[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 133 (Friday, October 5, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1681]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       TO COMMEMORATE THE LIFE AND WORK OF CAPTAIN ANSIL SAUNDERS

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                           HON. CORRINE BROWN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 5, 2012

  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 
life and work of Captain Ansil Saunders, a fifth generation native of 
Bimini, Bahamas, in recognition of his outstanding contributions in 
keeping Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy alive in the Bahamas.
  Captain Saunders first met Dr. King in 1964 when he traveled to 
Bimini in search of a peaceful and serene writing environment. Captain 
Saunders knew the perfect place and took Dr. King deep into the 
mangroves to a spot called ``Bonefish Hole'' where Dr. King wrote 
portions of his famous Nobel Prize acceptance speech. Dr. King returned 
to Bimini in 1968 where he wrote portions of his Sanitation Workers 
speech while on Captain Saunders' boat. Dr. King was assassinated in 
Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968, just days after his visit to the 
Bahamas.
  Since Dr. King's death, Captain Saunders has shared his conversations 
with the civil rights leader with visitors to Bimini as well as with 
local and international media outlets, including National Public Radio. 
Plaques marking local sites visited by Dr. King are found throughout 
Alice Town, Bimini, including the location of a barbershop frequented 
by Dr. King and the cottage where he stayed during his visits. The 
local museum also has Dr. King's disembarkation card with his original 
signature proudly on display.
  Captain Saunders' acclaim extends beyond his connection to Dr. King. 
He is also a bone-fishing world record holder, a 2003 Cacique Award 
(Minister's Award) recipient and an artistic boat builder, creating 
custom-crafted vessels out of fiberglass, bronze, and wood indigenous 
to the Bahamas. Each of his made-to-order boats take about six months 
to complete and are used by top sports fishermen to ply the flats in 
search of the elusive ``gray ghost.''
  It is clear that although Captain Saunders' hard work has led to 
success, his time in the mangroves with the civil rights leader left an 
indelible mark, which is why Captain Saunders has made it his life's 
work to honor Dr. King's legacy.

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