[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 126 (Thursday, August 2, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1687]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


    50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 30, 2007

  Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and 
congratulate the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, SCLC, as it 
celebrates 50 years of promoting non-violent action as a means to 
achieve social, economic, and political justice. The opportunity to 
serve as the first African-American Chairman of the House Judiciary 
Committee is a tribute to the efforts of the SCLC to promote equal 
opportunity and equal justice. .
  Without the courage and sacrifice of members of the SCLC, namely its 
first President, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and those Presidents that 
followed--Ralph Abernathy, Joseph Lowery, and Martin Luther King, III, 
we simply would not be where we are today. And while we have much work 
to do, we are living the legacy of the Southern Christian Leadership 
Conference everyday.
  This August will be the 50th anniversary of the Southern Christian 
Leadership Conference. The SCLC traces its roots to the Montgomery Bus 
Boycott of 1955, which began with the quiet yet courageous efforts of 
one woman: Rosa Parks. I had the privilege of working with Rosa Parks 
for over 20 years when she agreed to join my staff after I was elected 
to Congress in 1964. The Montgomery Bus Boycott brought together two 
local ministers, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ralph Abernathy, who 
established the Montgomery Improvement Association to lead the boycott 
efforts. As the movement to desegregate public transportation spread 
beyond Montgomery County into surrounding states, it was clear that the 
organization needed to expand, both in size and in scope.

  Following the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a group of 60 
organizers from 10 states met in Atlanta, Georgia to plan the next 
steps. The result was the founding of the Southern Leadership 
Conference on Transportation and Nonviolent Integration. The 
organization's title was shortened to its current name, the Southern 
Christian Leadership Conference during its first convention, held in 
Montgomery in August 1957. Next week, the SCLC will be hosting its 49th 
annual convention in Atlanta, GA.
  Leading the efforts of the SCLC to end segregation was Dr. Martin 
Luther King, Jr., a man I am honored to have been able to call a friend 
and confidant. In fact, it was Dr. King that endorsed me for Congress 
when I first ran and was elected to serve in 1964. Significantly, Dr. 
King personally awarded me with the Southern Christian Leadership 
Conference Award in 1967. Having walked alongside Dr. King, a fearless 
leader who challenged continued racial segregation and believed that 
``oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever,'' I am committed to 
continuing the legacy of Dr. King and the SCLC.
  Under the helm of President Joseph Lowery for much of its existence--
from 1977 until 1997, the SCLC advanced Dr. King's dream for an 
America--a society united behind the banner of equality and freedom. 
Today, the SCLC remains strong under the leadership of Dr. Charles 
Steele, Jr., promoting a number of programs in the areas of economic 
empowerment, health advocacy, education, and criminal justice. The SCLC 
has also established the Martin Luther King, Jr., Conflict Resolution 
Center, an international initiative to promote Dr. King's principle of 
nonviolence as a means to resolving conflicts throughout the world.
  We've come a long ways over the last 50 years, and the work of the 
SCLC continues to be of critical importance. It is to the credit of Dr. 
King and other leaders of the SCLC that today the torch of the civil 
rights movement is carried by many hands. One of those hands is Dr. 
King's son, Martin III, who headed the SCLC from 1997 until 2003 and 
remains committed to the organization's vision. So following the lead 
of Martin III, Joseph Lowery, Ralph Abernathy, and of course Dr. King, 
let us continue the work and legacy of the Southern Christian 
Leadership Conference on its 50th anniversary.

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