[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 23 (Monday, March 7, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 7, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
        THE REVEREND ADDIE L. WYATT CELEBRATES HER 70TH BIRTHDAY

  Ms. MOSELEY-BRAUN. Mr. President, the Reverend Addie L. Wyatt--my own 
reverend, I like to think--celebrated her 70th birthday on Sunday, 
March 6. Reverend Wyatt is a copastor of the Vernon Park Church of God, 
and I have for a long time considered her my spiritual adviser. But 
that does not begin to measure the impact she has had on my life, and 
the lives of so many, many others.
  The fact is that Rev. Addie Wyatt helped make me a U.S. Senator. She 
is a real mentor and a role model. She was--and is--a continuing source 
of inspiration for me. She has been a strong part of my life, and has 
made a major difference in my life.
  And not just for me. The Reverend Wyatt has made it her special 
mission to help children throughout her ministry. Her accomplishments 
in that area alone--her leadership, her commitment, her dedication, her 
hard work--make her a very special woman.
  But she has also found time to be one of the real founders of the 
women's movement, to be an activist for her community and for those 
whose voices are all too often ignored in the corridors of power, to be 
a major force in the civil rights movement, to be a nationally 
recognized labor organizer, and more. Rev. Addie Wyatt has always been 
a powerful fighter for people's rights, for people's opportunities, for 
people's souls, and for people's dreams.
  At 70 years of age, most people are content to look back on what they 
have done, and to start to take it a little easier. But not Reverend 
Wyatt. She's working harder than ever; she is always moving forward, 
always seeking to do more. Her drive and energy, if applied to any 
Olympic sport, would make her a gold medal winner, and a world record 
holder. In fact, Addie Wyatt is the equivalent of Michael Jordan, Ernie 
Banks, and Walter Payton all rolled up into one--with Arthur Ashe and 
Lee Elder thrown in for good measure. The only difference is that her 
kind of accomplishments, her kind of caring, her kind of energy, and 
her kind of commitment unfortunately do not command network television 
contracts or major product endorsements. But I know she is in line for 
the endorsement that counts. Her work is nothing less than God's work 
on this Earth, and she is an example of what His saints can do in this 
life.
  Mr. President, I very much wanted to be with Reverend Wyatt to 
celebrate her 70th birthday, but since I could not be there, I want to 
take this opportunity to wish her a happy birthday, and to tell her how 
much I love her, how important she is to me, and to everyone whose life 
she has touched.
  A 70th birthday is a real landmark. But knowing Reverend Wyatt, it is 
only a beginning. As long as there are battles to fight--and people to 
help--I expect to see the Reverend Addie Wyatt leading, and pushing, 
and struggling.

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