[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 114 (Wednesday, September 3, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H6777]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  2115
                        TRIBUTE TO BETTY SHABAZZ

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Payne] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, let me also add my accolades to the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia, Delegate Norton, for calling 
this very important Special Order. It has been already said about the 
outstanding work that she does here in the District fighting for the 
people of the District, as she fought for people here in the entire 
United States of America when she had a tremendous, important 
administrative position years ago, and she continues to do that work.
  And to the chairperson of the Congressional Black Caucus, Ms. Waters 
from California, she continues to lead the caucus in unprecedented 
times. We are so proud of the outstanding work that the caucus has 
done, and I would just like to, as I was in my office working, and I 
turned to this channel and saw that this Special Order was being done, 
I was unaware of it but felt it was extremely important to me to come 
over and to say a few words.
  I knew Betty Shabazz very well, because living in Newark, NJ, she was 
not far away, and about a month before the tragedy I had the 
opportunity to be in her company three or four times. First, we had a 
meeting in Mount Vernon, the Constituency for Africa. Mayor David 
Dinkins was there, Congressman Rangel, Mel Foote called in from the 
Constituency of Africa in Mrs. Shabazz's hometown, and of course the 
first person to speak after the invocation was given at the church was 
Doctor Betty Shabazz, because she not only worked for people in this 
area and in this country, but worldwide, and she was loved by everyone.
  I know Dr. Edison Jackson, who was the president of Medgar Evers 
College, he was the former president of Essex County College in Newark, 
NJ, where I live, and the wisdom of President Jackson to see the worth 
of a Betty Shabazz, to have her lead the light for that great 
institution named after, as has been mentioned, Medgar Evers, another 
person who was taken away from us, and his wife Myrlie Evers carried 
the torch, and so it is unique; as a matter of fact, the college that 
Dr. Edison Jackson at Essex County taught at before going to Medgar 
Evers after leaving California on Martin Luther King Boulevard. Doctor 
Shabazz, it is altogether.
  I would just like to say that then she came over to Newark about 2 
weeks before the tragedy and spoke out at community meetings. She was 
always there, grass-roots people. She would come to the caucus and go 
to all of the sessions and rush around because everyone wanted to see 
her.
  And so we have lost a tremendous person. It is unfortunate that 
tragedies take people. This week we are hearing the tragedy of the 
great Princess of Wales taken away unnecessarily, and once again Dr. 
Betty Shabazz.
  So I think that we have to remember and we have to always be aware of 
the fact that we all have to do more in our own way. She was a great 
person.
  I, too, attended the memorial service and David Dinkins and Basil 
Patterson and Percy Sutton did such outstanding jobs as they brought 
this community together.
  I once again would like to simply thank the gentlewoman from the 
District here, and I appreciate having the opportunity to address the 
House.

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