[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 46 (Friday, April 1, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E602]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    RECOGNIZING MRS. MODEEN BROWN IN HONOR OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 1, 2011

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mrs. Modeen Brown 
in honor of Women's History Month. I thank you for giving us all an 
opportunity to celebrate the life of this truly remarkable leader.
  Mrs. Modeen Brown rose from the cotton patches of Georgia to the 
Governor's Mansion in Colorado. As an African American woman, Modeen is 
a shining example of how minority women can succeed through a 
commitment to excellence in education. Prior to 1980, Women's History 
Month did not exist. Ms. Brown, like many other women, validated the 
necessity of celebrating women. Raised in a time when few African 
Americans--let alone women--attended college, Modeen was determined to 
change that standard. A devoted mother of five, she had always 
instilled in her children the importance of education.
  Modeen was born on a Georgia farm and raised by her loving aunt upon 
the death of her mother. Inspired by her aunt's strength and 
selflessness, Modeen developed a strong work ethic. She passed this 
essential trait on to her children, evident in the fact that all of-
them have obtained bachelor degrees or higher. Three of Mrs. Brown's 
children have graduated from the University of Florida and her oldest 
daughter, Angela, has served as a teacher for children with special 
needs for the past thirty years. Her daughter, Carolyn, is currently a 
major in the Sheriff's department of Bradenton, FL. Shariel, her third 
child, once played for the Florida Gators and now works for ESPN. Mrs. 
Brown's only son, Ernest, is a physician and her youngest daughter, 
Nyra, is an actress. Mrs. Brown is a proud grandparent of seven 
grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Mrs. Brown's high expectations 
and strong work ethic have been clearly passed down, apparent from her 
13-year old granddaughter who is a straight A student attending a 
specialized school and Ernest's daughter, Charisse, who recently 
graduated from Harvard with a PhD in biochemistry.
  Modeen's strong dedication and hard work was not restricted to 
education. In her professional life, she coordinated the fundraising 
for former Lt. Governor of Colorado George Brown, who later became her 
husband. Mr. Brown, who passed away in 2006, was the first African 
American to hold statewide office in Colorado.
  Mrs. Brown is a prime example of the fact that women can accomplish 
great things. Her daughter, Carolyn, and her granddaughter, Shariel, 
are a testament to women succeeding in nontraditional career paths and 
her granddaughter, Charisse, has proved that education is the great 
equalizer among races and classes. Modeen's support of her late husband 
exudes what it means to lead by serving. Mrs. Modeen Brown has truly 
made a difference in the lives of many, and I am privileged to 
recognize her as a hard worker and brilliant leader in honor of Women's 
History Month.

                          ____________________