[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 68 (Friday, May 26, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E981-E982]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING MORRIS ``MORRIE'' TURNER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 25, 2006

  Mr. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life 
and work of Morris ``Morrie'' Turner, a native of Oakland, California. 
Morrie Turner is known not only for his legendary talent as a 
nationally-recognized cartoon artist, but has contributed greatly to 
our country through his use of art to advocate for social equality and 
community awareness. On Wednesday, May 31, 2006, the East Bay Community 
will come together to celebrate Morrie's outstanding career and 
immeasurable contributions to our society.
  Born in 1923 in Oakland, California, Morrie assumed his nickname at 
an early age, always preferring it above the name Morris. He attended 
Cole Elementary and McClymonds High School in Oakland, and ultimately 
graduated from Berkeley High School in June 1942. Morrie began drawing 
caricatures around the age of 10, and by the time he finished his 
secondary education he was comfortable with his drawing technique. 
After graduation, which was in the midst of World War II, he enlisted 
in the U.S. Army Air Corps, and continued his drawing while on guard 
duty. This eventually led to his first series, a strip called Rail 
Head, which was based on his experiences in the war and which appeared 
in Stars and Stripes.
  Following the war Morrie returned to the Bay Area, where he began 
working as a clerk for the Oakland Police Department, but continued 
drawing on a freelance basis. During that time, and at the 
encouragement of his mother, he began sending his drawings to 
magazines. After sending out thousands of drawings, he achieved his 
first national publication in 1947, which was in a baking industry 
publication called Baker's Helper, and which earned him a check of $5. 
After several publications of his work on roughly the same scale, 
Morrie got his first big break when Better Homes & Gardens bought one 
of his cartoons for $75.

[[Page E982]]

  Throughout his many years of drawing, Morrie had received no formal 
art training and so he sought advice and encouragement from other 
professional cartoonists. In that process, he began to question why 
there were no artists from communities of color working as professional 
cartoonists, particularly among those who were publishing national 
pieces. In response, his mentor Charles Schultz, creator of the 
infamous Peanuts strip, suggested that Morrie create one. In the early 
1960s he did just that, creating Dinky Fellas, the strip that would 
later evolve into the hugely successful Wee Pals, a strip that takes 
place in a world without prejudice and that celebrated ethnic, racial, 
cultural and other differences in our society. In 1965, the series 
became the first multi-ethnic cartoon syndicated in the United States. 
Wee Pals went on to appear in over 100 newspapers worldwide, and has 
also featured a weekly additional panel called Soul Corner, in which 
the life of a famous person from a community of color is detailed.
  Wee Pals also carries special significance in my district, because it 
later became the cornerstone of an Oakland Police Department crime 
prevention and safety program. Through this effort, Morrie's message of 
open mindedness, equality and cultural embrace was coupled with one of 
public safety and community service, thereby impacting the lives of 
countless young people and families in the 9th Congressional District 
and beyond.
  Morrie's outstanding work in periodicals has been recognized by the 
public on numerous occasions, as have his published children's books, 
whose titles include The Illustrated Biography of Martin Luther King, 
Jr. He was honored in 2000 by the Cartoonist Society with their Sparky 
Award, has been introduced into the California Public Education Hall of 
Fame and has also been recognized by Children's Fairyland in Oakland; 
he is also the subject of a film called Keeping the Faith with Morrie.
  On May 31, 2006, the friends, family and colleagues of Morrie Turner 
will come together to celebrate the career and immeasurable 
contributions of Morrie Turner to our community. On this very special 
day, I join all of them in thanking and saluting Morrie for his 
invaluable service to our community, and for the profoundly positive 
impact his work has had on countless lives here in California's 9th 
U.S. Congressional District, across our country and throughout the 
world.

                          ____________________