[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 116 (Tuesday, July 11, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H5421]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE MEMORY OF MRS. MARTHA RIVERA CHAVIS

  (Mr. PAYNE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mrs. Martha Rivera 
Chavis, who passed away on July 6, 2017, at her home in Montclair, New 
Jersey.
  After receiving her degree in French civilization at the Sorbonne 
University in Paris, France, Mrs. Rivera Chavis served as the French-
to-Portuguese translator for Angola's Ambassador to the United Nations. 
It was there she met Reverend Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., a civil 
rights leader and president of the National Newspaper Publishers 
Association.
  After marrying in 1988, Mrs. Rivera Chavis and her husband cared for 
nine Angolans, including six children with missing limbs, at their home 
in Montclair. Mrs. Rivera Chavis carried that empathy and compassion 
with her throughout life, including during her tenure as the head of 
the Women in NAACP committee, where she fought for justice, equality, 
and freedom for minority communities.
  Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Rivera Chavis will be greatly missed by all who 
knew her. I send my thoughts and prayers to her husband, Benjamin, and 
her children and loved ones.

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