[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 95 (Wednesday, July 19, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1449]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE 
                                (NAACP)

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. AL GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 19, 2006

  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to honor the 
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People--NAACP--for 
its 97 years of faithful service as champions of social justice on 
behalf of African-Americans and for fighting for almost a century so 
that all Americans could realize and experience the American dream. The 
NAACP has always been comprised of dedicated people who would not stand 
still while the rights of Americans of color were denied and they have 
built a legacy on ensuring that every single American was able to carry 
out their lives under the full protection of the law.
  From the ballot box to the classroom, the dedicated workers, 
organizers, and leaders who make up this tremendous organization and 
maintain its status as an immense civil rights organization have been 
continuously fighting on the frontlines for social and economic 
justice.
  Since the foundation of this great organization was laid down more 
than a century ago alongside the banks of the Niagara Falls, this 
movement has fought long and hard to ensure that the voices of African-
American women and men would be heard. The legacy of pioneers such as 
W.E.B. DuBois, Thurgood Marshall, Rosa Parks, Mary Mcleod Bethune, Mary 
White Ovington, Joel Elias Spingarn and Roy Wilkins, along with the 
hundreds of thousands of nameless faces who worked tirelessly can not 
and must not be forgotten.
  The history of the NAACP is one of sacrifice and suffering. From bold 
investigations of terrorist lynching, protests of mass murders, 
segregation and discrimination, to testimony before congressional 
committees on the vicious tactics used to bar African-Americans from 
the ballot box, it was the talent, determination, and tenacity of NAACP 
members that saved lives and changed many negative aspects of American 
society.
  Mr. Speaker, Medgar Evers was a World War II veteran and a field 
secretary for the NAACP. This proud member of the NAACP was one of the 
many martyrs of the civil rights movement and his assassination at the 
hands of a white supremacist from Mississippi in 1963 helped prompt 
President John Kennedy to ask Congress for a comprehensive civil-rights 
bill, which President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the following 
year. Because of the continuous sacrifice of NAACP leaders and members 
like Medgar Evers, America is a better place than it was 40 years ago 
and because of the continuous effort of the NAACP America will provide 
a better tomorrow for all of our citizens.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to honor the National Association for 
the Advancement of Colored People--NAACP--for its 97 years of faithful 
service on behalf of African-Americans as champions of social justice 
and for its leadership in the continuous struggle for civil and human 
rights for all.

                          ____________________