[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 153 (Tuesday, October 28, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2133]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO ANNIE MAE HUNT

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 28, 2003

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is with profound 
sadness that I pay tribute to the life and the memory of Annie Mae 
Hunt. In one lifetime she has touched many lives and multiple 
generations. Born into grinding poverty, she triumphed over it and 
lived an enriched and noble life. Hers is an equally rich legacy. I 
extend my condolences to her children, her grandchildren, her great-
grandchildren and her great-great-grandchildren.
  Annie Mae Hunt was the co-author of her memoirs, aptly titled I Am 
Annie Mae: An Extraordinary Woman in Her Own Words. Published in 1983, 
the book has literally ``touched the hearts of thousands of people.'' 
It became the inspiration for the musical and the highly touted film 
Guts, Gumption and Go-Ahead: Annie Mae Hunt Remembers. As one reviewer 
said: ``The film shows how self-esteem and skills enabled one woman to 
change her life around.''
  As her editor Ruthe Winegarten has written, ``Annie Mae Hunt is a 
survivor. Born in 1909 near Brenham, Texas, she grew up in a time and 
place where African Americans, although legally free, lived in 
circumstances that had changed little since the days of slavery. Much 
of her adult life was spent in backbreaking domestic service, until she 
created a modest independence for herself through sewing and selling 
Avon Cosmetics.'' Annie Mae Hunt's memoirs ``records a life not only 
filled with hardships but also the joys of family, of political 
activism, and of service to church and community.''
  Although Annie Mae Hunt was telling the story of her life and times, 
she was, in reality, chronicling the ordeal and struggles of black 
women everywhere in America, especially in the south. Reared in a 
sharecropper system, she overcame hardship, heartbreak, discrimination 
and obstacles by juggling jobs and owning her own businesses.
  Annie Mae Hunt's life was living proof that actions speak louder than 
words. Her mere presence spoke volumes. In several senses, she was the 
eminence grise (literally the ``gray eminence'') who exerted 
considerable influence behind the scenes in the political process. Her 
letter writing campaign to politicians and elected officials was 
legendary in its reach and its effectiveness.
  Annie Mae Hunt was a lifelong role model and she will remain a source 
of inspiration for many generations to come. We mourn her passing and 
we salute her life. She will be long remembered for her good works in 
the community of man and the community of God, her devotion to others, 
and her perseverance, and her legacy of success in the face of extreme 
adversity.

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