[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 116 (Friday, July 29, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1448]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING DORSEY'S LOCKER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 29, 2011

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 70th Anniversary of 
the Dorsey family's service to the greater Bay Area, and their historic 
soul food restaurant Dorsey's Locker, which has become an important 
cultural institution within the African-American community in Oakland, 
California.
  During a week-long community celebration of the restaurant's 70 years 
in business, we reflect upon the unique role that Dorsey's Locker and 
the Dorsey family have played in preserving a venue for authentic 
foods, spoken word artists, burgeoning comedians and diverse music.
  In 1941, Mr. and Mrs. Henry and Wilma Dorsey opened the family 
restaurant in West Oakland. The business relocated in 1956 to Bosn's 
Locker on nearby Shattuck Avenue, where Clarence Dorsey, with the 
assistance of brothers Tom, Armstead and Jack, supervised the addition 
of a cocktail lounge. The restaurant received another personalized 
addition 3 years later, when Martin Luther Dorsey arrived in Oakland 
from Texas to build the Locker's existing bar by hand.
  Mr. and Mrs. Dorsey continued to provide ``Texas-Style'' soul food 
until Henry's death. Dorsey's Bosn Locker was sold in 1986, only to be 
re-opened in 1996 by the next generation of the Dorsey family, under 
Dorsey & Associates, Inc.
  Currently, Dorsey's Locker is owned by Donald Dorsey and features 
daily signature soul food specials and a wide variety of featured 
entertainment at no extra cost. Whether enjoying live poetry, comedy, 
karaoke, reggae, or R&B performances during the Locker's nightly supper 
club, patrons have a familiar space to dine, unwind and enjoy a tried 
and true Oakland experience.
  On behalf of California's 9th Congressional District, I want to 
extend my congratulations on this important milestone. Thank you, 
Dorsey family and the Dorsey's Locker community, for all that you do. 
Through your hard work, generosity and perseverance, so many have built 
memories, made history, and added to the rich cultural heritage that we 
share. I wish you enduring success and prosperity as you continue to 
nourish the bodies, hearts and minds of our community.

                          ____________________