[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 158 (Thursday, September 29, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S5536]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING MYLAN HAWKINS

 Ms. CORTEZ MASTO. Mr. President, today I recognize Mylan Barin 
Hawkins, who passed away on August 26, 2022. Mylan devoted her life to 
serving others and made invaluable contributions to the State of 
Nevada. She was a dedicated political and social activist who fought to 
advance women's rights and advocated for healthcare for women and 
children.
  Mylan was born in Chicago, IL, and attended the University of 
Chicago. Mylan was involved in Chicago Ward Boss politics before moving 
to Florida, where she founded Project Survival after giving birth to a 
premature son. Project Survival helped build a neonatal center at the 
University of Miami Jackson Memorial Hospital. Mylan was driven by her 
passion to work on women's and children's healthcare. She served on 
nonprofits and advocacy campaigns wherever she went. She helped raise 
funds for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and for the Sloan 
Kettering Memorial Hospital in New York.
  In 1976, Mylan settled in Reno, NV, and immediately set to work to 
advance women's rights in the State. Mylan joined the National 
Organization for Women in their mission to ratify the Equal Rights 
Amendment. Along the way, Mylan helped pass ground-breaking legislation 
and ballot initiatives in the State. Mylan also cofounded the Nevada 
and California Diabetes Association, an organization focused on 
providing local services including camps, teen, family and adult 
support programs, and emergency medical information and referral 
services.
  In the late 1980s, Mylan and her colleagues realized the dangers 
ahead for reproductive freedom. They worked tirelessly to draft a State 
ballot referendum protecting Nevada women's reproductive rights, which 
passed in 1990. Mylan continued to advocate for women's rights and was 
in her late 70s when she launched the 2016 Women's March in Reno, 
gathering thousands of supporters. Mylan also helped found Northern 
Nevada Marches Forward, an inclusive volunteer led nonprofit with a 
mission to support, spotlight, and uplift the voices and power of 
diverse people and communities to create transformative social change.
  Mylan's tenacity and courage are a testament to the grit and spirit 
of Nevada women, and her legacy lives on in the countless women and 
activists she has inspired and mentored across the State. Her service 
and dedication to her country, community, and her family will not be 
forgotten.

                          ____________________