[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 10 (Thursday, January 16, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E85-E86]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRATULATING FRED L. DAVIS ON RECEIVING THE 2014 BE THE DREAM MLK 
                              LEGACY AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 16, 2014

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Fred L. Davis on 
receiving the 2014 Be the Dream MLK Legacy Award. This special award is 
given to those individuals whose lives have ``embodied the spirit and 
legacy of service, sacrifice and hope'' that characterized the work of 
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As a businessman, public servant and a 
leader in the Civil Rights Movement, it is fitting that this award be 
bestowed upon Fred Davis in recognition of his accomplishments and 
contributions.
   Fred Davis was born in Memphis, Tennessee on May 8, 1934, and 
graduated from Manassas High School in 1953 before graduating with a 
B.S. from Tennessee State University in 1957. Mr. Davis entered the 
Army after college and served two years in France. Soon after returning 
from the Army, he opened the Fred L. Davis Insurance Agency in 1967, 
becoming one of the first African-American insurance agencies in the 
South. He was the first African-American policy writing agent in six 
neighboring states and the first African-American member of the 
Independent Insurance Agents of America. In 1968, his insurance agency 
was appointed to represent the Hartford Group and has maintained the 
contract ever since.
   In that same year, Fred Davis was one of three African-Americans 
elected to serve on the newly formed Memphis City Council. He was 
selected Chairman of the Public Works Committee and fought for 
sanitation workers during the Sanitation Strike of 1968. The strike, 
which brought Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Memphis, afforded Davis the 
opportunity to march with and stand alongside Dr. King as he delivered 
his ``I've Been to the Mountaintop'' speech at Mason Temple Church of 
God In Christ in Memphis.
   In 1972, Davis became the first African-American to chair the 
Memphis City Council and was judged by black and white Memphians alike 
as fair and honest in his dealings. Davis also served as president of 
the Liberty Bowl, a beacon of pride for Memphis sports, making him one 
of the few African-Americans to head a major bowl in the U.S. He holds 
certifications in many areas of the insurance industry, including 
licenses in property and causality coverage, the Life Underwriting 
Training Council (LUTC) Certificate and a securities registered series 
seven with the National Association of Security Dealers (NASD). Mr. 
Davis is also a founding director and past president of the Mid-South 
Minority Business Council and a Certified Minority Vendor. In addition, 
he is an active member of Beulah Baptist Church, serving as a senior 
deacon and trustee.
   Fred Davis has always supported me in my State Senatorial and U.S. 
Congressional races, and I am honored to know him as a successful 
businessman, a leader in the community for over half a century and a 
friend. A civil rights activist and defender of democracy for all, he 
has shown his dedication to the people of Memphis no matter their race. 
There is no doubt that his work is worthy of this award named after 
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my 
colleagues to join me in congratulating Fred L. Davis on being awarded 
the 2014 Be the Dream MLK Legacy Award.

[[Page E86]]



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