[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 101 (Thursday, July 1, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1273]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING MR. WILLIAM L. TAYLOR

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. WM. LACY CLAY

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, July 1, 2010

  Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor William Taylor, a 
Washington area lawyer who played a critical role in civil rights 
issues across the country. Taylor was instrumental in the passage of 
the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and dedicated over 40 years of his life to 
ensuring every American, regardless of race or creed, enjoy the freedom 
that is the promise of this great country.
  William Taylor was born in Brooklyn, New York, on October 4, 1931, to 
two Jewish immigrants. Though Taylor was subject to racial slurs and 
discrimination throughout his childhood, he chose to devote his life to 
guarantee equal rights for all. Taylor understood that the power of the 
voting booth was vital to liberty, and one's color, religion, social 
status, and should never restrict access to freedom.
  Upon his 1954 graduation from Yale Law School, Taylor joined the 
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, serving under the great 
Thurgood Marshall. During his tenure, Taylor aided desegregation 
enforcement efforts, ensuring school districts abide by the landmark 
Brown v. Board of Education decision.
  Taylor was then appointed to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 
composing civil rights recommendations that were the basis for the 1964 
Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. I had the pleasure of 
working with Bill for a number of years as a member of the Missouri 
State Senate. During this time, I was witness to his brilliance and 
perseverance, while we crafted an amicable legislative solution that 
settled the long-running St. Louis Public School Desegregation issue. 
This feat concluded in the largest voluntary metropolitan school 
desegregation plan in the country.
  Madam Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to Mr. Taylor, a man whose 
visionary leadership helped usher in a new era of justice. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in honoring Mr. William Taylor.

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