[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 94 (Friday, June 2, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E748]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MS. DYAN HAMILTON FRENCH COLE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CEDRIC L. RICHMOND

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, June 2, 2017

  Mr. RICHMOND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Ms. Dyan 
Hamilton French Cole, a New Orleans native and well known community and 
civil rights activist. Ms. Cole, affectionately known as ``Mama D,'' 
passed away on May 20, 2017, at the age of 72.
  Ms. Cole was a lifelong New Orleanian, and graduated from Joseph S. 
Clark High School. She was a relentless community activist, who would 
frequently attend city council meetings or other places where elected 
leaders were gathered to advocate for quality housing, recreation, and 
justice. Nearly every day, she headed to Orleans Parish Criminal 
District Court to advocate for young black men who were appearing in 
court that day.
  Ms. Cole is best known for her support of the Stalling Gentilly 
Playground and serving as the first female President of the New Orleans 
Chapter of the NAACP in January 1975.
  After Hurricane Katrina, when Ms. Cole refused to evacuate, she 
organized crews she called the ``Soul Patrol,'' to go through her 
native 7th Ward and other neighborhoods, saving people, feeding them 
and finding them clothes, assistance and other relief. Ms. Cole housed 
numerous people at her home on North Dorgenois Street that some people 
referred to it as Recovery Camp Dorgenois.
  On December 6, 2005, Ms. Cole was one of the representatives from New 
Orleans invited to testify before the House Select Committee on 
Hurricane Katrina. Ms. Cole spoke passionately of the disgraceful lack 
of assistance in the aftermath of the storm and the racial 
discrimination that flowed in the city.
  Ms. Cole loved the city and the people of New Orleans. Her legacy 
will forever be a part of the city and her dedication to community 
embodies the spirit of New Orleans. Ms. Cole's survivors include a son, 
Byron Cole; a sister, Audrey Jackson; six grandchildren; and two great 
grandchildren.
  Mr. Speaker, I celebrate the life and legacy of Ms. Dyan Hamilton 
French Cole, a beloved mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, 
and example to aspiring community activists everywhere.

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