[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 174 (Wednesday, December 2, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1697]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





   TRIBUTE TO THE PASSING OF NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ACTIVIST RON SCOTT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 2, 2015

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of the nation's 
most dedicated civil rights activists, Ron Scott, who sadly passed away 
Sunday, November 29, 2015.
  During his many invaluable years of public service, Ron Scott was the 
consummate advocate for social and economic justice, inspiring others 
through his tremendous work ethic and undying spirit for activism. In 
particular, he has been in the vanguard of the movement to hold law 
enforcement accountable for acts of police misconduct.
  For twenty years, he was a leading and outspoken critic of the use of 
force by Detroit police officers. An original founder of the Detroit 
chapter of the Black Panthers, he created the Detroit Coalition Against 
Police Brutality in 1996. In 2003, as a leader of the Coalition, he 
advocated for the city of Detroit to enter into a consent decree with 
the Department of Justice to reform the Detroit Police Department 
following years of police misconduct. In 2014, when Detroit's Board of 
Police Commissioners, the civilian led police oversight board, lost its 
powers due the city's pending bankruptcy, he used his credibility as a 
longtime voice against police misconduct to argue for the commission's 
restoration. In September, the Detroit City Council voted to restore 
the commission's powers, which will return in December.
  Ron Scott fought for civil and human rights and dreamed of a time 
when people would be judged and treated with dignity and respect. His 
counsel to me was truly invaluable and he has been such a frequent 
panelist at Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conferences 
that it is difficult to imagine these efforts without his presence.
  Those personally close to him will miss him deeply, but I believe 
that his legacy of determined, reasoned and consistent advocacy on 
behalf of those who are voiceless will continue to be remembered and 
inspire our work to bring justice and peace to the world.

                          ____________________