[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 110 (Wednesday, September 15, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1621]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO ISABEL SANFORD

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. KENDRICK B. MEEK

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 14, 2004

  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life and 
acknowledge the great accomplishments of a talented actress, Isabel 
Sanford, who passed away on July 9, 2004.
  Ms. Sanford and Sherman Hemsley co-starred as Louise and George 
Jefferson in the sitcom The Jeffersons. Isabel Sanford was also known 
affectionately to many as ``Weezy'' Jefferson. She was a native New 
Yorker and performed at the world famous Apollo Theater in her youth. 
Ms. Sanford made her film debut in the historic Guess Who's Coming to 
Dinner.
  The Jeffersons was one of the first television sitcoms to showcase 
the black family on national television. The Jeffersons moved on up 
from being the neighbors across the street from Archie Bunker, and 
moved into a skyscraper in New York City. She, along with Sherman 
Hemsley, changed the way America looked at African Americans; breaking 
down barriers and eliminating stereotypes. Ms. Sanford was the first 
black woman to receive an Emmy for Best Actress in a comedy series for 
her work on The Jeffersons.
  Ms. Sanford's legacy will live on through her movies and her 
television but most of all her family and her fans. She will be greatly 
missed.

                          ____________________