[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 22 (Thursday, February 6, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E167]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING DR. SHIRLEY KENNEDY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. LOIS CAPPS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 5, 2003

  Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to rise in tribute to the 
memory of a wonderful friend and resident of Santa Barbara, California, 
Dr. Shirley Kennedy. Dr. Kennedy passed away on January 20, 2003, 
leaving a void in the Santa Barbara community that will be felt by 
many.
  Dr. Kennedy, a long-time resident of Santa Barbara, was well-known 
for her dedication to political, cultural, and social causes. Born in 
Chicago in 1926, Dr. Kennedy and her husband, Jim, moved to the Santa 
Barbara area in 1972. It did not take long for Dr. Kennedy to become a 
dynamic presence in the community. In 1986 Dr. Kennedy completed her 
doctorate at Claremont Graduate University and worked as a lecturer at 
UCSB, teaching classes in political science, black studies, and 
constitutional law. In addition to teaching, she was also involved in 
founding the Black Studies department, as well as the Black Cultural 
Festival which brings art, plays, and other exhibits to the university.
  Dr. Kennedy was a devoted political activist as well. In 1988 she ran 
Rev. Jesse Jackson's local presidential campaign, and served as a 
delegate to the party's national convention. Dr. Kennedy has also 
dedicated countless hours of volunteer time to numerous local, state, 
and federal campaigns. She was a longtime member of the NAACP and 
created two local organizations, Not in Our Town and the Building 
Bridges Community Coalition, both dedicated to fighting racism and 
building tolerance.
  In 2002, through the Building Bridges Coalition, Dr. Kennedy was able 
to bring an exhibit on a slave ship, the Henrietta Marie, to a local 
museum in Santa Barbara. This exhibit was visited by hundreds of local 
schoolchildren and residents, and brought a new understanding of the 
slave trade to thousands of people. It was her dedication to education 
and community involvement that made Dr. Kennedy such a special person 
and I am confident that her legacy will live on for many years to come.
  The Santa Barbara community suffered a great loss with Dr. Kennedy's 
passing last month, yet because of her activism and involvement in the 
community Dr. Kennedy's spirit and teachings will remain among us 
forever. Dr. Kennedy was a wonderful woman and an inspiration to us all 
and I am fortunate that this special individual touched my life in so 
many ways.

                          ____________________