[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 21 (Tuesday, March 1, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S1864]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           MATTIEBELLE WOODS

 Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life of a 
great and proud Milwaukeean, a courageous social pioneer and journalist 
and--above all else--a wonderful person. On February 17, Mattiebelle 
Wood's long life ended at the age of 102. Ms. Woods left a remarkable 
legacy in her field, in her community and in the Nation.
  Mattiebelle Woods was a tremendous woman, and I am proud to honor her 
life today. She was born in Louisville, KY, in 1902, and moved to 
Milwaukee when she was just a few years old. In the 1940s, before the 
days of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, Ms. Woods was already 
actively involved in the civil rights movement.
  Ms. Woods has rightly been called the First Lady of the Milwaukee 
press, and as a reporter, her coverage of social events and 
developments contributed to an increased sense of identity and unity in 
the local black community. By the 1960s, she had written for the 
Chicago Defender, the Milwaukee Defender, the Milwaukee Star, and the 
Milwaukee Globe. In 1964, she joined the Milwaukee Courier and 
contributed to its very first edition.
  Ms. Woods never stopped writing--her final column was published 1 
week before her death.
  Ms. Woods also energetically participated in politics fighting for 
the advancement of the African-American community. She became active in 
the Democratic Party in the late 1940s, and worked persistently to 
ensure that elected officials worked just as hard as she did for the 
African-American community.
  To those who knew her, she will ultimately be remembered for her 
lively, beautiful personality. She instilled confidence and pride in 
countless young people and helped them build the connections that would 
help them succeed later in life. At the age of 102, Mattiebelle Woods 
still could be found on the dance floor, loving life.
  That love of life, along with her commitment to social justice, has 
undoubtedly been passed on to all those who knew her.

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