[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 74 (Thursday, May 20, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1041]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                         HONORING OLIVE BEASLEY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DALE E. KILDEE

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 20, 1999

  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I come before you today with a heavy heart, 
as I stand here to recognize the lifetime achievements of a woman who 
gave much to her family and her community, in the name of equal rights 
for all. On May 21, the Beasley family, local officials, civic leaders, 
and members of the Flint, Michigan, community will gather to honor the 
memory of Ms. Olive Beasley of Flint, who died May 13.
  Olive Beasley was born in Chicago, and upon moving to Michigan, 
worked for the NAACP, where she was an integral part in the campaign in 
favor of Michigan's Fair Employment Act. She was later transferred to 
Flint, in the 1960's, and began a tenure with the Michigan Civil Rights 
Commission. Olive rose through the ranks, and for 16 years, headed the 
Civil Rights Commission's Flint office. During that time, she also 
began a long lasting partnership with the Flint Civil Service 
Commission. In fact, Olive was the Civil Service Commisison's longest 
serving member. Her tireless and selfless efforts to ensure that each 
and every person received the same opportunities for success made her 
known as one of the area's most staunch advocates, and in many eyes, 
Olive was indeed the mother of Flint's civil rights movement.
  Olive was a steadfast member of the Flint community, and constantly 
served as a role model and counselor for people throughout the city, 
including many city officials, who turned to her for advice and 
insight. Many of Flint's most prominent public servants credit their 
involvement in politics and activism to Olive's influence. Her 
dedication to civil rights extended beyond the Civil Rights Commission, 
as she became a member and served on the boards of such groups as the 
Urban League of Flint, the Urban Coalition of Greater Flint, the Legal 
Aid Society, and the advisory board of WFUM, the public television 
station of the University of Michigan-Flint.
  Mr. Speaker, the Flint area, as well as the entire state of Michigan 
has lost one of its strongest advocates for civil rights. Olive Beasley 
will always be remembered as a giant person in the community. The 
respect she commanded from everyone she came into contact with was 
tremendous. My sincerest condolences go out to her family. She will be 
sorely missed.

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