[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 104 (Thursday, June 4, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E512]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING THE LEGACY OF DR. CASSANDRA ``MELODY'' MONTGOMERY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RASHIDA TLAIB

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 4, 2020

  Ms. TLAIB. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the hard work and 
service of Dr. Cassandra Montgomery on behalf of the communities of 
Detroit.
  Over the years, Dr. Montgomery has taken on many roles, working in 
different capacities, but she has always remained steadfast in the 
pursuit of social justice. Dr. Montgomery first moved to Detroit from 
Alabama as a young child. She grew up in the beautiful city of Detroit 
in its golden age of growth. She experienced Motown's musical scene and 
enjoyed her youth spent in neighborhoods where goods and services could 
be found without even leaving the community. Dr. Montgomery also 
witnessed Detroit in the midst of the 1960s civil rights movement. She 
knew the pain of segregation through her childhood visits to Alabama, 
but she also bore witness to one of the most important speeches 
delivered by Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at a speech at Cobo 
Hall in 1963.
  These memories instilled in Dr. Montgomery that social justice is a 
need worth fighting for, something she carried through in her work. Dr. 
Montgomery built the foundation of her professional life in service to 
others, whether in social work, advocacy, or in counseling, she was a 
friend to the people of the City of Detroit. Those of us who knew her 
in her capacity at People's Community Services in Southwest Detroit 
know her particularly for her tenacity in preserving the culture of the 
neighborhood of Delray.
  I therefore ask you to join me in tribute to Dr. Cassandra 
Montgomery, a beautiful soul and fighter for justice.

                          ____________________