[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 29 (Thursday, March 14, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S1933]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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 IN RECOGNITION OF DR. CHARLES H. WRIGHT: DOCTOR, HISTORIAN, AND CIVIC 
                                 LEADER

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask the Senate to join me today in 
extending my condolences to the family and friends of Dr. Charles H. 
Wright, who passed away on March 7, 2002. During his 83 years, Dr. 
Wright left an indelible mark on this country through his work as a 
doctor, a civil rights leader, a community activist and a leader in the 
national movement to create museums celebrating the history, culture 
and accomplishments of African Americans.
  Legend has it that it was Charles Wright's mother who inspired him to 
attend medical school, by declaring at age eight that he would become a 
doctor. Growing up in segregated Alabama, to parents who's own 
education stopped at elementary school, Wright had to overcome many 
obstacles to make his mother's dream a reality. But, as those who knew 
Dr. Wright can attest, he was not one to shy away from a challenge. He 
did attend medical school, and in 1946 he moved to Detroit, where he 
served his community as an obstetrician/gynecologist. He delivered more 
than 7,000 babies, including those of some of my staff. Today, you can 
still meet adults in Detroit who will refer to themselves as ``Dr. 
Wright's babies.''
  Dr. Wright was always concerned about the plight of black people, 
both here and in Africa. He answered the call of Dr. Martin Luther 
King, traveling to the South to protest and to help those protesters 
who required medical assistance. He worked to end discrimination in 
hospitals, where empty beds were being denied to blacks because the 
hospital refused to put black patients and white patients in the same 
room together. He traveled to newly post-colonial Africa to work in 
villages lacking adequate health care resources. He helped raise money 
so that African children could come to American universities. He was 
constantly driven to serve others, and to serve those whom he felt he 
could best help.
  Dr. Wright is perhaps best known as the man responsible for Detroit's 
Museum of African American History, the largest such museum in the 
world. Inspired by his travels to Africa, and concerned that the 
children he was helping to bring into the world had no place to learn 
about themselves and their history, he decided to create a museum 
dedicated to educating people about the contributions of African 
Americans to society. In 1965, he opened the International Afro-
American Museum in the basement of his home and office. Investing 
significant amounts of his own money and time into the museum, it 
eventually outgrew his home and was moved into a new, larger building 
in the heart of Detroit's University Cultural Center and was renamed 
the Museum of African American History.
  That museum moved again in 1997 to an even larger building, and has 
received international recognition as one of the finest museums of its 
kind. In 1998, it was renamed the Charles H. Wright Museum of African 
American History in recognition of the vision and dedication of Dr. 
Wright. Each year millions of Americans of all races visit this museum 
and learn about the history of African Americans, ensuring that Dr. 
Wright's legacy will live on and be passed down to future generations.
  Dr. Wright's life should serve as an example to all Americans. 
Throughout all his endeavors, he stressed the values of education, 
understanding and overcoming obstacles. But perhaps most importantly, 
he lived his life in service to others. While he will be sorely missed 
by those whose lives he touched, he will long be remembered for all 
that he gave.

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