[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 147 (Wednesday, October 7, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H6847]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING HARVEY B. GANTT

  (Ms. ADAMS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Harvey B. Gantt. 
Mr. Gantt has dedicated his life to being an advocate and fearless 
voice for the voiceless. When he was a teenager during the civil rights 
movement, he participated in sit-ins.
  Even in the face of adversity, Mr. Gantt persevered. In 1961, he sued 
to enter then racially segregated Clemson University. He won, and he 
went on to become Clemson University's first African American student 
graduating with honors.
  In later years, he took on leadership roles, serving for 9 years on 
the Charlotte City Council. In 1983, Harvey Gantt made history as the 
first African American mayor of Charlotte, serving two terms. During 
his terms, he focused on preserving and sustaining Charlotte's 
neighborhoods and the City Center.
  Throughout his life, he has used his background as an architect to 
evoke positive change in urban communities.
  In the coming days, Mr. Gantt will be honored with the North Carolina 
Humanities Council's highest award, the John Tyler Caldwell award, for 
his outstanding lifelong achievements.
  Mr. Gantt never ran away from challenges. He always put his community 
and its people first. For that, I thank him. I congratulate him on 
receiving this award.

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