[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 27 (Friday, February 18, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E279-E280]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING WILLIE BUNTON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 17, 2011

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. 
Willie Bunton, a very instrumental person in the Mayersville community.
  Mr. Bunton, Jr. was born on April 29, 1935 to Bertha and Willie 
Bunton, Sr. He was the son of a sharecropper who left school at the age 
of 15 to take care of his family because of the death of his father. 
Mr. Bunton worked tirelessly during the Civil Rights Era to register 
citizens to vote. He was also instrumental in integrating the schools 
in Rolling Fork and Mayersville. He met Louise Matthews, who later 
became his wife, and to this union were born 14 children. He and his 
wife owned and operated 14 & 1 Quick Stop for several years.
  Prior to opening his own business, Mr. Bunton worked with the Delta 
Opportunity Corporation where he was a job developer and recruiter 
fulfilling the capacity of job placement for the unemployed. Around 
this time, Mr. Bunton gained an interest in politics, and then ran for 
Supervisor-at-Large of District 3 in Issaquena County unsuccessfully. 
He then

[[Page E280]]

filed suit to bring the elections back to the district rather than at-
large, and won. He then ran again in a special election in 1972 and 
won. Mr. Bunton was the 7th black supervisor elected in the state of 
Mississippi, Mr. Bunton served on the board for 12 years with WWISCAA, 
served on the board of MACE for 4 years, and was also a member of the 
Freedom Democratic Party, which was formed because black democrats were 
not accepted by the regular Democratic Party, which defeated the 
regular Democratic Party and was seated at the National Democratic 
Convention. Mr. Bunton also helped to get sufficient water and sewer 
for the Town of Mayersville, and also had involvement with the 
corporation of the town. Mr. Bunton was also seriously involved in the 
Issaquena County Backwater Project.

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