[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 160 (Thursday, September 27, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H9093-H9094]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THE LIFE OF SALLIE BALDWIN HOWARD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and work 
of Mrs. Sallie Baldwin Howard, a great North Carolinian, a nationally 
recognized academic, and a dear family friend.
  At 102 years old, Mrs. Howard transitioned to her heavenly home on 
Tuesday, September 25, 2018. Our community in Wilson, North Carolina, 
has lost a giant and a friend.
  Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Sallie Baldwin Howard was born on March 23, 1916, 
right in the midst of World War I, in Wilson, North Carolina, to 
Narcissus and Marcellus Sims. Even though I did not know Mr. Sims, I 
certainly knew Ms. Narcissus Sims Townsend, who lived directly across 
the street from me as a child.
  Though she was raised in the Jim Crow South as the daughter of 
sharecroppers, Mrs. Howard graduated as valedictorian from Wilson 
Colored High School, later renamed Charles H. Darden High School, in 
1938, the same school that I graduated from in 1965.
  She attended Kittrell Junior College in Kittrell, North Carolina, 
before earning both a bachelor's and a master's degree in education 
from Hunter College in New York City. She also did extensive study at 
the New School of Social Research, as well as Columbia University.
  Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Howard taught for nearly 30 years as a first-grade 
teacher in New York City. While there, she worked in the New York City 
American Negro Theater, which helped launch the careers of the likes of 
Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, and Esther 
Rolle.
  There, she honed her acting and directing and writing talents, 
finding her voice through her art. Mrs. Howard's off-Broadway play, 
``The Passing of a Dinosaur,'' is still performed today in local 
schools.
  Upon her retirement, Mrs. Howard returned to her beloved Wilson, 
North Carolina, where she became an active member of St. John African 
Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, which is a church that just celebrated 
its 150th anniversary this past weekend, and I had an opportunity to 
speak for that program. She led the Christian education department and 
the church honor roll to encourage academic excellence among the youth 
in her community.
  Along with many other projects, Mrs. Howard founded the youth 
enrichment program with my good friend, Dr. JoAnne Woodard, in 1989, 
focusing the program on lasting scholarship, a commitment to the 
cultural heritage of African Americans, and promoting the arts.
  Mrs. Howard's tireless work to enrich her community inspired Dr. 
JoAnne Woodard to create the Sallie B. Howard School for the Arts and 
Education in Wilson, naming the school in Mrs. Howard's honor.
  Established in 1997, the Sallie B. Howard School for the Arts and 
Education is one of the first public charter schools in the State of 
North Carolina, and the only charter school to open in Wilson County 
after legislation passed in 1997 to approve charter schools in our 
State. The school, along with the youth enrichment program, has been an 
invaluable asset to our community.
  Mr. Speaker, the school's mission is to provide every child, 
privileged or underprivileged, the kind of education that nutures 
students' gifts, talents, and potential to become more than they ever 
thought they could be. At Sallie B. Howard School, they prepare 
students for careers in the performing arts, science, and humanities. 
They are a school to behold.
  Established as an academic and as a writer, Mr. Speaker, and as a 
playwright, avid traveler, and educator, Mrs. Howard used her vast 
array of talents and expertise to leave a lasting impact on thousands 
in our communities.
  Two years ago, we had the awesome opportunity to celebrate Mrs. 
Sallie B. Howard's 100th birthday, and this picture that I have with me 
today depicts that moment as I escorted her into the auditorium of the 
school. We will have very fond memories of that day when she reached 
100 years old.

[[Page H9094]]

  Finally, beyond her academic contributions, what is more illuminating 
of Mrs. Howard's character was the way she connected with her students 
and her friends. She took a personal interest in the scholarship and 
mentorship of the youth that went far beyond success in the classroom.
  This is, indeed, a solemn occasion, but it is also an occasion to 
celebrate. At 102 years old, Mrs. Sallie B. Howard fought the good 
fight, served her community, and was a friend and mentor to many.
  I am thankful to God that she was able to touch so many lives. May 
she rest in peace. She now belongs to the ages.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the 
extraordinary life, work, and legacy of Sallie Baldwin Howard.

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