[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 16, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E119]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO THE REVEREND JAMES D. PETERS

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                           HON. DIANA DeGETTE

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 16, 2007

  Mr. DeGETTE. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the extraordinary life 
and exceptional accomplishments of the Reverend James D. Peters, Pastor 
of New Hope Baptist Church. This remarkable gentleman merits both our 
recognition and esteem as his spiritual leadership, service and 
lifelong devotion to civil rights have done much to advance the lives 
of our people.
  While many have made notable contributions to our community, few have 
left a legacy of progress as has Reverend Peters. He is a powerful 
champion of social justice and has led with those who fought for civil 
liberty and whose deeds changed the very fabric of our nation. Reverend 
Peters has touched countless lives and he has built a ministry that 
joins faith with equality. He is a dynamic pastor whose teaching and 
counsel is infused with a spiritual fervor that constantly edifies us 
and moves us to do what is right.
  Reverend Peters' journey began in Washington D.C., the son of a 
baseball player. He grew up poor but he grew up in church. He was a 
gifted student and grew to recite Longfellow, Keats and Kipling. He 
worked full time at the Navy Annex near the Pentagon and struggled to 
get an education, attending night school for ten years. Reverend Peters 
recently noted that ``I couldn't eat in restaurants, I couldn't sleep 
at a hotel or go to the movies. I could never go to school with white 
children. All the way through high school, I never sat in a classroom 
with white people, not until I went to college.'' Many of us in this 
country forget how far we've come. Although civil liberties have deep 
roots in our republic, there was a time when fundamental decency and 
equality for all people were not a part of our shared experience. The 
courage and the work of Reverend Peters during the dark days of the 
Civil Rights Movement helped make fairness and equal rights part of our 
shared values. Reverend Peters was at the founding meeting of the 
Southern Christian Leadership Conference and he worked directly with 
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He faced guns and dogs during the marches 
and civil rights demonstrations in Albany, Georgia, in Selma and in 
Birmingham, Alabama. He was part of the March on Washington that led to 
the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where Dr. King gave his unparalleled 
``I Have a Dream'' speech.
  Reverend Peters' work ethic and his service to the Civil Rights 
Movement molded a life of enduring accomplishment and a vocation that 
included ministering to congregations in Connecticut and Virginia. He 
became pastor of Denver's New Hope Baptist Church in February of 1979 
and during his twenty-eight year tenure, he led his congregation 
through construction of a new church home and the expansion of services 
for an ever growing congregation. As a spiritual leader, he has 
burnished a reputation as a powerful advocate for inclusion and 
expanding opportunity for all people. He served as a volunteer member 
of the Denver Housing Advisory Board for approximately ten years 
assisting the twenty-two thousand public housing residents in changing 
the quality and image of public housing.
  He served as a member of the Colorado Civil Rights Commission for 
nine years, serving as its Chairman from 1987 to 1989, during which 
time he traveled throughout Colorado and held countless civil rights 
hearings to secure justice and equality for all citizens,
  Reverend Peters has received service recognitions from numerous 
organizations including the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, 
Martin Luther King, Jr., the Anti-Defamation League, the Denver Post 
and the NAACP, He is also the recipient of the Carle Whitehead Award, 
the highest award given by the American Civil Liberties Union.
  Reverend James Peters is an unrelenting advocate for the causes that 
elevate the human condition and his immeasurable contributions to the 
spiritual life of our community merit our gratitude. He has led in the 
struggle for freedom, justice and equality for all people. But Reverend 
Peters' leadership goes to the heart of what he means to be a leader. 
``Nathalia Young, a pastor at New Hope Baptist Church. . . remembers 
how he helped homeless people himself, not delegating it to a deacon. 
(He) would get into his own car, and use his own money to get someone a 
hotel room. And then there was a Christmas season one year, when a 
woman and her children were suddenly homeless. `He didn't just get her 
connected with housing but also supplied her with gifts and food.''' 
Reverend Peters leads by example.
  In a recent Denver Post article, Reverend Peters expressed ``concern 
that young people don't understand what it was like before the Civil 
Rights Act and that some believe King's message is now irrelevant.'' At 
some level, I think we all share his concern. But I would submit that 
Reverend Peters' legacy provides a powerful example that not only 
affirms Dr. King's undertaking, but inspires all of us to remember the 
struggle and keep faith with those who have gone before.
  Reverend Peters' tenure as pastor of New Hope Baptist Church is 
quickly drawing to a close. His leadership has been exemplary and his 
contributions are rich in consequence. On behalf of the citizens of the 
1st Congressional District of Colorado, I wish to express our gratitude 
and look forward to his continued involvement in the life of our 
community.
  Please join me in paying tribute to Reverend James D. Peters, a 
distinguished spiritual and civic leader. The values, leadership and 
commitment he exhibits set the mark and compel us to continue the work 
that distinguishes us as Americans.

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