[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 18 (Thursday, January 25, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E98]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MR. RALEIGH R. RAWLS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 25, 2018

  Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy 
of Mr. Raleigh R. Rawls. Raleigh was a gentleman and scholar, and dear 
friend of mine. He was a very strong family man, and a staple of our 
community for all of his professional life.
  After completing his first semester of his senior year at Dillard 
High School in Fort Lauderdale, Raleigh was drafted into the United 
States Navy where he was honorably discharged in 1946. After completing 
his service, he applied and was accepted into Howard University and 
graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English. After graduating 
from Howard University, Raleigh worked for the Veterans Administration 
for three years as an insurance processor for veterans.
  In 1953, Raleigh returned to his alma mater to attend law school, 
where he graduated in 1956. It was at Howard University Law School that 
Raleigh had the chance to engage with notables such as Dr. James Nabrit 
and Dr. George E.C. Hayes. Raleigh also witnessed history being made 
when he observed Attorney Thurgood Marshall practice arguing the case 
of Brown v. the Board of Education.
  While many of his classmates remained in Washington, D.C. upon 
graduating, Raleigh made a conscious decision to return to the 
segregated south, so that he could influence young Black students. 
After passing the bar exam in 1957, Raleigh became the first lawyer to 
graduate from Dillard High School and the second Black lawyer to 
practice in Broward County.
  Raleigh served the South Florida community in many capacities that 
included: a founding member of the TJ Reddick Bar Association, a 
founding member of the Broward County Urban League, a founding member 
of the Sistrunk Festival, a board member of the Boys and Girls Club of 
Broward County, a member of the Robert Bethel Post 220 of the American 
Legion, a member of the Community Service Council, a board member of 
the LA Lee Branch YMCA, a board member of the Old Dillard Museum, and a 
member of Dillard High School's Taskforce for Quality Education. 
Raleigh was also a lifetime member of the National Bar Association, the 
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and 
the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., which he joined while attending 
Howard University.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Raleigh R. Rawls will be remembered by the many 
people he touched in his 92 years of life. Fond memories of him will 
forever remain with his wife of over 50 years, Annie Ruth Robinson, and 
his four children: Regina, Rene, Renard (married to Michelle), and 
Rodney (married to Demetria), as well as his six grandchildren: 
Cameron, Reagan, Samara, Morgan, Nathan, and Keon. He was truly a 
blessing to the Fort Lauderdale community. I am so pleased to honor his 
life and legacy. He will be dearly missed.

                          ____________________