[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 22 (Monday, February 22, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S624-S626]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
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SENATE RESOLUTION 418--COMMEMORATING THE LIFE OF THE LATE CYNTHIA
DELORES TUCKER
Mr. CASEY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on the Judiciary:
S. Res. 418
Whereas the late Cynthia DeLores Tucker dedicated her life
to eliminating racial barriers by championing civil rights
and rights of women in the United States;
Whereas, having grown up in Philadelphia during the Great
Depression, C. DeLores
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Tucker overcame a childhood marked by economic hardship and
segregation;
Whereas, having personally experienced the effects of
racism, C. DeLores Tucker first became active in the postwar
civil rights movement when she worked to register African
American voters during the 1950 Philadelphia mayoral
campaign;
Whereas C. DeLores Tucker became active in local politics,
developed her skills as an accomplished fund raiser and
public speaker, and quickly became the first African American
and first woman to serve on the Philadelphia Zoning Board;
Whereas in 1965, in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement,
C. DeLores Tucker participated in the White House Conference
on Civil Rights and marched from Selma to Montgomery with
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in support of the 1965
Voting Rights Bill, which was later signed into law by
President Lyndon Johnson;
Whereas in January 1971, while still primarily focused on
efforts to gain equality for all, C. DeLores Tucker was named
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by then-
Governor Milton Shapp, making her the first female African
American Secretary of a State in the Nation;
Whereas, under the leadership of C. DeLores Tucker as
Secretary of the Commonwealth, Pennsylvania became one of the
first states to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, lower the
voting age from 21 to 18, and institute voter registration
through mail;
Whereas, after leaving her position in Pennsylvania State
government, C. DeLores Tucker became the first African
American to serve as president of the National Federation of
Democratic Women;
Whereas in 1984, C. DeLores Tucker founded the National
Political Congress of Black Women, now known as the National
Congress of Black Women, a non-profit organization dedicated
to the educational, political, economic, and cultural
development of African American Women and their families;
Whereas in 1983, C. DeLores Tucker founded the Philadelphia
Martin Luther King Jr. Association for Non-Violence and, in
1986, the Bethune-DuBois Institute, both of which are
dedicated to promoting the cultural and educational
development of African American youth and young
professionals;
Whereas C. DeLores Tucker served as a member of the Board
of Trustees of the NAACP and numerous other boards, including
the Points of Light Foundation and Delaware Valley College;
Whereas, in the later phase of her life, C. DeLores Tucker
publicly criticized gangster rap music, arguing that such
music denigrated women and promoted violence and drug use;
Whereas, as a student of history, C. DeLores Tucker led the
successful campaign to have a bust of the pioneering activist
and suffragist Sojourner Truth installed in the United States
Capitol, along with other suffragette leaders;
Whereas C. DeLores Tucker received more than 400 honors and
awards during her lifetime, including the NAACP Thurgood
Marshall Award, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Distinguished
Service Award, and the Philadelphia Urban League Whitney
Young Award, and honorary Doctor of Law degrees from Morris
College and Villa Maria College; and
Whereas the work of C. DeLores Tucker as crusader for civil
rights and rights of women, through grace, dignity, and
purpose has helped transform the perception of race and
gender in the United States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) commemorates the life of the late Cynthia DeLores
Tucker;
(2) salutes the lasting legacy of the achievements of C.
DeLores Tucker; and
(3) encourages the continued pursuit of the vision of C.
DeLores Tucker to eliminate racial and gender prejudice from
all corners of our society.
Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I rise today in support of a resolution
honoring the lifetime achievements of C. DeLores Tucker. Along with her
family and many friends with us today in Washington, we pay tribute to
her life of service and courageous commitment to justice for women and
for the African-American community.
Cynthia DeLores Nottage Tucker was born in Philadelphia, PA, on
October 4, 1927 and was the tenth of eleven children in her family. Her
Bahamian-born Baptist minister father and her hard-working mother
approached life from a Christian perspective and encouraged their
children to do so as well. She grew up in a nurturing and achievement-
oriented household. ``My mother and father gave us wonderful values,''
Tucker once told Good Housekeeping magazine. ``They taught us to be
good and loving, and to use our lives to help others.''
Young DeLores originally intended to become a doctor and, as a girl,
spent summers working in local hospitals. When she graduated from
Girls' High of Philadelphia, her father took her to the Bahamas as a
reward. During the trip, she became seriously ill and was restricted to
a sickbed that kept her out of college for a year. This setback changed
the course of her life. She subsequently finished her education at
Temple University and the Wharton School of the University of
Pennsylvania. She also received two honorary degrees, from Morris
College in Alabama and Villa Maria College in Pennsylvania.
C. DeLores Tucker first became active in the postwar civil rights
movement when she worked to register Black voters during a 1950 mayoral
campaign. In July 1951, she married a friend of her brother, Bill
Tucker, a construction company owner who also owned real estate in and
around Philadelphia. For several years, DeLores sold real estate and
insurance and was active in local politics. She also became an
accomplished fundraiser and public speaker. The experience she gained
in civic causes and work with her husband, helped to make her a well
known figure in the city. She became the first African-American and
first woman to serve on the Philadelphia Zoning Board.
As the civil rights movement gained momentum in the late 1950s and
early 1960s, DeLores found the perfect channel for her activism. She
joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People,
NAACP, and helped the NAACP raise funds. She never shied away from
sensitive political issues. As part of her civil rights activism, she
walked with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Selma to Montgomery
march. In 1965, she participated in the White House Conference on Civil
Rights and was a strong advocate of the 1965 Voting Rights Bill signed
by President Lyndon Johnson.
DeLores Tucker's life was guided by her deep convictions. Throughout
the 1960s, she campaigned for African-American candidates and served on
her party's state committee. Her strong will and organizing skills
brought her to the attention of those in power. In January 1971, she
was named Secretary of the Commonwealth by Governor Milton J. Shapp.
This appointment made DeLores the first African-American woman in the
United States to serve in such a role.
The responsibilities of her job were serious. As Secretary of the
Commonwealth, she was the keeper of the Great Seal of the Commonwealth
and had the duty of authenticating government documents through the
seal's use. By statute, she was a member of a number of important state
boards and commissions. She also helped implement an affirmative action
program to bring more equality to Pennsylvania's hiring practices.
During her tenure, she advocated for the appointment of women and
African-Americans as judges and as members of state boards and
commissions. She led the effort to make Pennsylvania one of the first
states to develop voter registration by mail and reduce the voting age
from 21 to 18. Further, she helped pass statutes that would permit
students to register and vote from their college districts. Ebony
magazine named her among the ``100 most influential'' African-Americans
every year of her tenure.
After leaving state government, Dr. Tucker was a candidate for
several political offices, including lieutenant governor and United
States Senator. Although her efforts were unsuccessful, she never
wavered in her commitment to public service. She continued her
commitment to community service, working with underprivileged young
people both in Philadelphia and across the country.
DeLores Tucker always continued to participate in politics. As a
fundraiser and organizer, she was involved in Jesse Jackson's
presidential campaign in 1984. She chaired the Black Caucus of her
party's national committee for several years, where she worked to
increase the involvement of African-American women in politics.
One of Dr. Tucker's greatest legacies was her work as a founder of
the National Political Congress of Black Women in 1984 which was
created to advance the interests of the African-American community,
especially women. The group devised a comprehensive ten-point plan to
reclaim and improve the African-American community by focusing on voter
registration, educational quality and equity, welfare reform that would
not victimize poor people, and fair and adequate legal services for
everyone. The National Political Congress of Black Women addressed both
broad national
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issues as well as local issues by, for example, supporting African-
American congresswomen, as well as honoring civil rights pioneers,
including Myrlie Evers-Williams, Dr. Betty Shabazz, and Coretta Scott
King. The organization encouraged Black women to participate in the
political process as voters, candidates, policymakers, fundraisers and
role models. Today, the organization is known as the National Congress
for Black Women. In 1992, Dr. Tucker succeeded Shirley Chisholm as the
national chair of the National Congress of Black Women and served in
that role until her death in 2005.
In 1991, Dr. Tucker founded the Bethune-DuBois Institute to promote
the cultural and educational development of African-American youth.
During this time, Dr. Tucker began her public criticism of some kinds
of rap music. She argued that record companies should halt the
distribution of popular music that she believed contained derogatory
lyrics about women and minorities and had a negative impact on young
people. Objecting to the sale of such lyrics to minors, she asked the
Federal Bureau of Investigation to launch an inquiry. Both the NAACP
and the Congressional Black Caucus supported Dr. Tucker's initiative.
Dr. Tucker rose to national prominence in African-American civil
rights circles through her tireless activism and political fundraising.
She worked to end racism and make the United States a more equal,
multicultural society. Her career in civil rights spanned more than 50
years. Her husband, Bill Tucker, told the Washington Post that DeLores
``was one of the most fearless individuals I have ever known . . . She
will take on anyone, anything, if that's what she thinks is right.''
Dr. Tucker chaired the Black Caucus of her party's national committee
for 11 years and spoke at five national conventions. As a member of the
national committee, she was one of the original organizers of the Black
Caucus and the Women's Caucus. She worked tirelessly to ensure that
women, African-Americans and other minorities had fair representation
within her party. She was the first African-American to serve as
President of the National Federation of Democratic Women. Dr. Tucker
also served as a member of the NAACP Board of Trustees and on the board
of the Points of Light Foundation. She was also a member of Alpha Kappa
Alpha Sorority.
During her career, Dr. Tucker received more than 400 awards and
honors, including the NAACP Thurgood Marshall Award, the Martin Luther
King, Jr. Distinguished Service Award and the Philadelphia Urban League
Whitney Young Award.
C. DeLores Tucker passed away on October 12, 2005. Her legacy lives
on through the work of her husband, Bill Tucker, her many nieces and
nephews, and the hundreds of people she helped and mentored during her
life.
DeLores Tucker was a daughter of Philadelphia, a city that has
produced many notable leaders, in fields as diverse as the fine arts,
politics, science, athletics, business, literature and entertainment.
In December of 1939, Marcia Davenport wrote an article in Collier's
magazine about the great internationally known contralto, Philadelphian
Marian Anderson. Davenport's article described Anderson as a young girl
in south Philadelphia--whose father, John Anderson, died when she was
ten--playing on an imaginary piano and singing despite the poverty her
family lived in.
But in the heart of Anna Anderson, as she watched her child
throbbing with music, there was a steadfast belief that for
any worthy end, a way will come.
For DeLores Tucker, through hard work, a passion for advocacy, a
strong faith and a loving family, a way did come. A way to stand up for
the powerless; a way to overcome racism, prejudice, and hatred; a way
to shine the bright warm light of justice and compassion in the dark
corners of America. Yes, a way did come for DeLores Tucker to use her
voice to sing her own hymn of equal rights and opportunity for all,
especially women and African-Americans.
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