[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 146 (Monday, September 15, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1782]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              IN REMEMBRANCE OF COUNCILWOMAN FANNIE LEWIS

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                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 15, 2008

  Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of 
Councilwoman Fannie Lewis, an outspoken leader and profoundly respected 
member of the Greater Cleveland Community, and to honor a life spent in 
service to her community.
  One of Cleveland's longest-serving Council Members, Councilwoman 
Lewis was known for her unfailing support and activism for the working 
class residents of the Greater Cleveland Area. Recognized as a 
``neighborhood activist,'' she emerged as the prominent voice for the 
economically disadvantaged in Cleveland, fighting for their rights 
regardless of the opposition. Councilwoman Lewis began her career in 
public service fighting for civil rights and equality in the Hough 
neighborhood in Cleveland as a recruiter for the Neighborhood Youth 
Corps during the 1960s. After helping local residents find work and 
through the Youth Corps, she continued her activism for the residents 
of Hough Avenue during her tenure in Cleveland's City Council.
  She joined the City Council in 1980 and immediately began working on 
renovating Hough Avenue. Councilwoman Lewis worked tirelessly on 
housing development in several neighborhoods, pushing for new 
apartments and houses as well as a large nursing home in Eliza Bryant 
Village. She challenged local residents to keep their neighborhoods 
clean. Her tenacious voice for those with educational and economic 
needs stood in stark contrast to her personable disposition that 
enabled her to work closely with the residents she represented. Her 
leadership skills affected all of those around her and she worked 
around the clock encouraging her residents to stand up for their needs 
and beliefs.
  In addition to her activism for housing and economic development in 
Cleveland, Councilwoman Lewis pushed for school vouchers for her 
residents in City Council, giving economically disadvantaged students 
and their families the opportunity to attend private schools. The 
Supreme Court ruled in favor of Councilwoman Lewis's program in 2002, 
upholding her voucher program. In 2003, the Fannie Lewis Law, which 
requires that city residents constitute at least 20 percent of the 
workforce on any construction projects that receive contracts worth 
$100,000 or more, was passed.
  Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in celebrating the life 
of Councilwoman Fannie Lewis, whose career in public service is a 
shining example for public officials and women everywhere. May her 
pioneering character and exemplary life serve as an example for all of 
us to follow.




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