[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 28 (Wednesday, February 14, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1956-S1957]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          BLACK HISTORY MONTH


                             REGINALD JONES

  Mr. MENENDEZ Madam President, I rise today to join with my colleague, 
Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, and our House colleague Congressman Donald 
Payne in honoring Reginald Jones, a distinguished and inspiring figure 
in African-American history. In recognition of Black History Month, we 
gathered with residents of New Jersey to pay tribute to Mr. Jones on 
Saturday, February 10, 2007, at the Newark Museum in Newark, NJ, during 
``A Salute to Heroes.''
  Raised in Newark, NJ, Reginald Jones has dedicated his life to 
serving our great Nation. First, as a proud marine, he defended the 
freedoms and liberties we all hold dear as Americans.
  It was while stationed in Guantanamo Bay that Reginald discovered 
boxing, a sport which led him to win the bronze medal at the 1971 Pan-
Am Games in Cali, Colombia. In 1972, Reggie was selected as a member of 
the U.S. Olympic Team in Munich, Germany. In a boxing match that led to 
many changes in the sport, Reginald, a light middleweight, found 
himself in the ring with Valerie Tebugov of the Soviet Union. Judging 
discrepancies did not allow Reginald to advance to medal rounds, but 
Reginald received a good sportsmanship award for the dignity he 
displayed throughout the games, which he fondly recalled in a Star 
Ledger article as an ``opportunity to make many friends.''
  Now, as a caseworker with the New Jersey Division of Children and 
Families Services for more than 20 years,

[[Page S1957]]

Reginald continues to serve our Nation, caring for and watching over 
the neediest children, ensuring that future generations have access to 
the same opportunities that helped Reggie reach his goals.
  There is no doubt Reginald Jones is an exemplary leader and a 
profoundly committed individual who is a true role model for the 
Nation. Therefore, I am pleased to pay tribute to Reginald Jones, and 
know my colleagues will join in wishing him continued success.


                              TOMMIE SMITH

  Madam President, I also rise today to join with my colleague, Senator 
Frank R. Lautenberg, and our House colleague Congressman Donald Payne 
to honor Tommie Smith, a distinguished and inspiring figure in African-
American history. In recognition of Black History Month we gathered 
with residents of New Jersey to pay tribute to Dr. Smith on Saturday, 
February 10, 2007, at the Newark Museum in Newark, NJ, during ``A 
Salute to Heroes.''
  Tommie Smith was born to Richard and Dora Smith on June 6, 1944, in 
Clarksville, TX. The 7th of his family's 12 children, he moved to 
California at a young age. His father was a sharecropper, and Tommie 
used to pick cotton at neighboring farms to help with the family 
finances.
  During high school he excelled at football, basketball, and track. He 
received his bachelor of arts degree from San Jose State University in 
social science, with double minors in military science and physical 
education, and his masters degree in sociology from Goddard Cambridge 
in Boston, MA. As a sophomore college student, Tommie began breaking 
world records in track and went on to tie or break a total of 13 world 
records. He is the only man in the history of track and field to hold 
11 world records simultaneously.
  In 1968, Tommie was selected for the U.S. Olympic team for track and 
field. The 19th Olympiad, held in Mexico City, witnessed Tommie Smith 
breaking the world and Olympic records for the 200-meter race with a 
time of 19.83 seconds. On October 16, 1968, as the ``Star Spangled 
Banner'' played, Tommie stood on the victory podium, draped with his 
Olympic gold medal, shoeless, and together with his teammate, John 
Carlos, raised a clenched fist, covered in a black leather glove, in 
what has come to be recognized as a historic stand for ``power, 
liberation and solidarity.'' Both Tommie and John were members of the 
Olympic Project for Human Rights. This silent act received both cheers 
and jeers, and Tommie was suspended by the U.S. Olympic Committee and 
ordered to leave Mexico. But Tommie Smith was not dissuaded from his 
commitment to championing the cause of oppressed people.
  After the Olympics, Tommie returned to San Jose State University. 
Upon graduation, Tommie played professional football with the 
Cincinnati Bengals for 3 years. But teaching and coaching were his true 
calling, and he later became a track coach at Oberlin College, in Ohio, 
where he also taught sociology, and at Santa Monica College, in 
California. Now a resident of Georgia, Tommie has dedicated his time to 
speaking to students across the country, urging them to stand up for 
what they believe in and to have ``faith and hope.''
  Since 1968, Tommie Smith has been recognized for his actions in 
defense of civil rights and for his athletic prowess by various 
organizations including the National Track & Field Hall of Fame, the 
California Black Sports Hall of Fame, the County of Los Angeles and the 
State of Texas. He was honored with the 2004 dedication of the Tommie 
Smith gymnasium in Saint-Ouen, France, and a 2005 honorary doctorate 
degree of humane letters from San Jose State University.
  There is no doubt Tommie Smith is an exemplary leader and a 
profoundly committed individual who is a true role model for the 
Nation. Therefore, I am pleased to pay tribute to Tommie Smith, and I 
know my colleagues will join in wishing him continued success.

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