[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 93 (Monday, June 23, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H5689]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING MAYNARD JACKSON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise with a heavy heart, indeed, 
for Maynard Jackson was a very dear and close and personal friend of 
mine.
  I say this with all sincerity and truthfulness, that had it not been 
for Maynard Jackson, I would not be here serving in the Congress of the 
United States. Maynard Jackson ushered in a whole era of black 
political participation unprecedented. He was a pioneer of soaring 
magnitude that touched so many people's lives.
  In 1973 he gave opportunities and hope for so many of us when he ran 
and was elected to mayor. And to show the kind of person he was, one 
year later he encouraged me to run for the Georgia House of 
Representatives to start my career. I was elected as one of the 
youngest members of the House of Representatives of Georgia.
  Maynard Jackson, one year after he was elected mayor, was in the 
street of Atlanta, on the Southside of Atlanta walking day to day and 
knocking on doors to help get me elected to the Georgia House of 
Representatives. So I hope you understand me when I say that I stand 
here with a deep and heavy heart.

                              {time}  2015

  I have thought what could we say, what could we say in this hallowed 
Chamber of the Congress of the United States that would best epitomize 
Maynard Jackson?
  To me, it is summed up in one word and that is great. Maynard Jackson 
was a great man. He was a great human being, not only great in size but 
great in his heart, great in his giving, extraordinarily great in his 
contributions, the guiding force to build the world's busiest airport 
Atlanta's International Airport, the guiding force to bring the 1996 
Olympics to Atlanta Georgia, making us a world class city, opening door 
after door, not just in the world of politics, which has been 
mentioned, but in business, opening up doors of business opportunities 
for many of us who would not have those opportunities and those doors 
opened.
  Greatness is his word. Greatness is its meaning, and maybe we ought 
to pause for a moment to ponder that word ``greatness.''
  That question was put to the great Greek philosopher Aristotle, and 
Aristotle was asked, What does it take to make a great person? 
Aristotle replied, In order to be a great person, you must first of all 
know thyself. Maynard Jackson knew himself. He knew who he was and he 
knew whose he was, that he was foremost a child of God and he carried 
that with him.
  His faith sustained him, gave him the courage to step out in 1969 as 
a young man and challenge the legendary Herman Talmadge for the United 
States Senate seat in Georgia in, 1969, one year after the 
assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
  Later on, that word of greatness was asked of the great Roman general 
Marcus Aurelius. What does it take to be great, Marcus Aurelius was 
asked. Marcus Aurelius responded and said, In order to be great, you 
must first of all discipline yourself, and Maynard Jackson disciplined 
himself, carried himself.
  Oh, he was a master politician. Nobody could work the room like 
Maynard Jackson, shaking hand after hand. I learned so much from him, 
how to shake somebody's hand and look them in the eye and make them 
feel like they are the most important person on Earth. That was Maynard 
Jackson.
  The discipline of getting through Morehouse School at 18 years old, 
the discipline of becoming the first Vice Mayor of Atlanta, African 
American, and then becoming the first Mayor of Atlanta, African 
American; the discipline of Maynard Jackson.
  Finally, that question was put to the great Messiah, Jesus Christ, 
and Jesus was asked, What does it take to make a great person? Jesus 
responded and said, In order to be great, you must first of all 
sacrifice yourself. Maynard Jackson sacrificed himself. He gave of his 
life. Indeed, he did.
  We all knew he had some health problems, but he kept going, and I am 
sure as he was here in Washington, D.C., this morning, he was 
sacrificing himself to further expand opportunities.
  When I last met with him, he said, It is a shame that we have 600,000 
African Americans who are able to vote and are the age to vote in 
Georgia but are not registered to vote. David, we must do something 
about it. He was a man of action who knew himself, who disciplined 
himself, who sacrificed himself.
  On this day, let it be known that a great oak fell in the forest of 
America and the world and we all need to thank God for sending Maynard 
Holbrook Jackson our way, not just the black folks' way, but not just 
the white folks' way, all of our way, for he was truly a bridge 
builder, and this Nation and this world is better because God sent 
Maynard Holbrook Jackson our way.
  God bless Maynard Jackson.

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