[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 132 (Friday, August 2, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1028]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         REMEMBERING THE LIFE AND WORK OF RONALD CLIFFORD CLARK

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 2, 2019

  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of 
Representatives to join me in remembering the life and work of Ronald 
Clifford Clark. Clark, the co-founder and former executive director of 
Regional Addiction Prevention, now known as RAP, Inc., passed away on 
May 14, 2019. He will be remembered by District of Columbia residents 
for his contributions to the battle against drug addiction and for his 
love and appreciation of life.
  Clark moved to the District of Columbia in 1970, at a time when D.C. 
was facing an addiction epidemic. Originally on a path of becoming a 
musician, Clark's life took on new purpose after seeing firsthand the 
damages of drug addiction and a society ill-equipped to handle it. 
Clark took a novel approach to providing treatment for substance 
abusers and created a holistic program that was African-centered and 
drug free. RAP, Inc. was one of the first programs in the District to 
allow mothers to bring their children into the facility with them while 
they participated in treatment. It was also one of the first programs 
to provide services to individuals living with AIDS. Over the years, 
his strategy proved to be lifesaving and redeeming for many D.C. 
residents.
  Clark will also be remembered for his love of music, in particular 
jazz, which he carried into his work, making sure that music was ever-
present in his facilities. As the son of the musician Roy T. Clark, 
Clark learned how to play piano, saxophone and bass at a young age and 
later formed a Modern Jazz Society in his early 20s. He was devoted to 
jazz and for a period of time he had a show called Transitions that 
aired on Thursdays from midnight to 4am on WPFW-FM 89.3.
  His organization continues to serve those in need. His work touched 
and changed thousands of lives in D.C., bringing families back 
together, motivating individuals to choose different pathways for their 
lives and changing attitudes of the public about the value of treatment 
over of sending addicted people to prison.
  Madam Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in 
remembering Ronald Clifford Clark for his strength of character, his 
capacity for love, and his commitment to helping others and giving many 
District of Columbia residents a second chance at a better life.

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