[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 64 (Wednesday, May 8, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E619]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       MIKE AND CORKY HALE STOLLER CIVIL RIGHTS MEMORIAL THEATER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 8, 2013

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, on April 27th, in Montgomery, Alabama, 
leaders of the civil rights movement and the Southern Poverty Law 
Center came together to dedicate the Mike Stoller and Corky Hale 
Stoller Civil Rights Memorial Theater.
  It is appropriate that the theater is named for Mike and Corky 
because of their ongoing commitment to the civil rights movement. The 
Stollers are two of kind--in music, in activism, in their generosity of 
spirit.
  Since the day Corky came to Mike's studio to record demos as a 
musician, they have been partners in every sense of the word: fighting 
together for liberty and justice for all, for the basic dignity of 
every human being.
  Mike and Corky's values run deep. They are tireless in their work. 
They are idealistic and compassionate, dedicated and determined. They 
know what they believe and recognize what's needed to follow through 
and get the job done. Thanks to their boundless energy, their beautiful 
relationship with one another, and their friendship with so many 
others, they have made a difference in advancing the cause of civil 
rights.
  At the opening of the theater dedicated in their names, we heard 
Chairman Emeritus of the NAACP Julian Bond's extraordinary presentation 
of how African Americans influenced and shaped musical history from 
around World War II to the days of Elvis Presley and beyond.
  Through the story of music, he told the story of the civil rights 
movement--how music popular among Americans emerged from the 
compositions well-known among African Americans; how the attraction of 
American teenagers in the 1950s to traditionally African-American 
styles helped advance the movement and break down barriers among races.
  What a fitting tribute to Mike and Corky Stoller, whose music made 
them famous and whose compassion made them special. When Mike joined 
Jerry Leiber to write ``Hound Dog,'' ``Jailhouse Rock,'' and countless 
other hits, he was helping sow the seeds of an effort that would 
connect communities through music, that would transform American 
culture, and that would grow with Mike and Corky's leadership for the 
cause of justice.
  Now, Mike and Corky's names will remain inscribed on the Civil Rights 
Memorial Theater in Montgomery. Their legacy will be intertwined with 
the names of the men, women, and children remembered at the memorial, 
who gave their lives in the cause of freedom. Their theater will stand 
tall alongside the Wall of Tolerance and the wheel of water that 
reminds us of the biblical charge to ``let justice roll down like 
waters, righteousness like a mighty stream.''
  At this theater and across the country, may all Americans associate 
the names of Mike Stoller and Corky Hale Stoller with their 
contributions to music and their leadership for civil rights.

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