[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 25 (Thursday, March 2, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E263]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING AND PRAISING THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF 
         COLORED PEOPLE ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 97TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. MICHAEL N. CASTLE

                              of delaware

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 1, 2006

  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today 
to pay tribute to the National Association for the Advancement of 
Colored People (NAACP), as they celebrate the 97th anniversary of their 
inception. The Delaware chapter of the NAACP was founded in Wilmington, 
Delaware in 1909, only 1 year after the initiation of the national 
office. The Wilmington branch of the NAACP distinguished itself locally 
in the equal pay battle for teachers in Delaware. The positive impact 
that the Wilmington branch had on our community inspired the 
development of other branches around the state, including lower Sussex, 
Milford, Central Delaware, and Newark.
  I would personally like to thank the past and present leaders of the 
NAACP in Delaware for their continued dedication to bring about 
peaceful movements for change. This illustrious organization's success 
can be attributed to leaders such as Reverend Maurice Moyer, Alice 
Dunbar Nelson, Louise L. Redding, Samuel Dawson, Gary Hammond, 
Littleton Mitchell, and Charles Brittingham. They are each heroes both 
locally and nationally.
  These remarkable trailblazers have led the battle for equality in the 
state of Delaware. They worked to pass the local elective ``one-person, 
one vote,'' fought for suitable living quarters for migrant laborers, 
worked for fair public accommodations throughout the state, and made 
extensive advancements in educational equity.
  The perseverance demonstrated by members of the NAACP reflects the 
strength of this exceptional organization. Over the past 97 years, the 
national organization has provided communities around the United States 
with strong and passionate leaders who have fought for social change. I 
congratulate them on the successes of the past 97 years, and I look 
forward to many more years of continued achievements in the future.

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