[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 14 (Thursday, February 10, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E211]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING ALVIN F. POUSSAINT, M.D.

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 10, 2005

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Mr. McGovern, Mr. 
Capuano,  Mr. Delahunt, and I rise today to honor the extraordinary 
achievements and contributions of Dr. Alvin F. Poussaint of Boston, 
Massachusetts. Dr. Poussaint has devoted his professional life to the 
eradication of racism in American society, and is one of the foremost 
experts in the world today on the topics of race relations, prejudice 
and diversity, and is also a world-renowned child psychologist.
  Dr. Poussaint, who was born in East Harlem, New York, on May 15, 
1934, completed his undergraduate studies at Columbia University before 
receiving his M.D. from Cornell in 1960. He went on to do postgraduate 
work at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, where he served as Chief 
Resident in Psychiatry in 1964-65.
  Inspired by the burgeoning Civil Rights movement in the South, Dr. 
Poussaint chose to take a job as the Southern Field Director of the 
Medical Committee for Human Rights in Jackson, Mississippi, a position 
he held from 1965-67. In that role, he courageously worked to provide 
medical care to civil rights workers and fought for the desegregation 
of health facilities throughout the South.
  Dr. Poussaint was influential in the founding of Operation PUSH 
(People United to Save Humanity) and served as the Chairman of its 
Board of Directors. Operation PUSH, which has since merged with the 
National Rainbow Coalition to form the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, has been 
a significant force in the struggle for racial equality in America, 
registering hundreds of thousands of voters across the country, 
assisting in the election of hundreds of local, state and national 
leaders and lobbying for increased representation of minorities in many 
industries.
  As one of the nation's preeminent psychiatrists and experts on race 
relations, Dr. Poussaint has authored the books Why Blacks Kill Blacks 
(1972), Raising Black Children (1992, with Dr. J.P. Comer) and Lay My 
Burden Down (2000, with Amy Alexander). His most recognizable work 
includes contributing articles to Ebony magazine, and acting as a 
consultant for several television projects, including The Cosby Show.
  On Saturday, February 12, 2004, Dr. Poussaint will be honored in 
Boston, Massachusetts for his wide-ranging contributions to the fields 
of civil rights, mental health, social justice and the needs of 
children. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my own 
heartfelt thanks and congratulations to him for his many years of 
tireless work for the enrichment of our society. The dedication, 
intelligence and compassion he brings to his work have helped him to 
touch countless lives, and we salute him for his invaluable 
contributions. Dr. Poussaint's work has been a credit to our country 
and, indeed, the entire world.

                          ____________________