[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 64 (Friday, May 17, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E835]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING FREDDYE DAVIS ON HER APPOINTMENT AS CHAIRPERSON OF RACIAL/HATE 
           INJUSTICE DISCRIMINATION FOR THE CALIFORNIA NAACP

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 16, 2002

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Freddye Davis on 
her appointment as chairperson of the racial/hate injustice 
discrimination division of the California chapter of the National 
Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
  Freddye Davis also serves as president of the Hayward chapter of the 
NAACP. She counts the creation of a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Street 
in Hayward as one of her greatest accomplishments in this position. Her 
reputation as a tenacious leader, and her sensitivity in responding to 
police brutality and hate crimes in Hayward make her the ideal person 
for her new position.
  As chairperson, Freddye Davis will handle complaints of racial 
discrimination from all over California. One of her primary goals is to 
train NAACP members to identify and respond to racism. She plans to 
revitalize the NAACP state conference, to return it to the large, 
vibrant annual gathering it once was, and to hold forums for law 
enforcement officials and young African-Americans. Also, she will 
address the racially biased downsizing that some companies have engaged 
in by firing people of color and then offering their jobs to non-
colored employees.
  Freddye Davis's devotion to fighting for equal rights started when 
she was a young girl in Birmingham, Alabama. She took part in civil 
rights marches led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., gaining experience 
in organizing nonviolent demonstrations that has proven valuable during 
her career. Several years ago, when the Ku Klux Klan was planning to 
meet at the Hayward Main Library, Freddye helped stop the meeting, and 
she dispersed an angry group of African Americans preparing to protest.
  I join the colleagues of Freddye Davis in congratulating her on her 
new position. Her persistence and determination have enabled countless 
Hayward residents to enjoy a better quality of life. Now, the entire 
state of California will benefit from Freddye Davis's dedication to 
fighting for civil rights.

                          ____________________