[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 18 (Friday, February 3, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E131]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 HONORING THE LIFE OF DR. CLEVELAND DONALD, JR., CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST 
                              AND EDUCATOR

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, February 3, 2012

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
life of Dr. Cleveland Donald, Jr., a civil rights advocate, community 
activist and pioneering educator. Dr. Donald will be largely remembered 
as the second African-American student to graduate from the University 
of Mississippi, but he was also a reflection of all that we hope and 
expect our community leaders to be.
  Born April 10, 1946, in Newton, Mississippi, Cleveland Donald, Jr. 
was the oldest of five children born to Rosia and Cleveland Donald, Sr. 
As a student at Brinkley High School, he excelled academically and 
enrolled in Tougaloo College when he was 17. After attending Tougaloo 
for one year, he enrolled at the University of Mississippi in 1964, and 
graduated in 1966 with a history degree. He would become the second 
African-American there to graduate and the last to enter under Federal 
Protection.
  Dr. Donald was that rare individual who dedicated his entire life's 
work to education. He obtained multiple academic degrees from 
prestigious universities such as Ole Miss, Harvard, and Cornell; where 
he obtained his doctorate. As a college professor, he taught in 
universities across the country and worked in the private sector on 
projects related to higher education. He was an excellent role model 
for young adults, a leader to fellow faculty members and a shining 
example of perseverance in order to achieve your dreams and goals.
  A man of deep conviction, Dr. Donald became involved in the civil 
rights movement while attending Tougaloo and was arrested multiple 
times for protesting the racial injustices of the era. He helped 
establish a black studies program at the University of Mississippi in 
addition to working with former Governor William Winter on programs at 
the University of Mississippi for racial reconciliation.
  Dr. Donald's legacy will be carried on through his son, Cleveland 
Donald III, and his daughters Krista Donald and Toyetta Donald. He has 
four brothers; Judge John Donald, Major General James Donald, Reverend 
Larry Donald, and Master Sergeant Howard Donald.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring the life 
and legacy of Dr. Cleveland Donald, Jr., an educator and civil rights 
advocate who found his lifework in the work that he loved.

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