[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 20 (Wednesday, March 4, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E281]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        IN HONOR OF JAMES FARMER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MAX SANDLIN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 4, 1998

  Mr. SANDLIN. Mr. Speaker, six weeks ago, one of the truly great men 
of our times received the recognition and honor he deserves for his 
lifetime of dedication to and leadership of the civil rights movement. 
James Farmer, Jr., who was born and raised in my hometown of Marshall, 
Texas, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom--the highest civilian 
honor in our country.
  Mr. Farmer is one of the giants of the American civil rights movement 
and a true American hero. He founded the Congress of Racial Equality 
(CORE), a group that became famous for its nonviolent sit-ins and 
freedom rides. He is the last of the ``Big Four'' civil rights leaders 
of the 1960's, which included Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., of the 
Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Roy Wilkins of the NAACP, and 
Whitney Young of the National Urban League. Mr. Farmer was one of the 
men President Lyndon Baines Johnson consulted concerning the language 
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
  Mr. Farmer is a man who dedicated his life to improving America for 
present and future generations. He fought to open the doors of justice 
and opportunity to all Americans, regardless of the color of their 
skin. Together as a nation we opened those doors, and James Farmer has 
continued to lead the fight to see that we do not retreat.
  Yes, Mr. Farmer is a fighter, but he trained himself and his 
followers in the principles of direct action through nonviolence. He 
taught us that it is possible to work toward and achieve meaningful 
progress and change through a combination of education, fierce 
determination, and strong faith. James Farmer and Dr. Martin Luther 
King put their vision to work in America, and although we still have 
room to improve, we are a changed people and a changed nation because 
of their efforts.
  The Presidential Medal of Freedom was designed for ``persons the 
President deems to have made especially meritorious contributions to 
the security of national interests of the United States, to world 
peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private 
endeavors.'' I nominated Mr. Farmer for the Presidential Medal of 
Freedom and recommended him to the President because he has earned this 
honor and because I believe he deserves a formal expression of our 
appreciation and gratitude. I am pleased the President bestowed his 
highest award on Mr. Farmer, and I am honored to have played a small 
role in that process.
  Friends, we are better Americans thanks to James Farmer, and we are 
also better human beings.

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