[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 131 (Wednesday, September 7, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1542]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING ``REMEMBER THEM: CHAMPIONS FOR HUMANITY''

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 7, 2011

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an extraordinary and 
historic event taking place in California's Ninth Congressional 
District, the official unveiling of master artist Mario Chiodo's world-
class bronze monument Remember Them: Champions for Humanity in 
Oakland's new Henry J. Kaiser Sculpture Park.
  Originating as a heartfelt response to the tragic events of September 
11, 2001, Mr. Chiodo's masterpiece honors 25 world-renowned 
humanitarians who boldly championed human rights despite hardship, 
barriers and personal risk. In the last decade, many in our community 
have helped to bring Remember Them to fruition. With the collaborative 
effort of private and corporate donors under the Oakland Metropolitan 
Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Mr. Chiodo's vision has grown to 
include additional tributes to 14 local Bay Area activists. Remember 
Them is a source of Oakland pride and a powerful symbol of human 
altruism, sacrifice and resilience.
  As we celebrate the three-section debut of the four-piece, 1,000-
square-foot monument, we recognize that this magnificent work of art is 
not only the largest bronze sculpture in the West. It is a lasting, 
living legacy that will empower future generations to come. For 
example, Remember Them is already part of a K-12 education curriculum 
developed with Stanford University's Martin Luther King, Jr. Research 
and Education Institute as part of its Global Liberation Project. 
Thousands of young people in the Bay Area and throughout the country 
will have multi-faceted, hands-on access to the United States' first 
large-scale monument to promote global diversity and celebrate 
international humanitarians as a group. Another groundbreaking Remember 
Them feature is its unique access for visually impaired persons, 
including information in Braille. Moreover, a small-scale casting of 
the monument will be on permanent display in the National Civil Rights 
Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.
  The 25 global humanitarians who are honored today, and who will 
continue to inspire the hearts and minds of our young people, are (in 
alphabetical order) The Rev. Ralph David Abernathy, Maya Angelou, Susan 
B. Anthony, Ruby Bridges, Cesar Chavez, Chief Joseph, Head of the Nez 
Perce Nation, Sir Winston Churchill, Frederick Douglass, Shirin Ebadi, 
Mahatma Gandhi, Helen Keller, Coretta Scott King, the Rev. Dr. Martin 
Luther King, Jr., Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, Harvey Milk, Mother 
Teresa, Rosa Parks, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Oskar Schindler, Thich 
Nhat Hanh, Rigoberta Menchu Turn, The Unknown Rebel of Tiananmen 
Square, Elie Wiesel, and Malcolm X.
  The many names and faces of Remember Them represent our vast global 
community and the beauty of our differences. Yet, more importantly, 
they remind us of what we share in common: the capacity to demonstrate 
extraordinary acts of human decency in the face of injustice and 
iniquity. In fact, this monument is designed on a spiraling axis that 
emulates the helix of humans' common DNA. Therefore, as we commemorate 
those who have made larger-than-life contributions to social justice, 
let us be reminded that we are well-equipped to follow suit.
  On behalf of the residents of California's Ninth Congressional 
District, I would like to salute all who have contributed to the 
success of Mario Chiodo's Remember Them: Champions for Humanity. Thank 
you for your service to our community, and for ensuring that peace and 
social justice are a lasting symbol in our daily lives.

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