[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 16, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E255]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 IN HONOR OF MRS. CORDELIA LEWIS-BURKS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANDRE CARSON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 16, 2021

  Mr. CARSON. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor my mentor and 
friend, Mrs. Cordelia Lewis-Burks, a remarkable Hoosier who has 
dedicated her life to the service of others. Throughout her career, Ms. 
Cordelia has fought tirelessly for inclusion, equality, and justice 
through the election of qualified diverse individuals.
  Ms. Cordelia discovered a love of politics from an early age, 
inspired by her father who was a pastor in West Virginia. Recognizing 
the importance of policy as a means to help her community, she engaged 
in political efforts as a young woman after moving to Chicago by 
volunteering for a local Congressional campaign.
  In 1959, Ms. Cordelia moved to Indiana where she worked as a licensed 
practical nurse for two decades before accepting an internship with the 
A. Philip Randolph Institute. She next embarked on a career with the 
senior constituency group of the American Federation of Labor and 
Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). Ms. Cordelia continued 
her work with unions for many years. In 1989, she served as chief 
lobbyist for the Indiana branch of the American Federation of State, 
County and Municipal Employees Union (AFSCME), and then as the Director 
of Politics and Legislation until 2005.
  Ms. Cordelia served as a precinct committeewoman in the 7th 
Congressional District of Indiana for forty years, promoting the 
importance of voting. She has worked on local and national campaigns, 
including Bill Clinton's 1996 presidential campaign and Barack Obama's 
2004 Illinois senate campaign. On March 20, 2021 she will end her 15 
year tenure as the Vice-Chair for the Indiana Democratic Party.
  Ms. Cordelia has been honored as one of the City of Indianapolis's 
100 most influential Black citizens and has received Indiana's highest 
honor, the Sagamore of the Wabash Award. She is also a recipient of the 
Rosa Parks award, Rosa Parks Trail Blazer Award, as well as the 
Sojourner Truth Award.
  Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the outstanding 
achievements and remarkable life of an Indiana treasure, Mrs. Cordelia 
Lewis-Burks and extend our best wishes for her future endeavors.

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