[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 29 (Thursday, February 12, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S2170]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            NAACP CENTENNIAL

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate the NAACP 
on this, its 100th anniversary.
  One hundred years ago, 60 men and women answered a call to promote 
social equality in this country. This effort brought together a diverse 
group of prominent Americans, including Kentucky native William English 
Walling, who signed a manifesto forming the NAACP. They chose February 
12 as their founding date to honor the birth of Abraham Lincoln.
  Since then, the NAACP has recognized the contributions of Americans 
who have made strides in eliminating prejudice.
  This year, the NAACP will honor Kentucky native Muhammad Ali for a 
lifetime of contributions. When I was growing up in Louisville, I went 
to DuPont Manual High School. A young man who was then named Cassius 
Clay was in the same grade at Central High School. He was the most well 
known teenager in town by far. We all knew him as the local Golden 
Gloves champ.
  His spirit of hard work and efforts to improve his community are 
being rightly honored by the NAACP this year, and Kentucky is proud 
that one of its own is being honored this week.
  So to all at the NAACP, congratulations on this centennial. It is an 
opportunity to reflect on the efforts and accomplishments of those who 
worked so hard over the past century to advance your founding goals.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The assistant majority leader is 
recognized.

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