[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 175 (Monday, November 14, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1138]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF ROBERT L. GRAYSON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 14, 2022

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
tenacious and self-motivated leader, Robert L. Grayson. Robert has been 
a champion of service and dedication to the great state of Mississippi 
and his community.
  Robert L. Grayson, of Tutwiler, born on May 10, 1941, is remembered 
as a trailblazer. He graduated from West District High School in 
Tallahatchie County. He enlisted in the U.S. Army, served in Vietnam 
and 8 years in the Army Reserve. He was a U.S. Army veteran of the 
Vietnam War and a recipient of the Bronze, Silver Star, and the Purple 
Heart.
  A three-decade employee with the Mississippi Department of 
Corrections at Parchman, MS, Mr. Grayson successfully entered the 
political arena in 1989 when he defeated the incumbent Ward 1 alderman 
in Tutwiler. He was reelected to that position in 1993. After 7 years 
as alderman, during which time he was elected vice mayor by his peers, 
in 1996 Mr. Grayson resigned to compete in a June special election for 
mayor. He received 53 percent of the vote in a three-man field to earn 
an historic first-ballot victory. As the first African American chief 
executive of Tutwiler, Mr. Grayson completed the remaining year of the 
former mayor's term, was reelected, and went on to serve 3 full terms, 
ending in 2009.
  Mr. Grayson dedicated his life to public service, serving in multiple 
positions--vice chairman of the Tallahatchie Housing Board, Council 
Board of Alderman of Tutwiler, Aaron E. Henry Health Center Board, and 
the National Conference of Black Mayors. Mr. Grayson was a founding 
member of the Emmett Till Memorial Commission (ETMC) of Tallahatchie 
County and one of the first co-chairs of that organization. In October 
2007, he and fellow ETMC co-chair Betty Pearson read the ``Resolution 
of Regret'' to family members of Emmett Till during the dedication of a 
historical marker on the grounds of the Tallahatchie County Courthouse 
in Sumner.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life, 
legacy, and service of Robert L. Grayson for his passion and dedication 
to serving the Mississippi Delta and his desire to make a difference in 
the community, state and Nation.

                          ____________________