[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 132 (Monday, October 4, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2019]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONGRATULATIONS TO PASTOR GEORGE W. HAMPTON ON THE TWENTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL 
                               LOVE MARCH

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 4, 1999

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise today to 
recognize Pastor George W. Hampton as he and the Greater New Haven 
Community honor the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. with the 
28th Annual Love March.
  For twenty-eight years, Pastor Hampton and the Shiloh Missionary 
Baptist Church have celebrated the memory of Dr. King with this annual 
march and service. Dr. King's actions stand out as defining moments in 
our nation's history. Those of us who lived through those stirring 
times--and many who weren't born yet--can still picture Dr. King 
leading the bus boycott in Montgomery, going to jail for his beliefs in 
Birmingham, and sounding the clearest call to end segregation in his 
famous address at the March on Washington. His actions changed the 
course of our nation forever.
  And for twenty-eight years, on January fifteenth at eleven o'clock in 
the morning, the Greater New Haven Community has gathered to 
participate in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Love March--a stirring 
reminder of a troubled time and a peaceful soul.
  I would like to extend a special note of congratulations to Pastor 
Hampton. As founder and organizer of the Love March, his tenacity and 
dedication has made the March a beloved New Haven tradition. Each time 
I join in the March, I am inspired by the uplifting spirit of the crowd 
as we sing and move through the neighborhoods of New Haven. It is an 
opportunity for the community to come together to remember Dr. King's 
teachings, and their meaning for our lives today. The Love March has 
helped keep Dr. King's dream alive.
  I have heard Pastor Hampton tell the story of his meeting with Dr. 
King. As I recall, the Pastor told him about his work in the civil 
rights movement and Dr. King responded, ``That's part of the dream--
keep it up.'' Pastor Hampton has certainly followed that charge. For 
New Haven, the annual Love March is a cornerstone in the celebration of 
the life and spirit of Dr. King. It is a tremendous honor for me to 
join with Pastor Hampton's family, friends, and the City of New Haven 
to say thank you for giving us this annual opportunity to remember the 
Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr.

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