[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 29 (Thursday, February 15, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E353-E354]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING AND PRAISING THE NAACP ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 98TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 12, 2007

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an 
organization that has been at the forefront of the fight for civil and 
political liberty. The National Association for the Advancement of 
Colored People, our Nation's oldest civil rights organization, has been 
on the right side of history for 98 years.
  Doing the right thing wasn't an easy task, especially given the 
entrenched discrimination black Americans faced. When African Americans 
were victims of lynching; when hostile government policies forced black 
Americans into substandard, segregated schools; when black voters were 
disenfranchised by poll taxes and other unfair barriers, the NAACP 
stepped up to help end discrimination and do what was right.
  I feel privileged to represent a district with a strong branch of the 
NAACP. The Sonoma County NAACP was co-founded by my friends Gilbert and 
Alice Gray and other local activists. Alice was a dedicated volunteer 
and fearless leader. Almost 1 year ago, I rose to honor Alice after her 
passing. Some of her accomplishments bear mentioning again, for the 
scope and depth of her activism. In 1954, she

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led protests against segregated local business; she helped establish 
the National Association of Negro Busness and Professional Women's Club 
in Sonoma; and she helped at-risk kids in the community achieve their 
fullest potential by mentoring them. She also launched the Gray 
Foundation with her husband to help students pursue their educational 
goals and serve their community--``to listen and learn from the 
traditions of self-help and self-reliance that once gave our people 
strength.'' She was an amazing woman who honored us with her presence 
and the NAACP with her service.
  To appreciate more fully the immense importance of the NAACP over the 
last century, a quick look at some of their political victories on a 
national scale is in order. The NAACP was instrumental in the signing 
of President Harry Truman's Executive order banning discrimination in 
1948. The NAACP helped pass the Equal Employment Opportunity Act; the 
Civil Rights Acts of 1957, 1960, and 1964; the Voting Rights Act of 
1965 and last year's reauthorization. The NAACP led sit-ins to protest 
segregated lunch counters, which led to many stores officially 
desegregating their counters. They also educated the public about the 
legacies of slavery and the importance of coming to terms with the 
past--for example, by protesting the racist film Birth of a Nation, or 
by taking out ads in major U.S. newspapers to give readers the facts 
about lynching. Thanks to the NAACP's courage, we all live in a fairer 
and more just Nation today. We owe this group a trmendous debt.
  I am honored to be an original cosponsor of this bill to honor the 
NAACP and I thank Congressman Al Green for introducing it. It is 
important for every American to realize the great impact this 
institution has had on our Nation.

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