[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 35 (Friday, February 25, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E171-E172]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE RETIREMENT OF BISHOP CALVIN W. WOODS, SR. AS-PRESIDENT OF 
 THE BIRMINGHAM CHAPTER OF THE SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TERRI A. SEWELL

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 25, 2022

  Ms. SEWELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the leadership 
of Bishop Calvin W. Woods, Sr., the president of the Southern Christian 
Leadership Conference (SCLC) Birmingham Chapter, who is retiring after 
15 wonderful years of service to the Birmingham community.
  Bishop Woods obtained his Bachelor of Arts from Miles College before 
continuing his education at Birmingham Baptist College. He went on to 
complete multiple degrees at the Universal Bible Institute, Union 
Baptist Seminary, and the School of Truth. Diversifying his education, 
Bishop Woods is also a graduate of the Urban Training Center for 
Christian Missions and obtained a certificate for police communications 
from Samford University.
  In 1956, Bishop Woods joined his brother Reverend Abraham L. Woods, 
Jr., and Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth to co-found the Alabama 
Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR). Through this, Bishop Wood 
began the journey of what would become six decades of courageous 
leadership throughout the Civil Rights Movement. Working closely with 
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Bishop Woods was an audacious leader 
during the Civil Rights Movement. Supporting the work of Reverend Fred 
L. Shuttlesworth, Bishop Woods challenged segregation directly, 
participating in numerous demonstrations, including

[[Page E172]]

the Birmingham Campaign and the March on Washington for Jobs and 
Freedom in 1963. Though his participation in the movement resulted in 
him being beaten, arrested, and fired from his job, he continued to 
fight for justice and equality for all, planning strategies for public 
protests following `the shooting of five African Americans who had been 
protesting at a supermarket during the 1960s and filing a lawsuit on 
behalf of the youth suspended from school during the demonstration to 
ensure that they could be re-instated.
  As a result of his tenacity and dedication, Bishop Woods was 
appointed by Dr. King as the SCLC City Convener for the Birmingham 
Ministers Leadership Conference. In this position, Bishop Woods was 
responsible for educating ministers concerning Black history, 
picketing, housing, direct non-violent protesting, voter registration, 
and negotiations to ensure that they were fully equipped to continue 
leading their congregations throughout the movement.
  Apart from his work as a Civil Rights leader, Bishop Woods has 
continued to play a vital role in the Birmingham community through his 
various community affiliations and as the pastor of Shiloh Baptist 
Church in Birmingham, Alabama, where he has led the congregation for 
the past 34 years. Bishop Woods has served in multiple capacities 
including, board member of the Birmingham Board of Education at Parker 
High School in Discipline and Administration; evening supervisor for 
the Park High Community School; counselor, group worker, and center 
director for the Jefferson County Committee for Economic Opportunity; 
and board member of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. His 
additional community affiliations include former president of the New 
Era Baptist State Convention of Alabama; former ViceChair of the Board 
of Trustees of the Birmingham Easonian Baptist Bible College; and 
former National Chaplain of the SCLC. Today, at the age of 80, he 
continues to champion the cause for human rights serving currently as 
Vice President of the National Southern Christian Leadership Conference 
and as a member of the National Board of Directors of the Southern 
Christian Leadership Conference. On a personal note, the contributions 
that Bishop Woods made to ensure the equal rights of all Americans 
during the Civil Rights Movement are truly exemplary. To call him an 
icon of the movement is an understatement. His unwavering commitment to 
improving the lives of Black Alabamians has earned him a unique place 
in history. It was because of his courage, sacrifice, and conviction 
that so many of us now have the leadership positions we do today. We 
owe Bishop Woods a debt that we cannot repay. I hope the knowledge that 
his legacy of extraordinary service will live on and the many people he 
has impacted will be and a source of great pride during his retirement. 
Thank you for being such a powerful agent for change. On behalf of 
Alabama's 7th Congressional District, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
recognizing the extraordinary leadership and service of Bishop Calvin 
W. Woods, Sr., and his contributions to not only the community of 
Birmingham as President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference 
Birmingham Chapter but to the world as a Civil Rights leader.

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