[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 120 (Wednesday, July 17, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E934]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MS. SADIE ROBERTS-JOSEPH

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CEDRIC L. RICHMOND

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 17, 2019

  Mr. RICHMOND. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life and legacy of 
Ms. Sadie Roberts-Joseph, civil rights activist and founder of the 
Odell S. Williams Now & Then Museum of African-American History--now 
known as the Baton Rouge African-American History Museum in Baton 
Rouge, Louisiana. She passed away on July 12, 2019 at the age of 75.
  One of 12 children, Ms. Roberts-Joseph was born in 1944 in Woodville, 
Mississippi before her family relocated to Baton Rouge. She attended 
Baton Rouge Vocational-Technical School and Southern University, 
studying education and speech pathology. She later worked as a minority 
business officer for the City of Baton Rouge and as a certified 
respiratory therapy technician.
  Ms. Roberts-Joseph was a prominent civil rights activist in the Baton 
Rouge area. In 2001, she founded the Odell S. Williams Now and Then 
African-American Museum. She also founded the Community Against Drugs 
and Violence, a non-profit organization whose mission was to create a 
safe environment for the youth in north Baton Rouge. She also served as 
host for the Juneteenth Freedom Festival, which remembered the 
emancipation of slaves in the Confederate states and a Veterans Day 
celebration, which honored veterans of all racial backgrounds who 
fought in the Civil War.
  Ms. Roberts-Joseph was an individual of great compassion, 
intelligence, vision, and integrity. Known as a pillar of the 
community, her legacy will forever be a part of Baton Rouge and her 
dedication to service will forever embody the spirit of Louisiana. We 
cannot match the sacrifices made by Ms. Roberts-Joseph, but surely, we 
can try to match her sense of service. We cannot match her courage, but 
we can strive to match her devotion.
  Ms. Roberts-Joseph's survivors include two children; Jason Roberts 
and Angela Roberts Machen.
  Madam Speaker, I celebrate the life and legacy of Ms. Sadie Roberts-
Joseph.

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