[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 139 (Tuesday, August 27, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1076]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  TRIBUTE TO THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED 
                         PEOPLE PASADENA BRANCH

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 27, 2019

  Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the National 
Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Pasadena 
Branch upon its centennial anniversary.
  Established on September 8, 1919, the NAACP Pasadena Branch was 
founded when a small group of citizens gathered at the request of John 
Wright, founder, NAACP Pasadena Branch, to address the needs of 
Pasadena's minority population. As the recipient of the national 
NAACP's 16th charter, the Pasadena Branch emerged during the NAACP's 
initial period of membership growth and meteoric rise to national 
prominence. The Pasadena Branch's founding mission was to serve as the 
voice of all people who were denied the basic dignities rightfully due 
to human beings, especially African American residents in Pasadena.
  Over the past century, the national NAACP has proven itself as the 
country's premier civil rights organization, fulfilling its mission of 
ensuring the educational, political, social, and economic equality of 
minority groups in the United States and eliminating prejudice based on 
race. Among its many national achievements, the NAACP played crucial 
roles in the establishment of the Fair Employment Practices Committee 
in 1941, the integration of the U.S. Armed Forces, the passage of the 
Civil Rights Acts of 1957, 1964, and 1968, and the Voting Rights Act of 
1965.
  Locally, the NAACP Pasadena Branch followed the national 
organization's course of action by petitioning for school and municipal 
employment, home ownership, and access to public swimming pools for 
African Americans. Under the leadership of Ruby McKnight Williams in 
the 1970's, the Pasadena Branch also supported two national precedent-
setting school integration cases in the Supreme Court, paving the way 
for a more just and inclusive education system in our public schools.
  Today, the Pasadena Branch continues its commitment to racial justice 
and equality through community engagement, partnering with local 
organizations to find solutions for issues such as affordable housing, 
a livable minimum wage and law enforcement matters. To inspire and 
prepare the next generation of leaders, activists, and engaged 
citizens, the Pasadena Branch organizes the Afro-Academic, Cultural, 
Technological, and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) to encourage and 
stimulate academic and cultural achievement among high school students. 
In addition, the branch awards the Maurice Morse Scholarship to high 
achieving African American students in the Pasadena area pursuing 
higher education.
  I am honored to recognize the NAACP Pasadena Branch for 100 years of 
outstanding service to the community and its commitment to eliminating 
racial barriers. I ask all Members to join me in congratulating the 
Pasadena Branch for its remarkable achievements.

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