[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 68 (Friday, May 14, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E863]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E863]]
 HONORING REV. C.W. NEWSOME ON HIS RETIREMENT AND RECOGNIZING THE 85TH 
      ANNIVERSARY OF THE NORTH RICHMOND MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 13, 2004

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to 
rise today before my colleagues in Congress and this great Nation to 
honor a wonderful friend and true warrior in my district upon his 
retirement after serving 38 years as a pastor in Richmond, California.
  Rev. C. W. Newsome, pastor of the historic North Richmond Missionary 
Baptist Church in the humble community of North Richmond, California, 
is a steward in the fight for social justice and economic equality. He 
has dedicated his life to the service of God, extended the doors of his 
church to provide economic and educational opportunities to the 
residents of Richmond, and bravely supported our country during World 
War II.
  I am also proud to join the rest of our community in recognizing this 
year the 85th anniversary of the establishment of his church.
  I can remember as a child attending events in North Richmond with my 
father, the late California State Senator George Miller, Jr., that a 
young Rev. Newsome would hoist me up on his shoulders to enable me to 
have a broader vision of my surroundings. More than 25 years later, in 
the 1970s, I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Rev. Newsome and other 
African American faith and labor leaders on the steps of the Social 
Security building in Richmond. We assembled to protest discriminatory 
employment practices against African American workers by companies 
receiving Federal contracts, and I supported their demands that the 
Nixon Administration pay African American laborers 2 weeks in back pay 
owed to them for work that they performed on the Federal building 
project.
  Acting as spokesman for the African American carpenters, Rev. Newsome 
was successful in receiving $18 million for the workers. In September 
1975, I proudly stood at the side of Rev. Newsome as we attended the 
opening ceremony for the newly constructed Frank Hagel Social Security 
Administration building on Nevin Street in Richmond.
  Prior to his path in the ministry, C.W. Newsome proudly served in the 
segregated United States military where he fought for equality at home 
and freedom abroad. When World War II began in 1937, there were fewer 
than 5,000 black enlisted men in the United States army. In 1943, Rev. 
Newsome joined more than a million black men who had voluntarily 
enlisted in all branches of the armed forces to join in our country's 
war against Nazi fascism in Europe. While serving in the U.S. Marine 
Corps, he sustained an injury and was honorably discharged.

  Despite widespread opposition to hiring African American and women 
workers in the civilian defense industry, Rev. Newsome answered 
President Franklin Roosevelt's call for civilians to join the country's 
effort to produce large numbers of ``Liberty Ships'' and ``Victory 
Ships'' for the war industry.
  He and millions of other African Americans migrated westward to 
California to find work in the shipyards. In 1944, Rev. Newsome settled 
in Richmond and worked as a clipper in the Kaiser Shipyard. His job was 
to groove steel for welding so that ships could withstand storms on 
harsh seas. The national westward migration of African Americans from 
the south to work in the shipyards during War II, and the contributions 
made by Rev. Newsome and other migrants, including thousands of women 
laborers, helped establish California as one of the leading industrial 
hubs in the world, and their efforts helped Richmond to become part of 
what is known today as the Rosie the Riveter National Historical Park.
  Rev. Newsome received his Associate of Arts degree from Contra Costa 
College in San Pablo, California, and later completed studies at the 
University of California, Berkeley, Center for Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 
He studied theology at Bishop College in Dallas, Texas, and he earned 
his doctorate degree from Reeds Christian College--Western Theology 
Seminary in Los Angeles, California.
  In 1954, Rev. Newsome served as organizing pastor of Holy Jerusalem 
Missionary Baptist Church in Richmond and he later headed Community 
Baptist Church in Santa Rosa. In 1975, Rev. Newsome was recognized by 
then California State Senator James Mills for his studies and 
contributions in Christian education.
  Rev. Newsome's relationship with the North Richmond Missionary 
Baptist Church formally began in 1966 when he became the church's 
interim pastor under the direction of the late Rev. F.W. Watkins. After 
Rev. Watkins' unfortunate passing, Rev. Newsome assumed the pastorship 
of the church and has served at its helm for 38 years. While assuming 
his responsibilities as pastor of North Richmond Missionary Baptist 
Church, Rev. Newsome also worked as a custodian in the Richmond public 
schools until 1967.
  While working in the schools, Rev. Newsome witnessed first-hand how 
illegal drugs were being brought into high schools and the devastating 
effect that drugs were having on young people and their families. He 
understood that drugs and poverty were obstacles to learning for many 
children attending public schools in Richmond. Therefore, Rev. Newsome 
began a mission to keep students safe by fighting to close school 
campuses to drug dealers, and, in 1977, he successfully convinced the 
Richmond school district and the community to designate Kennedy High 
School as a closed campus.

  For his valiant leadership on behalf of Richmond's children, he was 
named ``Man of the Year'' by the Richmond Unified School District.
  Rev. Newsome's church has a proud and long history that I also rise 
to honor. Back in 1921, a small group of parishioners laid the 
cornerstone for what was to become the very first ``Negro Baptist 
Church'' in Contra Costa County. Today, North Richmond Missionary 
Baptist Church is a lighthouse for residents living in the City of 
Richmond as well as the unincorporated community of North Richmond. 
Rev. Newsome opened the doors of his church to the community in many 
ways. Under the leadership of Rev. Newsome, North Richmond Missionary 
Baptist Church has amply opened its doors to serve the community.
  Identifying the need to provide job training to residents in North 
Richmond, an economically depressed community, the church opened the 
North Richmond Career Center. The church served as a national model by 
providing residents with job skills and successfully putting over 200 
young people into meaningful jobs. Several years ago, Rev. Newsome and 
his congregation helped to establish the North Richmond Clinic and the 
North Richmond Senior Apartments. Recently, church leaders are working 
with other faith-based groups to end blight by constructing affordable 
housing for low-income residents living in North Richmond and other 
areas of the City of Richmond.
  Rev. C.W. Newsome's wife, Alice, serves as first-lady of North 
Richmond Missionary Baptist Church and is a great member of our 
community. Rev. Newsome is a loving husband and father and a beacon in 
our community.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my honor and my privilege to call him a friend and 
a colleague in our shared struggles on behalf of the people of North 
Richmond and Richmond. I rise to show my respect and offer my heartfelt 
appreciation to the Rev. C.W. Newsome for his lifetime of service to 
the ministry, to our community, and to our Nation, and to recognize the 
85th anniversary of the remarkable community church in which he has 
served, the North Richmond Missionary Baptist Church.

                          ____________________