[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 58 (Tuesday, April 21, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E903]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     TRIBUTE TO THE BOOKER T. WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1949

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                         HON. KENDRICK B. MEEK

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 21, 2009

  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to recognize and 
extend my congratulations to the Booker T. Washington High School Class 
of 1949 as they prepare to celebrate their 60th class reunion. Booker 
T. Washington High School is located in Overtown, Miami, Florida, which 
is in my congressional District.
  Founded in 1926 for African-American students residing from West Palm 
Beach to Key West, Booker T. Washington High School has served as a 
stalwart in the Miami-Dade County community since its inception. By 
1949, Booker T. Washington High School was one of three African-
American high schools in Miami-Dade County and since then has become a 
vital center for cultural activities in Overtown.
  The Class of 1949 was the first high school alumni group in South 
Florida to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday as a holiday. 
Additionally, the Class of 1949 has been the sole alumni group in the 
country to file and successfully conclude a Civil Rights Action, 
specifically a public accommodation lawsuit against a commercial 
establishment. Moreover, many ``49ers'' have engaged in charitable 
endeavors including granting educational scholarships, annual 
contributions and support to the United Negro College Fund, the Black 
Archives and the Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation.
  Noteworthy achievements by the ``49ers'' include: the first African-
American elected to public office in Miami-Dade County as a County 
Commissioner, the first African-American to serve as chairman of a 
board in Miami-Dade County the Fair Housing and Employment Commission 
and the first African-American to serve as a head coach at a fully 
integrated public high school in Miami-Dade County.
  Madam Speaker, I am proud to commemorate Booker T. Washington High 
School for its remarkable role in fostering education among African-
Americans and implore its alumni to ensure that future generations have 
educational access to foster the skills to face complex challenges. I 
once again extend my congratulations to the members of the Booker T. 
Washington High School Class of 1949 as they prepare to celebrate their 
60th class reunion.

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