[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 55 (Friday, April 4, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E519]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF MR. ALBERT L. NELLUM

                                  _____
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 4, 2014

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize Mr. Albert L. 
Nellum. Al transitioned peacefully on March 1, 2014. His impact on this 
city and our country may not be as well known, but it is indelible. Al 
was a pioneer consultant, businessman, and activist in his own way.
  Al was born in the heart of the Deep South: Greenville, Mississippi 
and later grew up in Chicago, Illinois as well. He, like a number of 
us, arrived to a Washington that now barely resembles its former self. 
And yet, he set out to change it for the better. Opportunities were 
scarce for African Americans, and Al paved the way for the presence of 
future black consultants in the District. During the height of the 
Civil Rights Movement in 1964, he established A.L. Nellum and 
Associates Inc., the oldest black-owned management consultant firm in 
the United States.
  He also supported and worked with us in forming what would become the 
Congressional Black Caucus. We relied on Al's expertise and advice over 
the years, and welcomed his input at various stages. He helped to 
organize the first CBC Foundation dinner as well as the scholarship 
program, which he and fellow business leaders spearheaded. Al also 
worked with Rep. Parren Mitchell on the first CBCF Braintrust on Black 
Business.
  Al's activism was not limited to the U.S., but his impact can be felt 
internationally. His efforts against anti-black racism in Japan are a 
testament to his commitment to making the world a better place. He 
organized a full page ad to oppose Japanese racism and advocated for 
the fair depiction of blacks. He even traveled to Japan and met with 
its leaders at his own expense, to protest these offensive products and 
derisive images. Al's ties to Japan stretched back to the 1950s when he 
was a serviceman in the U.S. Army there.
  I salute Al Nellum, and extend my deepest condolences to his family 
and loved ones. May the memories of him sustain all of us at this time.

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