[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 63 (Monday, April 11, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E376-E377]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE OF FORMER STATE SENATOR GLORIA TANNER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DIANA DeGETTE

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 11, 2022

  Ms. DeGETTE. Madam Speaker, I rise today along with my colleagues, 
Congressman Ed Perlmutter, Congressman Joe Neguse, and Congressman 
Jason Crow, to recognize the life and achievements of former Colorado 
State Senator Gloria Tanner, who passed away on Monday, April 4, 2022, 
at the age of 86. Gloria was a courageous leader who dedicated her life 
to improving the lives of other Coloradans. She was also a friend and 
mentor to so many in the Denver community, including all of us.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  April 11, 2022, on page E376, in the third column, the following 
appeared: TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE OF FORMER STATE SENATOR GLORIA 
TANNER ------- HON. DIANE DeGETTE OF COLORADO IN THE HOUSE OF 
REPRESENTATIVES Monday, April 11, 2022 MS. DeGETTE. Madam Speaker, 
I rise today along with my colleagues, Congressman ED PERLMUTTER, 
Congressman JOE NEGUSE,
  
  The online version has been corrected to read: TRIBUTE TO THE 
LIFE OF FORMER STATE SENATOR GLORIA TANNER ------- HON. DIANE 
DeGETTE OF COLORADO IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Monday, April 
11, 2022 Ms. DeGETTE. Madam Speaker, I rise today along with my 
colleagues, Congressman ED PERLMUTTER, Congressman JOE NEGUSE,


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 


  Before Gloria's trailblazing record of service began in Colorado, her 
life's journey started in Atlanta, Georgia, where she was born on July 
16, 1934. Decades later, the chance to earn a living while attending 
school brought her to Colorado. In 1972, Gloria became a reporter at 
the Denver Weekly News, which at the time was a prominent African 
American newspaper. While working as a reporter, Gloria determinedly 
pursued her education goals--first at Denver's Metropolitan State 
College where she graduated magna cum laude with a degree in political 
science, and then later at the University of Colorado where she earned 
her master's degree in Urban Affairs.
  Gloria's celebrated career included many historic firsts, including 
serving as the state's first African American woman elected to the 
State Senate and the second African American woman elected to a 
leadership position in the State House of Representatives.
  In 1976, after graduation, Gloria worked for Colorado's then 
Lieutenant Governor George Brown, a historic figure in his own right, 
and later for Colorado State Senator George Groff in 1978. In 1985, 
Gloria was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives, where she 
quickly rose through the ranks of leadership, eventually serving as the 
Democratic caucus's minority leader. Then in 1994, when Senator Groff 
retired, Gloria was appointed to replace him in the State Senate and 
spent her remaining years representing her beloved District 33.
  What made Gloria so special was her relentless drive to serve and 
uplift the voices of those who our society often has difficulty 
hearing. Throughout her 17 years in the legislature, Gloria fought 
tirelessly for civil rights, successfully passing several landmark 
pieces of legislation aimed at improving the lives of women, families, 
workers, and minority communities in Colorado. And that drive was, in 
part, what made her an effective advocate in the community outside of 
the state capitol. Not only did she found the Colorado Black Women for 
Political Action, an organization that still thrives today, but she 
also co-founded the Colorado Black Roundtable, the National 
Organization of Black Elected Legislators--Women (or NOBEL-Women), as 
well as the Gloria Tanner Leadership and Training Institute for Future 
Black Women Leaders of Colorado.

[[Page E377]]

  Throughout her career, Gloria acted as a friend and mentor to many, 
including me. When I was elected to the State House in 1992, she was a 
source of legislative wisdom and personal support to me and my family. 
Even after her retirement from the Senate, she never hesitated to reach 
out, particularly to young women, with encouragement and wise counsel.
  Even when she received well-deserved honors and awards, such as being 
inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame, Gloria always accepted 
the recognition with grace and the constant urging that we all need to 
keep pushing to do more. And so, as both Coloradans and elected 
officials, the four of us recommit ourselves to the noble fight for 
justice led by Gloria and by so many other courageous leaders who have 
gone before her.
  Our hearts go out to Gloria Tanner's friends and family. We are so 
proud to call Gloria our friend and mentor, and we will miss her 
dearly. Though her loss will be deeply felt in Denver and across the 
state for many years to come, the legacy she has left will forever 
raise the standard for future generations of leaders.

                          ____________________