[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 10 (Thursday, January 12, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E25-E26]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF THE HONORABLE MEL HANNAH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RUBEN GALLEGO

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 12, 2023

  Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of the 
Honorable Mel Hannah, who passed away this week. Mel was a lifelong 
Arizonan, civic leader, and friend and mentor to many. He will be 
greatly missed.
  Mel was born and raised in the small town of Winslow, Arizona. After 
high school, he earned a scholarship to play football at what would 
become Northern Arizona University. While traveling through the South 
for football games, Mel experienced the realities of segregation--being 
denied a room at the hotel where his white teammates were staying.
  Mel's experience with segregation, as well as President Lyndon 
Johnson's War on Poverty campaign, inspired him to get involved in 
politics and activism. He went on to become the first African American 
member of the Flagstaff City Council and to serve on the Coconino 
County Board of Supervisors. He later moved to Phoenix where he worked 
in the administration of Governor Fife Symington and was Director of 
Community Outreach and Job Development at the Greater Phoenix Urban 
League. More recently, he served as Chair of the Arizona Secretary of 
State's Advisory Council and was a charter member of the Arizona 
Commission of African American Affairs.
  Mel's life and career embodied his commitment to civic engagement 
which he defined

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as, ``what we do to make lives better.'' For him, that meant serving 
and empowering low-income, rural, and minority communities. I trust 
that current and future generations will continue to be inspired by Mr. 
Hannah's life to get involved in the betterment of their communities.
  I offer my deepest condolences to Mel's family and friends.

                          ____________________