[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 19 (Monday, February 6, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E144-E145]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   A TRIBUTE TO ANNE MARQUESS GARROTT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROBERT A. BRADY

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, February 6, 2012

  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mrs. 
Anne Marquess Garrott and the Southwest Belmont Community Association.
  The Southwest Belmont Community Association, SWBCA, was a result of 
the Colored

[[Page E145]]

Women's Christian Association which was organized in 1870 by Black 
women in South Philadelphia. The mission of the Colored Women's 
Christian Association was to provide residential living in a Christian 
environment for young, newly freed Black women coming from the rural 
south and seeking jobs in Philadelphia. In 1912, after more than 40 
years of petitioning, it was accepted as a branch of the Philadelphia 
Young Women's Christian Association, YWCA.
  The SWBCA was a hub of community activity and offered a variety of 
programs including poetry, music and dance. It housed an Olympic-sized 
swimming pool, a gymnasium and meeting rooms available for use by civic 
groups.
  Ultimately the branch became an independent, non-profit organization. 
The SWBCA is well respected for its leadership in support of the 
advancement of Black women long before the desegregation of national 
women's organizations.
  Mrs. Garrott was involved with the YWCA movement from an early age. 
As a child she took part in the many programs at the SVVBCA and as a 
teenager she taught swimming and tennis. She was later named Director 
of the Health and Physical Education Department. Throughout her decades 
long career, she served in many administrative capacities, not only at 
the SWBCA but also at YWCA's across the Nation. Today she is a revered 
matriarch who is nationally and internationally recognized for her 
contributions in support of the mission and goals of the YWCA and her 
beloved community.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that you, and my other distinguished colleagues 
join me in recognizing Mrs. Anne Marquess Garrott and the members of 
the Southwest Belmont Community Association for their many years of 
service.

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