[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 126 (Monday, July 19, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E776]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE LIFE & SERVICE OF GEORGE EDWARD HAIRSTON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 19, 2021

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
acknowledge the life and service of Mr. George Edward Hairston.
  George E. Hairston was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on 
February 11, 1942. He passed away on March 8, 2021, at the age of 
seventy-nine. He was buried with military honors next to his beloved 
brother Richard Hairston. After graduating high school, George 
graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, and went on to attend 
Columbia University in New York City, NY receiving his master's degree 
in Social Work.
  George served in the United States military during the Vietnam War 
where he was assigned to a medical unit in Korea helping those who were 
wounded in combat. After his honorable discharge, George attended, and 
graduated, from New York University School of Law. While attending law 
school, he worked as a legal intern at the NAACP Legal Defense and 
Educational fund. Afterwards, Mr. Hairston was employed by the NAACP as 
an Assistant General Counsel.
  After leaving the NAACP, he entered private practice as a independent 
practitioner in New York City where he maintained a distinguished 
national civil rights litigation and criminal defense practice.
  After living out and accomplishing his goal to be a renowned attorney 
fighting racial injustice, Mr. Hairston went home to Chattanooga where 
be lived out the rest of his life until his demise. Due to his salient 
role and efforts in addressing racial injustice, Mr. Hairston addressed 
the 97th Congress at hearings held by the Subcommittee on the Judiciary 
of the United States House of Representative. His expertise helped 
Congress address racially motivated violence and systemic racism.
  Mr. Hairston labored decades to make our nation more inclusive and 
fought for those in need of justice.
  Madam Speaker, I would like to acknowledge Mr. George E. Hairston for 
his honorable lifetime endeavors

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