[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 120 (Monday, July 25, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1170]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING DON JELINEK

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 25, 2016

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life of 
an outstanding member of the Bay Area community, Mr. Don Jelinek. With 
his passing on March 23, 2016, we honor his commitment and service to 
our community.
  Mr. Don Jelinek was born Feb. 17, 1934 in Bronx, New York, the proud 
son of two Jewish immigrants. His heritage, culture, education, and 
experience played key roles in the man he became.
  He attended the Bronx High School of Science and later New York 
University where he received both his Bachelor of Arts and Juris 
Doctorate. In 1955, he moved to a tenement in Greenwich Village where 
he worked as a janitor in exchange for rent. He was often seen 
returning the building's garbage cans before walking to his law 
classes. In the Village, Mr. Jelinek was exposed to the beauty of 
diversity. He met people from different races, classes, creeds, 
cultures, religions, and sexual orientations. Their stories, 
experiences, and life lessons fueled his passion for politics, reading, 
and theatre until the day he died.
  After receiving his J.D., Mr. Jelinek took a job as an attorney on 
Wall Street. In 1965, he traveled to Mississippi to work with the 
American Civil Liberties Union for a three-week stint. At the end of 
that visit, he decided to stay behind and work with the Student 
Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.
  Mr. Jelinek remained in the South for three years and focused on 
ending the overtly racist practices of the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture. In the process he shined a light on the shameful realities 
of rural malnutrition and starvation in America. Over the years he 
provided legal representation for individuals and organizations 
involved in civil rights including Martin Luther King, Jr., Stokely 
Carmichael, H. ``Rap'' Brown, black sharecroppers, SNCC, the Southern 
Christian Leadership Conference, and the NAACP. He later defended 61 
inmates who had been indicted for 1,400 felonies in connection with the 
Attica Prison uprising.
  Mr. Jelinek moved to Berkeley in 1969 and continued his civil rights 
efforts throughout the Bay Area. When a group of Native Americans 
seized Alcatraz in 1969 and lived there for 19 months, claiming the 
land under a 100-year-old treaty, Jelinek moved to the island to assist 
them. He later defended hundreds of flea market vendors, free of 
charge, after they were ousted from the Ashby BART parking lot. The 
vendors were later reinstated.
  Soon after his successful advocacy, Mr. Jelinek decided to run for 
Berkeley City Council where he proudly served from 1984 to 1990. After 
his tenure, he became a trusted advisor to the council.
  In addition to his legal and political career, Mr. Jelinek authored 
three books, ``Survivor of the Alamo,'' ``Attica Justice,'' and ``White 
Lawyer, Black Power.'' Both his life and legacy are testaments to what 
our country stands for and our continued fight for true and lasting 
equality.
  Mr. Jelinek is survived by his brother Roger, his wife Jane Scherr, 
his children Dove and Apollinaire, and his grandchildren Hanelle and 
Pascal.
  Today, California's 13th Congressional District salutes the legacy of 
Mr. Don Jelinek. His contributions have truly impacted countless lives. 
I join all of Mr. Don Jelinek's loved ones in celebrating his 
incredible life and offer my most sincere condolences.