[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 76 (Wednesday, April 22, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E379-E380]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IN LOVING MEMORY OF JACK BRYANT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES A. HIMES

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 22, 2020

  Mr. HIMES. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember one life of far 
too many we have lost to the sickness spread across our nation,

[[Page E380]]

that of an impactful leader and my good friend, Stamford's own Jack 
Bryant. Jack's quiet dignity and ebullient approachability belied the 
immense work he accomplished throughout his life, whether most recently 
as a member on the Board of Education, his long service in the Stamford 
NAACP, including as its president, as a deacon at Faith Tabernacle 
Missionary Baptist Church and involved community volunteer, and as a 
beloved father and family member. Whenever you needed something good 
for the community done, you didn't have to go to Jack. He was already 
there, and he welcomed your help with open arms.
  Education and opportunity animated Jack. When he ran for Board of 
Education, he spoke movingly of his own education at Stamford's 
Westhill High, and watching his children achieve their own success. He 
dedicated his time and energy to removing the barriers too often found 
preventing educational attainment, particularly in communities of 
color. He did this civically, frequently coming to the Board of 
Education and Stamford's city government to testify and participate, 
and he did it through example in the community, leading local high 
school student visits to Historically Black Colleges and Universities 
for decades. Jack made sure these trips built more than resumes; they 
built character. Jack demonstrated how these young men and women could 
grow with the opportunities present today and build even stronger 
communities in the future by investing their talents in the following 
generation.
  Nowhere was this more evident than his own family. One of those HBCU 
trips resulted in one daughter attending college at Howard University, 
then medical school. Today she is on the front lines of saving others 
from the devastating consequences of this pandemic. In her grief, his 
other daughter celebrates his life and encourages all in the community 
to follow in his footsteps. His son coaches at Stamford High, serving 
as the same kind of community role model that his father always did. 
And countless others are sharing their memories of ``Uncle Jack,'' and 
how we can all model our lives in his legacy.
  I worked most closely with Jack during his decade-long presidency of 
the Stamford NAACP, looking to achieve justice for those who too often 
lack it and making sure the least of ours in the community get what 
they need in a tough world. We've worked together to register and 
empower voters; to combat the scourge of gun violence that claims too 
many urban victims; to remedy the historic injustices of our criminal 
justice system; and of course to help the next generation seize 
opportunities to get a world-beating education and better understand 
and improve the world they will soon enter.
  Whenever we talked, I came away hopeful. Whenever we worked, I saw 
the grateful faces of those he served. Whenever we prayed, I knew 
Jack's earnest and sincere pleas flew up to the heavens above.
  This world has lost a great leader, and that leader left a great 
legacy. I dedicate today to mourning and remembrance, yes, but more so 
to furthering his legacy of service and sacrifice, uplifting those who 
follow in his path and commending the others so inspired to do so now. 
To help feed the hungry, as the number of those who hunger grows; to 
provide a better future to the next generation, as the future grows 
more perilous; and to always keep fighting for justice and equality for 
all. May we all be even half as successful at Jack Bryant was at 
leaving the world a better place than we found it and loving our 
neighbor even more than ourselves.

                          ____________________