[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 17 (Tuesday, February 11, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E220]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            ARTHUR SHORES--ALABAMA'S DRUM MAJOR FOR JUSTICE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. EARL F. HILLIARD

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 11, 1997

  Mr. HILLIARD. Mr. Speaker, in December 1996, America lost one of its 
greatest warriors for peace, justice, and equal opportunity. Arthur 
Shores, a man of unquestioned courage and character, passed away this 
past December. Arthur Shores is a revered figure in Alabama history and 
a significant persona of the civil rights movement.
  Mr. Shores, a native Alabamian, was a graduate of Talladega College. 
He received his juris doctor from LaSalle University. In 1937, Mr. 
Shores passed the Alabama State Bar Examination. As a newly practicing 
attorney, he faced many forms of racial discrimination and resistance 
in his profession, but triumphed nonetheless.
  Mr. Shores was the only black practicing attorney in Alabama in the 
early 1940's. He practiced civil rights law all over the State of 
Alabama. However, he was also called upon to handle cases outside of 
the State that had national significance. For example, he was one of 
the NAACP lawyers associated with the Brown versus Board of Education 
case. He also represented notable civil rights pioneers such as Dr. 
Martin Luther King, Jr., Autherine Lucy, Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, and 
Vivian Malone.
  Arthur Shores' civil rights work on behalf of all Alabamians is his 
living legacy for my State. He not only was part of change during the 
civil rights era, but he made it happen through his exceptional 
achievement as a civil rights jurist. He is regarded as one of the most 
brilliant and courageous pioneers in jurisprudence and social justice 
in this country. He was a destiny changer; one who made a difference in 
human and race relations. His courage and persistence through the use 
of the law would have profound impact on the social justice system of 
the State of Alabama, the South, the United States, and indeed the 
world.
  His efforts on behalf of the politically and economically 
disenfranchised came with a price. In 1963, his home was bombed twice. 
No one was injured, but the incidents were examples of the hostility 
faced by a civil rights attorney. Still, he continued. Still, he fought 
the good fight.
  Moreover, he was a family man. He clearly understood the meaning of 
family. His daughter Helen said her fondest childhood memories include 
going to the movies with her father and sister Barbara.
  ``Every Sunday for as long as I can remember he took us to the Eighth 
Avenue Theater to watch the serials and the western movies, rain or 
shine,'' she said. ``If he flew out of town, he always came back to 
take us to the movies, even if he had to fly out on Monday.''
  ``He was my best friend. I could always depend on him. He was always 
there, even for the grandchildren. Those who knew my father will tell 
you he was a very humble man. He was always one to turn the other 
cheek. Even when they bombed his house twice, I never heard him say one 
unkind word about anybody,'' she concluded.
  Arthur Shores will be remembered for the court cases he won, the 
legal precedents he set, and the role he played in tearing down 
barriers; however, it is the comments from his daughter Helen that 
really show you the measure of the man. Arthur Shores was a man for all 
seasons--smart, dedicated, compassionate, and humble. I am honored to 
have known him and to have considered him my friend.