[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 110 (Friday, June 23, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E613]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING A CIVIL RIGHTS AND GRASSROOTS ICON, REVEREND MARIE GALATAS 
      ORTIZ, A PROMINIMENT MATRIARCH IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TROY A. CARTER

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 23, 2023

  Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
Reverend Marie Galatas Ortiz, Louisiana's Matriarch in the Civil Rights 
Movement locally and across the country. Marie Galatas Ortiz, born in 
New Orleans in 1939, became increasingly involved in the Civil Rights 
Movement after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. When Ortiz 
reflected on how she felt following the passing of Dr. King, she said 
``I just said I'm going to get so active, I'm going to help keep his 
work going on . . . They can't stop us!?
  Ortiz furthered her commitment to the Civil Rights Movement by 
founding the nonprofit organization Grass Roots Organization for Women 
(GROW) in 1975. The organization started in New Orleans, located at 
1610 Basin Street, and participated in many demonstrations, marches, 
and boycotts. Ortiz wanted an organization that encouraged women to 
serve in their communities and further the movement through peaceful 
protests, rallies, and street marches. GROW challenged the traditional 
patriarchal social systems that prevented women from participating in 
leadership roles. Reverend Ortiz took on the challenge of fighting for 
anti-crime, including rape treatment and prevention, when no one was 
advocating for these victims and speaking out against these atrocities.
  Ortiz was a force in the later years of the Civil Rights Movement. In 
1976, she led demonstrations for the family of Stanley Magee who 
suspiciously passed away while in custody. The protest and subsequent 
march over Stanley Magee's death began at the 22nd Judicial Courthouse 
and included many African American residents of St. Tammany and 
Washington Parishes. It was one of the largest demonstrations ever held 
in Covington. Ortiz explained that some of the more difficult and 
passionate Civil Rights cases, especially those involving racially 
motivated deaths and violence, were passed on to her organization from 
the NAACP. ``It was GROW that did the work,'' Ortiz said. Ortiz remains 
politically active today.
  Her most recent work was taking down monuments dedicated to 
Confederate leaders in New Orleans. In December 2015, the City Council 
of New Orleans voted 6 to 1 to take down three Confederate statues: 
those of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, Gen. Robert E. Lee, and 
Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard. In January 2016, a federal judge dismissed an 
attempt by preservation groups and a chapter of the Sons of Confederate 
Veterans to stop their removal. Reverend Ortiz remained committed, 
fighting to the end, assuring every statue was removed!
  Reverend Marie Galatas Ortiz is also the president and pastor of New 
Creation Christian Church, founded over 35 years ago, where she 
continues her spiritual mission of working closely with women and 
underserved communities. She is also the president of Broadway 
Rehabilitation and Economic Development & Jobs Skills Academy, Inc., an 
organization assisting formerly incarcerated people and marginalized 
groups to develop training to join the workforce.
  I am so blessed to have this opportunity to acknowledge a true 
Matriarch of Civil Rights. My prayer is that she continues her fight 
assuring a successful and bright future for all men and women. God 
Bless Reverend Marie Galatas Ortiz on her continued path blessing our 
great community.

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