[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 50 (Tuesday, May 2, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E678]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO JOHN HIGHTOWER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DALE E. KILDEE

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 2, 2006

  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today with a heavy heart, 
as I ask my colleagues in the 109th Congress to join me in honoring the 
life and accomplishments of a remarkable man and a dear friend, Mr. 
John Hightower. Mr. Hightower passed away at the age of 80 on Tuesday, 
April 25, after a long illness. I am deeply saddened by this loss, for 
John and his family have been inspirations to many throughout the City 
of Flint, as well as the county, state and nation.
  It is difficult to imagine what the landscape of my hometown of 
Flint, Michigan, would be like, had John Hightower not moved here from 
St. Louis in 1952. An Army veteran, John started working at the Buick 
Foundry, where he also served as committeeman at UAW Locals 599 and 
659. His relationship with Buick was shortlived, as he lost his job 
after confronting a supervisor who had made a racial slur. For John, 
this became a new opportunity rather than a setback; following the 
incident, he opened Hightower Electronics and Construction Company. 
This also served as the catalyst to his becoming one of the area's 
foremost civil rights proponents. He joined others across the country 
in the March on Washington and the march from Selma to Montgomery, 
Alabama. He brought the lessons he learned from those experiences home 
and fought for racial equity in the local job market, against unfair 
housing practices, and increased funding for the Flint Public Library.
  Mr. Speaker, the impact John Hightower made in the City of Flint is 
one that will be felt by its residents for generations to come. His 
loss will leave a great void, but his legacy will endure forever. I 
personally am grateful to have had the opportunity to call John my 
constituent, my colleague, and my friend. I am a better Congressman, a 
better citizen, and a better human being for having known him. I ask my 
colleagues in the House of Representatives to please join me in paying 
tribute to his legacy.

                          ____________________