[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 68 (Tuesday, April 26, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E411]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING LOUISE CALLOWAY

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. ANDY KIM

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 26, 2022

  Mr. KIM of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Louise 
Calloway, Founder and Curator of the Underground Railroad Museum in 
Burlington County, and a beloved member of our community.
  Ms. Calloway has committed her life to serving others. Prior to 
founding the Underground Railroad Museum, she dedicated 50 years to a 
career in social work and taught college courses in Africa. At a young 
age, preserving Black history became a passion that's grown into much 
more. A history buff at 9 years old, she would make scrapbooks using 
article clippings of African Americans who contributed to our local 
community.
  Despite her first museum closing in 2013, Ms. Calloway worked with 
local groups to reopen the Underground Railroad Museum in Smithville, 
New Jersey as part of the Burlington County Parks System. The museum 
offers its visitors a visual experience of the Underground Railroad, 
highlighting the role free African Americans and Quakers played at 16 
different locations across Burlington County in helping escaped slaves 
travel to freedom. She hopes that visitors will leave the museum with a 
greater understanding of mankind, our capacity to be both cruel and 
kind, and that while we may have different skin colors, we all belong 
to one human race.
  I am proud of the role New Jersey and Burlington County have played 
in preserving and uplifting Black History. By focusing on the stories 
of individuals like William Allinson, who operated Wheatley's Pharmacy 
in Burlington City, New Jersey as a station on the Underground 
Railroad, future generations will be able to have a connection to the 
past. Ms. Calloway's remarkable contributions to our community 
personify Burlington County's slogan, ``The Cradle of Emancipation''.
  In addition to sharing history, Ms. Calloway volunteers at numerous 
community charities and organizations, including the Bethlehem African 
Methodist Episcopal church of Burlington. In 2011, she was recognized 
by the New Jersey Conference of the NAACP for her lifetime work as an 
educator with the Distinguished Educators Award.
  I am grateful to Ms. Calloway for her contributions to our community, 
and I know I speak on behalf of my constituents when I say her 
dedication and service are appreciated.

                          ____________________