[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 93 (Monday, June 13, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E896]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING MRS. ORA B. PHIPPS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 13, 2016

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mrs. 
Ora B. Phipps.
  Ora B. Peoples was born on October 21, 1928 to the late Rev. 
Claiborne and Elizabeth Peoples in Coahoma, MS. She was educated in her 
early years by the Coahoma County School system in a one room, one 
teacher, all black school. She attended Aggie High School and a college 
by Coahoma College. She grew up in a farming family. Often their school 
schedule was set around the farmers. Many students would drop out of 
school because work was more important than education. This stuck with 
her and later became very instrumental in shaping her and her family's 
life. She has 10 children (seven girls and 3 boys) which are the joy of 
her life.
  In 1951 she moved to Marks, MS where she later married Armstead 
Phipps. They were both concerned about education. Their children were 
some of the first to integrate Marks Jr. High School better known then 
as the white school or bulldog. Their children suffered the abuse and 
ridicule that came with the movement but as parents they were committed 
to see this process through.
  Armstead Phipps, husband, participated in the James Meredith March 
against Fear in 1966 in which he collapsed and died in the process of 
fighting for Civil Rights. He suffered a heart condition in which he 
was warned not to participate but he thought the cause was too 
important not to. He felt that his children would benefit from the 
integration of the school system. He said he would like to shake hands 
with Dr. Martin Luther King and Dick Gregory then everything would be 
alright. He asked his wife, Ora Phipps, to promise him that if anything 
happened that she would send their children to the white school. She 
kept that promise. At the time of his death a voter registration card 
was found in his wallet, which was one of his proudest achievements. 
His funeral was eulogized by the late Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. at 
the Valley Queen Church in Marks, MS. That voter registration card was 
shown to the congregation at the funeral by Dr. King.
  Ora B. Phipps was very instrumental in starting the first head start 
program in Marks, MS in the home of Mr. Brady on Martin Luther King 
Drive. They had no school buses to get the children to school. She and 
many other people solicited drivers, teachers, social workers, cooks, 
and everything necessary to start the program all by volunteers. The 
program then advanced to local churches in surrounding areas, finally 
the proposal to start and fund the program was submitted to the school 
board in Hotel Heidelberg at Jackson, MS. She was a visionary and a 
self-starter.
  Her hobbies consist of gardening where she spends countless hours in 
the yard. This is a community garden in her yard where she gives to 
anyone that asks. She is known by everyone in the community for her 
giving nature and love for the people. She still is an active member of 
the Church of Christ in Lambert, MS.
  Ora Phipps was honored in Birmingham, Alabama with the Southern Rural 
Black Women Initiative for Economic and Social Justice Award on March 
6, 2010 for her brave efforts in fighting for social and economic 
justice.
  Mr. Speaker, please help us to congratulate Mrs. Ora B. Phipps for 
her part in history.

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