[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 110 (Wednesday, September 15, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1637-E1638]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TED VELEZ: REMEMBERING A HERO OF EL BARRIO

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 15, 2004

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay homage to the late Ted Velez 
of East Harlem, one of New York's finest sons who passed away August 
6th 2004. He was a community leader whose tremendous achievements will 
continue to better the lives of the residents of East Harlem long into 
the future. Mr. Velez had a vision of New York City that saw equality 
across the board and included fair and affordable housing for all New 
Yorkers, regardless of color or social standing.
  Working in El Barrio as a young social worker, Mr. Velez helped found 
the East Harlem Tenants Council in 1962, which boasted a network of 
progressive building captains who monitored building safety and overall 
residential well being. Two years later he championed a series of rent 
strikes on East 123rd Street, effectively forcing landlords to make 
necessary repairs in East Harlem residential buildings.
  In the summer of 1971, after trudging for more than six years through 
city, state and federal bureaucracy; Mr. Velez won federal--approval to 
transform the entire city block between 122nd and 123rd Streets. The 
project was funded with $42 million dollars allotted from the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development Department, the largest 
allocation up to that time for a single community project. Mr. Velez's 
efforts resulted in comfortable, affordable housing for 656 low to 
moderate-income families in what is now known as the Taino Towers, 
giving East Harlem residents opportunities that many had believed to be 
impossible.
  Throughout his accomplished life Mr. Velez strived at the forefront 
of progressive social change as a political activist, yet was able to 
work productively within the political mainstream with leaders of both 
political parties. He marched in civil rights demonstrations with Dr. 
Martin Luther King Jr. in the South, where he helped to organize voter 
registration drives. In his twenties, he supported Senator Bobby 
Kennedy and also worked closely with Mayor John V. Lindsay's 
administration. He was a close associate of former Manhattan Borough 
President Percy Sutton and Basil Paterson, two of New York's most 
influential Democratic leaders.
  Born in Puerto Rico on December 29th 1938, Mr. Velez moved to East 
Harlem at the age of six. Working on behalf of the most needy, he 
managed to achieve the status of a

[[Page E1638]]

leader without forgetting his humble origins. He did not look at the 
world in terms of color or creed but appreciated and celebrated all 
cultures while speaking five languages with near fluency. His activism 
was motivated by his deep beliefs in the dignity of humanity and the 
tenets of the Civil Rights Movement.
  Ted Velez will be remembered as a hero not only in El Barrio but also 
in the great City of New York. His presence and noble determination 
will be sorely missed. Mr. Velez is survived by his wife Linda, son 
Jon, daughter Judie, two brothers and two grandchildren.

                          ____________________