[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 59 (Thursday, April 12, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E451]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  TRIBUTE TO ISA-KAE MEKSIN--28TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT WOMAN OF THE 
                                  YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 12, 2018

  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History 
Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and 
sacrifices made by our nation's women. It is an honor to pay homage to 
outstanding women who are making a difference in my congressional 
district. I would like to recognize a remarkable woman, Isa-Kae Meksin 
of Echo Park, a unique neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
   Isa-Kae's family immigrated to New York from the Ukraine where her 
father was a concert pianist and her mother was a homemaker. Growing 
up, Isa-Kae's mother taught her to question authority and to think on 
her feet, guiding her towards her passion for local politics and 
historic preservation.
   While in New York, Ms. Meksin received a Bachelor's Degree from 
Hunter College and soon after worked as a secretary for C.L.R. James, 
the visionary Afro-Trinidadian historian and journalist. It was during 
this time that she observed how workers, women, African-Americans and 
youth, were agents of change, and it was this work that led her to Los 
Angeles to connect with and observe the activities of the local factory 
workers.
   Isa-Kae moved to California in 1953 where she attended California 
State University, Los Angeles and worked towards her teaching 
credential. As a teacher in the 1950's, she dedicated her time to 
working with students with disabilities, specifically the visually 
impaired, and she maintains life-long relationships with some of these 
past students. Ms. Meksin continued this incredible work for many years 
until she found a new passion: activism.
   In 1978, Isa-Kae worked on opposing the discriminatory Briggs 
Initiative which would have banned gays and lesbians, and anyone who 
supported Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) rights, from working 
in California public schools. As someone who fought for and supported 
the rights of LGBT individuals, Isa-Kae testified to the horrific 
outcomes of such a potentially divisive initiative and how the 
legislation perpetuated grossly inaccurate portrayals of homosexuals, 
and through her dedicated efforts and those of others, the Briggs 
Initiative was defeated.
   Isa-Kae continues her activist work by volunteering with various 
organizations like the Watts Gang Task Force, the American Civil 
Liberties Union, the Central City Action Committee, the Citizens 
Committee to Save Elysian Park, the Studio for Southern California 
History and many others. Among her many accomplishments, Ms. Meksin 
works with California State University, Los Angeles to create 
opportunities for homeless youth to attend college and in 2017, she was 
awarded the Distinguished Educator Award from the university for her 
efforts.
   I ask all Members to join me in honoring this exceptional, well-
respected woman of California's 28th Congressional District, Isa-Kae 
Meksin.

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