Date: 2006-03-01
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speak- NAACP has not been. is not now. and er. I yield myself such time as I may never shall be a blackonly organizaconsume. tion. The NAACP has always been a Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman multiracial organization. Yes. in refrom Wisconsin. I especially thank him membering some of the great names for his kind words with reference to the associated with the organization. we NAACP and his indication that he will should remember that -Dr: Louis T. lead the charge. in fact be a part of the Wright became the first black board avant garde. with reference to extend- chair of the NAACP in 1935.. However. ing the Voting Rights Act. I thank you as we remember Dr. Wright. we ought for this. not forget Oswald Garrison Villiard Mr. Speaker. I am honored that the who was not black. who in 1911 became House leadership has chosen to bring the first chair of the board of the House Concurrent Resolution 335 before NAACP. Before the NAACP had its this august body. This resolution hon- first black board chair. it had two that ors the 97th anniversary of the Na- were not black. tional Association for the Advance- We should remember James Weldon ment of Colored People. and as I rise to Johnson. who became the first black the occasion. I would like to thank executive secretary director of the" those who have made the occasion po- NAACP. However. we should not forget sible. Francis Blascon. Mary White Ovington. First. I would like to thank Chair- Mary Nurney. Royall Nash. All of these man SENSENBRENNER. chairman of the persons we might remember .were not powerful Judiciary Committee. He has black and served before James Weldon spoken eloquently.. I �thank you for Johnson. your kind words again. and I alsowant We should remember the brilliant to. for the record. say you did what you black lawyer and Supreme Court Jusdid not have to do. and for this. I thank tice. as the chairman has mentioned. you. Thurgood Marshall. However. we I would like to thank ranking mem- should never forget Arthur Singarn ber JOHN CONYERS. who is now the dean who was not black. Arthur Singarn doof the conscience of the Congress: I nated money. he raised money. and he thank you. for helping us to bring this headed the NAACP Legal Redress Coinpiece of legislation to the floor of the mittee. It has been said that Thurgood House." was a great litigator in part because I would also like to take an oppor- Singarn was a great donator. The tunity and thank my good friend Con1 NAACP annually awards its highest gressman HENRY HYDE. who was the- honor inthe name of Singarn. first to sign on to this resolution. He We should remember Medgar Evers. gave his word. and I have learned that the black NAACP field representative HENRY HYDES word is his bond. and I who was assassinated in his front yard thank Mr. HYDE. in 1963. but. please. let us not forget Finally. my heartfelt thanks go out John R. Shillady. the NAACP executo all 67 of my colleagues who cospon- tive secretary who never recovered sored this resolution. as well as all who from. a mob beating in Austin. Texas. will support it. both Democrats and- in 1919. He gave his life in the fight for Republicans alike. justice for all. and he. Was not black. Mr. Speaker. because I do not know The point is. we did not get here by where we would be but for the NAACP. ourselves. and we thank God for the I cannot help but say thank God for the many who were not black -who helped NAACP and the many other persons of us in our quest for justice. goodwill who have fought racial injus- Mr. Speaker. I yield to the gentleman tice. because. Mr. Speaker. in our life- who I have announced earlier is the time we can recall a time when racial conscience of the Congress and that. of injustice..as someone has said. was ac- course. is Congressmani CONYERS. We cepted by the masses and expected by thank you for being Withus. Congressthe classes. - man. It was commonplace. It was every (Mr. CONYERS asked and was given place. Politicians campaigned on it. permission to revise and extend his rejudges decreed it. lawyers practiced it. marks.) policemen enforced it. preachers Mr. CONYERS. Thank you. Mr. preached it. parents believed it. teach- GREEN. for yielding just briefly to add ers taught it. and children learned it. to your remarks. I am pleased to. join We were all consumed by it. with you and with the chairman of JuHowever. the NAACP and others of diciary. JAMES SENSENBRENNER..in.this goodwill helped to change this. and I 97th anniversary remembrafice of the am honored to say that this change has greatest civil rights organization that � brought about significant. progress in we have in this country. I can say to this country for African Americans and Congressman GREEN that your inftiother minorities. ation of this resolution recognizing the Hence. it is desired that this resolu- 97th anniversary of the NAACP. could tion not onlj honor the NAACP- as an not be more timely. entity. but also the entire NAACP fain- I just want to add one name. We are ily and extended family. including the all mentioning all of these names in the course of 97 years. We are dealing with the most serious social problem in America that has never yet been resolved. thate we have been working. on. We have a voter rights extension bill in the Committee on the Judiciary about to come forward. We are bringing people together. We are working as hard as we can. And I was just at a meeting yesterday in which I was reminded that we have the likes of Ted Shaw of the Legal Defense Fund. Greg Moore. the executive director of the National Voter Fund.- and in Detroit we have the larg2 est branch in the United States. with a current membership of more than 45.00.0 people. led -by Reverend Wendell Anthony of Fellowship Chapel. So all of this makes such a rich history. � And I am glad. now that we have done Black History Month. that we have come along with this 97th anniversary resolution. because this issue has to be studied every month. We have to examine where we are. and where we are going. And I am. so pleased at all the Members on the. floor here -and many others that will be submitting statements which recognize the depth. the importance and the significance of -a resolution recognizing nearly 100 years of. the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in this long struggle. hardfought struggle that has promoted goodwill and tried to make America live up to the promise of our constitutional democracy.