[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 71 (Tuesday, May 2, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E913-E914]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      IN HONOR OF WILLIAM R. DYSON

                                 ______


                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 2, 1995
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, in New Haven, CT, on April 27, 1995, the 
Amistad Committee will honor my good friend, and long-time Connecticut 
State Representative, William Riley Dyson. I am pleased to have this 
opportunity to join the Amistad Committee in honoring this 
extraordinary legislator and community activist.
  The Amistad Committee is devoted to commemorating the remarkable 
events surrounding the Amistad Revolt and furthering the struggle for 
social justice and equality. The Amistad Revolt began in 1839 when 
captives from Sierra Leone seized the merchant ship La Amistad and 
ordered their kidnappers to return to Africa. When the slavers instead 
sailed toward the United States, the Amistad was taken into custody in 
the Long Island Sound. The rebels were held in the New Haven jail while 
they defended their civil rights in court. Anti-slavery advocates 
across the country rallied to the Africans' cause, and after 2 years, 
the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a decision that freed them and allowed 
them to return home.
  The Amistad controversy galvanized opposition to the injustices of 
slavery. The incident deeply affected countless Americans, both black 
and white, who hailed the captives' courageous assertion of their human 
rights. This important event in American history has inspired 
generations of people in New Haven, and throughout our Nation, to 
follow the example of these Africans. State Representative William 
Riley Dyson is a person who exemplifies this commitment to the cause 
for peace and social justice.
  Bill Dyson symbolizes the strength, vitality, and tremendous activism 
of the African-American community. From the time he was Director of the 
Newhallville Neighborhood Corporation and a New Haven Alderman, to his 
efforts 
[[Page E914]] to protest South African Apartheid, Bill Dyson has been a 
principled and outspoken advocate for the rights of all peoples. I was 
proud to join with Bill Dyson, and many others, as we welcomed Nelson 
Mandela at the White House during his historic visit to Washington.
  While Bill remains committed to social justice throughout the world, 
his home district of New Haven will always be his highest priority. 
From his work in the State Legislature, where he is a member of the 
Appropriations, Education, Legislative, and Human Services committees, 
to his numerous civic commitments, such as the 1995 Special Olympics 
World Games and the Connecticut Food Bank, Bill Dyson continues to work 
tirelessly for the people of his community.
  As the Amistad Committee honors Bill Dyson, I would like to take this 
opportunity to congratulate him, and to express my deep appreciation 
for all he has done. He has a special place in the hearts of all of us 
whom he has touched and enriched through his leadership and 
extraordinary activism. Bill Dyson is well-deserving of this honor, and 
I commend him for his many years of service.


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