate Sep 11 2014 19:42 Dec 16, 2014 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR780.IH HR780

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tivists and teach the dismantling of racism and inspirations of Black pride; 

Whereas as an attorney Chokwe Lumumba defended individuals and groups whose human rights were violated, and 

took on a host of high-profile and controversial cases, including that of Black activists Hayward Brown and 

Fulani Sunni Ali, rapper Tupac Shakur, and former 

Black Panther Party members Geronimo Pratt and 

Assata Shakur; 

Whereas in 1985, Chokwe Lumumba became active in the 

movement against apartheid in South Africa, training 

and motivating African-American youth to become active 

in the fight against global racial injustice; 

Whereas in 1987, Chokwe Lumumba co-founded the National 

Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America 

(N’COBRA) and was a key partner in the national effort 

to foster a dialogue on the continuing impact of the 

transatlantic slave trade; 

Whereas in light of the political opportunities for AfricanAmericans in the south created by the Civil Rights movement, Chokwe Lumumba transformed his radical activism and adopted more inclusive tactics to establish political power, becoming elected to the Jackson, Mississippi 

City Council in 2009 and Jackson, Mississippi Office of 

the Mayor in 2013; 

Whereas Chokwe Lumumba as City Councilman and Mayor 

never renounced his goal for African-American self-determination and equality, but instead worked within the government structure to organize new social and economic 

networks that created unprecedented coalitions across racial and political lines; and 


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Whereas Chokwe Lumumba leaves a legacy that will guide 

and inspire generations to come: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) honors the life, accomplishments, and legacy 

3 of the dedicated political activist, community leader, 

4 and man of the people Chokwe Lumumba; and 

5 (2) extends its heartfelt sympathies and condo6 lences to the members of the family of the late 

7 Chokwe Lumumba. 

Æ 


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