[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 112 (Friday, July 13, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1512]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING MR. CHARLES TISDALE FEARLESS CHAMPION OF CIVIL RIGHTS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 12, 2007

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize 
the life of Mr. Charles Tisdale, a fearless champion of civil rights 
within the African-American community. Mr. Tisdale was the owner of The 
Jackson Advocate Newspaper, which gave a voice to African-Americans in 
Jackson and throughout the state of Mississippi.
  Charles Tisdale, an Alabama native who fought for civil rights as 
owner and publisher of Mississippi's oldest black-owned newspaper was 
born November 5, 1926, in Athens, Alabama. Tisdale purchased The 
Jackson Advocate in 1978 from the newspaper's first owner, Percy Green. 
For 20 years, Mr. Tisdale's influential talk show on WMPR in Jackson, 
often took elected leaders, both black and white, to task for not 
effectively serving their communities.
  Mr. Tisdale was not only a civil rights activist but a front-line 
leader. He did not write from a dark room but led several marches, 
putting his life in danger to advance the civil rights of African-
Americans in his community. Tisdale's civil rights record extends back 
to the 1960s, when he joined Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in protest 
marches. Mr. Tisdale was with Dr. King when the civil rights crusader 
was assassinated in Memphis.
  Mr. Tisdale often faced repercussions for his outspoken nature. He 
received several death threats, some of which resulted in his newspaper 
office in Jackson being firebombed on two separate occasions. The last 
occurrence was in 1998, when gasoline was doused over furniture and 
molotov cocktails were thrown through the windows. The 1998 attack 
resulted in $100,000 damages. Clinton Moses, of Jackson, later pleaded 
guilty to the crime and told authorities that Louis Armstrong, a member 
of the Jackson City Council paid him $500 to commit the firebombing. 
Mr. Armstrong was never charged in the case. Throughout the years of 
adversity, Mr. Tisdale continued his courageous fight.
  Despite sagging circulation of the Jackson Advocate over the past 
five years, the newspaper continued to receive several honors, 
including the National Black Chamber of Commerce Newspaper of the Year, 
the Nation of Islam Freedom Fighter Award and the Southern Christian 
Leadership Conference Journalism Award. Mr. Tisdale's reputation spread 
far beyond the state of Mississippi. The National Newspaper Publishers 
Association, a trade association of more than 200 black-oriented 
community newspapers, has named one of its top awards after him.
  He took the lead in publishing articles on civil rights violations 
and was unrelenting in his fight against racism, injustice, 
discrimination and corruption by government officials. He never gave up 
on a story and in the end the truth always prevailed.
  I will always remember Charles Tisdale as a man of extraordinary 
courage, who cared deeply about the struggles of African-Americans 
fighting for justice.
  Please join me today in honoring a truly courageous civil rights 
leader, Mr. Charles Tisdale.

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