[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 20 (Friday, February 8, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E118]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE DONALD A. MILES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, February 8, 2013

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, the theme of Black History Month 2013 is 
``At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: The Emancipation 
Proclamation and the March on Washington.'' In the 100 years between 
their emancipation and the success of the civil rights movement, 
African-Americans were subjected to the abuse of slavery and the 
exclusion from benefits attributed to American prosperity. In spite of 
the civil and political barriers facing them, African-Americans worked 
diligently to achieve full equality with other Americans.
  Therefore it is with great respect and sincere admiration that I rise 
to honor an outstanding public servant who has served the Bronx 
community for over 25 years. Judge Donald A. Miles, a child of North 
and South Carolina parents, and the eldest of two children, is 
presently a Judge of the Civil Court of the City of New York in Bronx 
County.
  Before beginning his life in the courtroom, the New York City Public 
Schools-educated Miles received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political 
Science, with a minor in Sociology from the State University of New 
York at Stony Brook and earned a Master of Science Degree in Social 
Work from Columbia University. His background in social sciences led 
him to Lincoln Hospital where he worked as a Certified Psychiatric 
Social Worker.
  I imagine it was this experience at Lincoln Hospital, serving and 
supporting many of the underserved and under-resourced in the South 
Bronx that led Judge Miles to pursue his Juris Doctorate, from the 
Antioch School of Law in Washington, DC. Though there is much to extol 
in Judge Miles' rise from a private practice attorney to Principal Law 
Clerk at the Bronx Supreme Court and on to his current position as 
Judge of the Civil Court of the City of New York in Bronx County, today 
it is important to focus on Judge Miles' commitment to improving the 
position of the African-American community.
  He is currently a member of the Bronx County Bar Association, Black 
United Leadership in the Bronx, Scholarship Committee of the Black Bar 
of Association of Bronx County, and when he finds the time he 
volunteers as a judge for the Thurgood Marshall Mock trial competition. 
I also take personal pride in having Judge Miles serve as a member of 
my military academy recommendation committee. His participation in 
these committees and groups helps empower African-Americans in Bronx 
County.
  Mr. Speaker, the Bronx is proud to be the home of many African-
American leaders. Individuals like Judge Donald A. Miles continue to 
open doors and set high standards for generations of African-Americans. 
During Black History Month, we pay tribute to and thank him for his 
work on behalf of the people of the Bronx, and I ask you and my 
colleagues to join me.