[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 104 (Tuesday, July 22, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1469]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   CARL MAXEY: A CHAMPION OF JUSTICE

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                           HON. JIM McDERMOTT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 22, 1997

  Mr. McDERMOTT Mr. Speaker, our country has lost a true champion of 
justice. Carl Maxey, of Spokane, WA, died last week, on Thursday, July 
16, 1997. An accomplished attorney, Mr. Maxey was a widely known, and 
deeply respected, civil rights advocate whose activism spanned his 
lifetime. Despite a difficult childhood that included placement in an 
orphanage and early years on an Idaho Indian reservation, Carl Maxey 
rose to prominence through his hard work and unwavering commitment to 
justice and fair treatment for all. Mr. Maxey was a longtime resident 
of Spokane, where he graduated from the School of Law at Gonzaga 
University. He then became the first African-American from eastern 
Washington to pass the Washington State Bar examination, and began a 
successful law practice that included defense representation in a 
number of well-known Washington State criminal cases.
  A blossoming legal career did not deter Carl Maxey from lifelong 
civil rights activism. As the civil rights movement emerged in the 
South, he dedicated himself to its goals, working zealously for more 
than 40 years to realize them. His efforts included legal services to 
rights workers, political organizing and candidacy, and pro bono 
representation of poor, and often minority, clients.
  A mentor and inspiration to many African-Americans, Carl Maxey long 
will remain a model for all Americans. His leadership sprang from a 
rare combination of undeniable personal magnetism, unswerving 
conviction, and unyielding determination. His loss is deeply felt 
because Carl Maxey enriched all whom his good work touched. We are 
profoundly saddened by his death, and extend our deepest sympathies to 
his family.

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