[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 176 (Thursday, December 12, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1846-E1847]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 TRIBUTE TO JAMES ``SHACK'' HARRIS, A BARRIER-BREAKING PIONEER IN THE 
                        NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CEDRIC L. RICHMOND

                              of lousiana

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 12, 2013

  Mr. RICHMOND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today along with my fellow 
colleagues Rep. Jim Clyburn (SC-06), Rep. Karen Bass (CA-37), Rep. 
Corrine Brown (FL-05), Rep. John Conyers (MI-13), Rep. Elijah Cummings 
(MD-07), Rep. Chris Collins (NY-27), Rep. Susan Davis (CA-53), Rep. 
Brian Higgins (NY-26), Rep. John Lewis (GA-05), Rep. Vance McAllister 
(LA-05), Rep. Gary Peters (MI-14), and Rep. Jon Runyan (NJ-03) to pay 
tribute to James ``Shack'' Harris, in this year marking the fiftieth 
anniversary of the March on Washington. Like such pioneers as Paul 
Robeson, Joe Louis, and Jackie Robinson, James Harris applied his 
brilliant talent and steadfast determination as an athlete to advance 
the cause of racial equality in America.
  James Harris was born and raised in Monroe, Louisiana, during some of 
the harshest years of segregation when a policy of ``massive 
resistance'' against court rulings and federal laws denied equal rights 
for Black citizens. Racial inequality pervaded football fields as much 
as buses, hotels and lunch counters in the South.
  But the Reverend Nashall Harris, James' father, gave his son an 
appropriate nickname: ``Shack,'' after the Old Testament's Meshach, one 
of the three ancient Jews who refused the

[[Page E1847]]

orders of a Babylonian tyrant to bow down and worship his golden idol. 
Like his namesake, James Harris would not submit to an unjust system.
  From his early teens, he aspired to play quarterback in the National 
Football League--a position that no African American had ever been 
allowed to play for more than a handful of snaps. In setting this goal, 
Harris challenged bigotry, stereotypes and the status quo. At the time, 
it was taken as fact in both college and pro football that Black 
athletes did not possess the necessary intelligence, leadership, and 
character to play quarterback. Shack shattered the vile myth.
  Inspired by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s ``I Have A Dream'' 
speech, Harris persisted in pursuing his own dream. After a record-
setting career at Carroll High School in Monroe, he went to Grambling 
State University and was coached by the legendary Eddie Robinson. Coach 
Robinson shared James Harris's goal of breaking the color barrier at 
quarterback in the NFL. And Robinson had recruited him for that very 
reason.
  James Harris had an illustrious career at Grambling. He led the 
Tigers to three conference titles, set numerous passing records, was 
selected MVP of the 1967 Orange Blossom Classic, and was chosen the 
nation's outstanding player in 1968 by the Washington Pigskin Club. 
Despite these achievements, he was not invited to any post-season all-
star games and he was not selected in the NFL draft until the eighth 
round.
  James Harris did not give up. He would not be forced into changing 
positions to receiver or defensive back, as had so many promising 
African Americans before him. He was determined to play quarterback. 
Every night during training camp as a rookie, he called Eddie Robinson 
for advice and moral support.
  He ultimately won the starting job, and opened the 1969 NFL season as 
the Buffalo Bills' starting quarterback. It was the first of many 
``firsts'' in his career. During three pivotal years with the Los 
Angeles Rams in the mid-1970s, James Harris led the team twice to the 
NFC title game, led the conference twice in passing efficiency, was 
chosen MVP of the Pro Bowl, and was voted captain by his teammates.
  From 1969 through 1977, Harris was virtually the only African 
American quarterback to be a starter. He endured hate mail and death 
threats. He also bore the hopes of an entire people. As Eddie Robinson 
had once told him: ``You have to make it. Otherwise, people will say 
you sent us your best and he wasn't good enough.''
  By being much more than good enough, James Harris opened the door of 
opportunity for African American quarterbacks to follow, from Doug 
Williams and Warren Moon to Russell Wilson and Robert Griffin III.
  But Harris' legacy did not end when he walked off the playing field. 
He went on to become a prominent NFL executive for the New York Jets, 
Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, and currently the Detroit 
Lions. As such, Harris has helped to pave the way for other African 
American coaches and general managers whose success demonstrates the 
power and promise of diversity and inclusion.
  So it is an honor to recognize and applaud the accomplishments of 
James Harris. Dr. King once called himself a ``drum major for 
freedom.'' We might call James Harris, the barrier-breaking 
quarterback, a field general for racial equality.

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