[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 780 Introduced in House (IH)]

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 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 
        activists 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 African-Americans 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
Whereas Chokwe Lumumba leaves a legacy that will guide and inspire generations 
        to come: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) honors the life, accomplishments, and legacy of the 
        dedicated political activist, community leader, and man of the 
        people Chokwe Lumumba; and
            (2) extends its heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the 
        members of the family of the late Chokwe Lumumba.
                                 <all>