[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 27 (Tuesday, February 26, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E193]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


           REMEMBERING TARRANT COUNTY AFRICAN AMERICAN DOCTOR

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MARC A. VEASEY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 26, 2013

  Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge a pillar in the 
Tarrant County African American community, Dr. Marion Brooks.
  Dr. Brooks opened his doors during a time when racial tensions were 
high in America and in the state of Texas. His clinic located on Evans 
Avenue in Fort Worth was the first and only option for residents of the 
black community during the 1960s. His goal was not financial gain, but 
to care for those who could not otherwise obtain medical treatment any 
other way. There were many times that Dr. Brooks performed medical care 
for free, knowing his patients did not have the means.
  In November 1971, Dr. Brooks went on to form the Sickle Cell Anemia 
Association of Texas. Sickle Cell Disease, an inherited blood disorder 
that affects red blood cells, is estimated to occur in 1 in 12 African 
Americans. This was a cause that was paramount to him, and as a 
testament to his determination, the organization is still going strong 
today.
  Not only was Dr. Brooks a leader in the field of medicine in the 
state of Texas, he was also a formidable leader in the civil rights 
movement. As a member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating 
Committee, or SNCC, he fought for the political and economic equality 
of African Americans. In 1963, while Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. marched 
on Washington and delivered his ``I Have a Dream Speech,'' Dr. Brooks 
was leading a march of his own on the Texas governor's mansion in 
Austin to fight for desegregation, freedom, and equality. In addition 
Dr. Brooks was a leader in the community, working to provide protection 
for people in the African-American community from police brutality.
  Although Dr. Brooks passed in 2003 at the age of 83, we continue to 
recognize his deeds to the community. As an acknowledgement to those 
accomplishments, the Lenora Rolla Heritage Center Museum has put on the 
display the many awards, plaques, and cherished mementos of Dr. Brooks. 
Mr. Speaker, once again I would like to honor a great doctor, a great 
leader, a great man, and a great American, Dr. Marion Brooks.

                          ____________________