[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 40 (Monday, March 7, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E223]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





          HONORING THE LIFE & ACHIEVEMENTS OF REV. H.D. DARBY

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. BRADLEY SCOTT SCHNEIDER

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 7, 2022

  Mr. SCHNEIDER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the selfless 
leadership and advocacy of Waukegan resident Reverend Henderson 
``H.D.'' Darby, who was instrumental in securing the right to vote for 
Black people in the Jim Crow South.
  Rev. Darby first tried to cast his vote in Jefferson Davis County, 
Mississippi in the early 1950s. As NAACP records show, before he could 
register he was required to pass an oral examination where he was asked 
obscure questions about the Mississippi and Federal constitutions. 
Although Rev. Darby answered these unfair questions to the best of his 
ability, but was simply told, ``You did not qualify.''
  Rev. Darby did not give up. Instead, he sued the county circuit 
clerk, James Daniel, for access to the ballot box in the 1958 case, 
Darby v. Daniel. His case was among the first federal court attempts to 
secure voting rights for Black voters. During the suit he was called 
``extremely radical. if not dangerous'' and ``bitter for trying to 
exercise his constitutional right. With help from lawyers from the 
NAACP's Legal Defense Fund--including future Supreme Court Justice 
Thurgood Marshall--Rev. Darby prevailed with his case.
  Rev. Darby's landmark win granted all African Americans the right to 
vote without obstruction, such as having to take an oral examination. 
His lawsuit is estimated to have helped secure voting rights for 
approximately 1,300 African American voters in Jefferson Davis County, 
according to Jet Magazine. Thanks to the fearlessness of civil rights 
leaders like Rev. Darby, millions of African Americans have the right 
to vote today.
  At a time when voting rights are once again under attack across the 
country, we are all served well by learning the stories and honoring 
the sacrifices of civil rights figures like Rev. Darby. The legacy of 
these great American heroes, such as Rep. John Lewis, Fannie Lou Hamer, 
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and so many others must be protected with 
unwavering commitment to protecting the right to vote.
  Rev. Darby's pioneering activism made him a leader before his time. I 
am honored that he came to call Waukegan, Illinois his adopted home 
later in life. He lived in our community until he passed away in 1993.
  Today, his legacy lives on through his loved ones, including his 
grandson, Christopher ``Brotha'' Blanks, who is known in Waukegan for 
his moving poetry, social activism and advocacy, and the work he does 
through his nonprofit, Black Abolition Movement for the Mind.
  It is my privilege to recognize Rev. Henderson ``H.D.'' Darby for his 
fearlessness, strength and patriotism. I know that his legacy will 
continue to live on through his family, friends and all those who learn 
and are inspired by his shining example.

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