[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 172 (Thursday, November 3, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1102-E1103]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CELEBRATING THE 51ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER IN 
                             MONTGOMERY, AL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TERRI A. SEWELL

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 3, 2022

  Ms. SEWELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 51st 
Anniversary of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) in Montgomery, 
Alabama.
  Though the SPLC was founded after the passing of the Civil Rights Law 
of 1964 and the Voting Rights Law of 1965, the founders of the SPLC, 
two young civil rights lawyers from Montgomery recognized that despite 
the promises of these laws, life for African Americans in the South 
remained the same. They witnessed first-hand the devastating effects of 
racial injustice, and together, Joseph Levin Jr. and Morris Dees 
committed themselves to provide a voice for the disenfranchised.
  Watching our communities strategically excluded from a range of 
economic and educational opportunities, they took pro bona cases few 
others were willing to pursue, resulting in the desegregation of 
recreational facilities, the reapportionment of the Alabama 
Legislature, and reforms in the state prison system. It was from the 
work and vision of these two men that the Southern Poverty Law Center 
was born in 1971.
  Specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation, the SPLC 
has remained dedicated to working directly with communities to 
dismantle white supremacy, protect voting rights, eradicate poverty, 
and reform the criminal justice system. Through more than 30 landmark 
legal victories, the work of the SPLC has spurred systemic reforms in 
the Deep South and fought to protect our most sacred and fundamental 
rights.
  During its 1981 litigation efforts against the Ku Klux Klan, the SPLC 
discovered the lack of comprehensive information on American radical 
groups. Recognizing the vitalness of this resource in the fight to 
battle injustice, the SPLC created its Intelligence Project and 
Hatewatch program to monitor and expose such groups. Today, their 
Intelligence Project tracks more than 1,600 extremist groups in the 
United States and is an invaluable resource for training and educating 
the public.
  As a forward-facing organization, the SPLC has transformed over the 
years as a catalyst of change; while also ensuring that we never forget 
the sacrifice and bravery of those on whose shoulders we stand. Through 
the Civil Rights Memorial Center, the SPLC has memorialized the stories 
of the countless known and

[[Page E1103]]

unknown Foot Soldiers that fought bled, and died, holding our Nation 
accountable to its highest ideals of justice and equality. Through 
honoring the martyrs of the Civil Rights Movement, this center inspires 
and empowers all its visitors to continue the fight for racial equality 
and civil rights.
  Remaining true to its founding mission--ensure that the promise of 
the Civil Rights Movement became a reality for all, the SPLC has 
remained on the front lines in the fight for civil rights, standing up 
for the powerless, the exploited, and other victims of discrimination 
and hate. Their critical work has dismantled vestiges of Jim Crow, 
reformed juvenile justice practices, shattered barriers to equality for 
women, the LGBT community and the disabled, and protected low-wage 
immigrant workers from exploitation. Its accomplished history is 
evidence of an unwavering resolve to promote and protect our nation's 
most vulnerable by serving as a voice for the voiceless.
  On a personal note, for over 50 years, the SPLC has faithfully upheld 
its rich legacy as a stalwart defender of human rights by providing 
education, litigation, and public resources to all. As we have seen old 
battles become new again, your work at the SPLC is as critical today as 
it was over five decades ago, and I am thrilled that your headquarters 
is in my district. Congratulations on 51 years of success, and as we 
honor the living, breathing legacy of the Civil Rights Movement, I am 
proud to pay tribute to the work done by the Southern Poverty Law 
Center.
  On behalf of Alabama's 7th Congressional District, I ask my 
colleagues to join me in recognizing the 51st anniversary of the 
Southern Poverty Law Center and its unwavering dedication to ensuring 
our nation lives up to its most cherished ideals.

                          ____________________