[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 20 (Tuesday, March 1, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 1, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
     EMPOWERING AFRICAN-AMERICAN ORGANIZATIONS: PRESENT AND FUTURE

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                               speech of

                          HON. JULIAN C. DIXON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 23, 1994

  Mr. DIXON. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise to 
participate in today's special order in recognition of Black History 
Month.
  First celebrated as Negro History Week in 1926, Black History Month 
is the brainchild of the father of black history, historian Dr. Carter 
G. Woodson. Dr. Woodson understood clearly the importance of preserving 
a thorough and accurate record of our past for future generations. A 
people whose history and accomplishments go unrecorded, Dr. Woodson 
warned, ``becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world and 
stands the danger of being exterminated.'' Thus, Dr. Woodson set out to 
document the experience of black men and women in Africa and the New 
World and to record the tremendous contributions of African-Americans 
to the Nation in which they toiled for three centuries in forced 
servitude. Our history in this Nation is unique.
  During Black History Month, it is customary to celebrate the 
contributions and achievements of African-Americans throughout our 
Nation's history.
  This year, we reserve our highest esteem for those outstanding 
organizations that continue to serve as the driving economic and social 
forces behind the strength of the African-American community. The way 
in which these organizations have conducted business while masterfully 
serving the community is praiseworthy, and deserving of national 
recognition. I believe it is critically important to take note of the 
ongoing contributions of our African-American organizations. I would 
like to call attention to two organizations from my congressional 
district in Los Angeles whose service, achievements, and deeds merit 
recognition and praise.
  The Los Angeles Sentinel, originally founded under the name 
``Eastside Shopper'' in 1933, remains one of the most respected 
newspapers in California. Leon H. Washington, Jr., was 23 years old 
when he came to Los Angeles in 1930 to begin his career as an 
advertising salesman for the California Eagle--at the time the largest 
and oldest black-owned newspaper in the West. A natural leader and 
independent thinker, he decided in 1933, to quit working for the 
California Eagle and started his own newspaper. Mr. Washington founded 
the Eastside Shopper in his home. As the publication began to grow, the 
Colonel--as he was called by most who knew him--established an office 
on Vernon Avenue, and subsequently renamed the paper the Sentinel.
  In 1933, discrimination ran rampant against people of color in the 
jobs market, in both the public and private sectors. Leon Washington 
was concerned about the employment plight of African-American Angelenos 
at that time, and and it was his fight against discrimination in 
employment which brought him to prominence as a publisher in Los 
Angeles and inspired others to suggest that he convert from a free-
circulation shopper to a paid-circulation standardized newspaper. 
Through his paper, the Colonel launched a fight against discriminatory 
merchants who made most of their money by selling goods to African-
American customers, but refused to hire them as workers.

  The Sentinel has been honored for its coverage of the Watts 
disturbance, its publication of special editions, the work of 
individual writers and departmental editors, and for its fighting 
editorials.
  After the death of the beloved Colonel in 1974, his widow, Mrs. Ruth 
Washington, garnered the reins of control at the paper and assumed the 
position of business manager at the Los Angeles Sentinel. When Mrs. 
Washington assumed the position at the death of her husband, she had to 
take a crash course in newspaper operations. She was not, however, 
inexperienced in business. In fact, from an early age she had been 
fascinated with business. In preparation for her new role, she majored 
in business at the Emily Griffith Opportunity School in Denver. After 
she moved to Los Angeles, she continued her studies at the Metropolitan 
Trade School. Mrs. Washington created a climate at the newspaper; one 
of fairness, consideration, compassion, and understanding--all of which 
led the Sentinel to its unparalleled success.
  Today, the Sentinel continues to excel under the outstanding 
leadership of its publisher, Attorney Kenneth R. Thomas. The Los 
Angeles Sentinel is an exemplary example of an empowering African-
American organization providing for the very community which has 
benefited from its existence for over 60 years.
  Mr. Speaker, the second organization that I am proud to acknowledge 
is Crossroads National Education and Arts Center [Crossroads NEAC], an 
unique organization that affects the healing, growth, and quality of 
life enhancement in the inner city of Los Angeles. Established in 1981, 
Crossroads is dedicated to preserving and expanding the African-
American culture through the arts to create avenues for education, 
economic development, and self-sufficiency while providing a legacy for 
current and successive generations. Crossroads NEAC was cofounded by 
Angela Mills, producer-director-writer, and Marla Gibbs, noted actress, 
entrepreneur, and community activist, in response to an overwhelming 
need to provide viable arts and educational programs in the inner city. 
Located in the Crenshaw-Leimert Park community--Crossroads NEAC is at 
the heart of its constituency.
  With support from a number of individuals, corporations, and other 
funding organizations, Crossroads NEAC has provided scholarships for 
students from low-income households. It has helped to launch the 
careers of several of its students in theatre, television, and movies. 
Based upon its established reputation, the center has attracted the 
attention of industry agents and producers as a source of talent.

  As Crossroads NEAC continues to grow, its potential to utilize the 
arts as an instrument of peace, healing, and understanding--as well as 
a vehicle for jobs and economic growth--also grows.
  Crossroads NEAC's commitment to excellence has earned numerous 
awards, including the New York Audelco Theatre Award, 12 NAACP Image 
Awards, and several community achievement awards. In addition, the 
popular television program ``227'' was developed and launched at 
Crossroads NEAC, while other plays have gone on to Broadway, such as 
``Checkmates'' and ``The Meeting.''
  The Crossroads National Education and Arts Center--housed within the 
Vision Complex--has served as a catalyst for true economic 
revitalization in the inner community of Los Angeles, with an impact on 
the greater Los Angeles community and beyond. As the largest 
multidisciplinary arts organization in the inner community of Los 
Angeles, Crossroads NEAC is uniquely and strategically positioned to 
embrace and be embraced by numerous underserved populations in our 
city. It gives me great pleasure to nationally recognize this most 
outstanding organization.
  Please join me, Mr. Speaker, in applauding these contemporary 
African-American organizations for their significant accomplishments 
and contributions to the African-American community. By highlighting 
the wide range of achievements of these organizations, we are assured 
of a greater understanding and appreciation of the vast contributions 
African-Americans have made to our society.

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