[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 33 (Thursday, March 7, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E258]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF ELIZABETH ``LIZ'' JACKSON ON THE 
                 OCCASION OF HER NINETY-FIFTH BIRTHDAY

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                          HON. GARY C. PETERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 7, 2013

  Mr. PETERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. 
Elizabeth Jackson and her lifelong commitment to pursuit of social 
justice, as she and many in the Greater Detroit area celebrate her 
ninety-fifth birthday. Known to many in the community simply as Liz, 
she is a proud Detroit resident that has spent decades serving her 
friends and neighbors.
  Liz began her long career almost seventy years ago when she joined 
the Ford Motor Company at its River Rouge Aluminum Foundry. And like so 
many who share a passion for building a fairer and more just world, she 
became involved in her chapter of the United Auto Workers (UAW), Local 
600. From the beginning of her involvement in the UAW, Liz was 
steadfast in her commitment to her brothers and sisters in labor. Over 
the first twenty years of her career, her peers elected her to a number 
of positions on the local board. In recognition of her leadership and 
dedication, Liz was among the first women appointed to the 
International UAW in 1966, where she worked with many UAW locals of 
Ford Motor Company employees. At the International UAW, Liz was an 
active member of the team making important decisions the national 
negations of fair contracts for Ford workers.
  As was the case in her professional work, Liz mirrored those same 
principles and actions in her volunteer work. In her role as a 
community activist, Liz has utilized the oration, organizing and 
analytical thinking skills that she honed in her work with the UAW to 
serve and support many organizations that share her vision of a world 
where opportunity is equally accessible to all. Her civic activism 
includes a period as Vice President of the Michigan Black Caucus and 
she has been an active member of the Michigan Democratic Party and the 
Detroit Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of 
Colored People. In further service to her community, Liz was appointed 
to the Detroit Fire Commission.
  Even after retiring from Ford in 1983, Liz continues to remain active 
in the fight to build a better future for Detroit and the nation. Just 
last year, Liz attended the 2012 Democratic National Convention as part 
of the Michigan delegation and cast her vote for re-nominating 
President Barak Obama. She describes her time at DNC as a moment in her 
life that she will always remember. Whether it was an issue to her 
colleagues at Ford Motor and the UAW or a matter of importance to her 
neighbors and friends in Detroit and beyond, Liz has displayed an 
unwavering zeal for making the American ideal of having a fair shot at 
success available to all. This has earned the recognition and respect 
of her neighbors and community leaders that often turn to Liz for 
advice on issues facing Greater Detroit residents.
  Mr. Speaker, Liz Jackson's ninety-fifth birthday is yet another 
impressive milestone in the life of a women that has been a trailblazer 
for women in organized labor and public service. Her dedication to the 
Greater Detroit region and her brothers and sisters in organized labor 
have undoubtedly been an inspiration for many that have sought to serve 
their communities. Liz has made such a profound impact on the community 
she calls home and I wish her continued success in all of her future 
endeavors.

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