[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 4 (Saturday, January 6, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E24]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING HARRY E. JOHNSON, SR.

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN BENTSEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Saturday, January 6, 2001

  Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, I honor today my fellow Texan Harry E. 
Johnson, Sr. for his upcoming inauguration as the 31st General 
President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. in Houston, Texas, 
January 12-14, 2001.
  It is fitting that as the world focuses on the election of the first 
American President for the 21st Century, Alpha members direct their 
time and attention to welcoming General President-Elect Johnson as a 
rising community leader. Throughout his career--and, as a loving 
husband to Karen and father to their children Jennifer, Harry Jr., and 
Nicholas--Harry Johnson has exemplified and advanced the Alpha Phi 
Alpha motto . . . ``manly deeds, scholarship and love for all 
mankind.''
  General President-Elect Johnson, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, was 
elected to the position of General President after serving as the 
fraternity's Legal Counsel, Johnson practices law in Houston and serves 
as adjunct professor of Law at Texas Southern University's Thurgood 
Marshall School of Law. Honoring the legacy of past presidents, Johnson 
plans to fulfill many of the commitments started by his predecessors, 
including building a national memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 
Alpha Phi Alpha was given the sole authority by the United States 
Congress to design and build a memorial to Dr. King. The winning design 
was unveiled during this past September's Congressional Black Caucus 
meeting in Washington, D.C. Johnson has made it clear that he will not 
waver from the fraternity's commitment to stand in the forefront of the 
civil rights movement. The national memorial to Dr. King for which 
Johnson is working to bring to fruition is a symbol of that commitment.
  Included in Johnson's agenda for the next four years is an Economic 
Development plan that will allow Alpha Phi Alpha members the 
opportunity to infuse their local economies by bringing in National 
franchise into inner cities. He will also continue planning for the 
Centennial Celebration of the fraternity's founding. Rich with history, 
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. is the first intercollegiate Greek-
letter fraternity founded for African-Americans. In 1906, the 
fraternity's founders had two motives in starting the organization: 
empowering African-Americans through their continuance of their 
education and promoting fellowship and unity among college men in their 
continuous fight for African-American civil rights. Among those who 
have led the fight are distinguished Alpha Phi Alpha members such as 
W.E.B. DuBois, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Edward Brooke, Martin Luther 
King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Andrew Young, William Gray, Paul Robeson, 
and many others.
  The inaugural event Harry Johnson is hosting in Houston sets the 
stage for a continuation of Alpha's dedication to public service. The 
theme for this unprecedented event, ``Commitment, Excellence & 
Achievement . . . A New Generation of Leadership,'' will help Alpha Phi 
Alpha Fraternity to move forward with vigor, dedication and vision.
  Mr. Speaker, Harry Johnson believes that regardless of our socio-
economic backgrounds, in some capacity, we are all affected by the 
hardships that institutionalized racism has placed on African-American 
men. As the new General President of Alpha Phi Alpha, his commitment to 
education and mentorship will serve the communities of his fraternity 
well. I congratulate Alpha Phi Alpha and my fellow Texan and friend, 
Harry E. Johnson, Sr.




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