[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 134 (Tuesday, August 8, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E764-E765]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING REV. DR. TOMMIE JACKSON, FROM JANUARY 18, 1954 TO JULY 26, 
                                  2023

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES A. HIMES

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 8, 2023

  Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the life of a 
tremendously impactful leader and my good friend, Stamford's own 
Reverend Tommie Jackson. Dr. Jackson was born in Baltimore, Maryland, 
the third of 6 children. Dr. Jackson was raised in Baltimore City and 
was a product of the Baltimore Public School System. He graduated from 
Baltimore City College High School and attended the prestigious 
Morehouse University in Georgia. He later attended the University of 
Maryland, Baltimore County, where he met his wife, and life partner, 
Dorye Michelle Emory.
  Dr. Jackson and Dorye were married in 1977 and shortly after moved to 
Houston, Texas where he attended Texas Southern University in pursuit 
of his Juris Doctor. The Jacksons would later return to Baltimore, 
Maryland where he completed law school at the University of Maryland 
Law School.
  Dr. Jackson was enormously proud of his daughters, Erin Marie and 
Evinn Leigh. He answered his first call to Pastorship in 1990, at 
Calvary Baptist Church in Chester, Pennsylvania. While there, Dr. 
Jackson, Dorye and his daughters touched the lives of the community. 
Dr. Jackson's dedication to God's work then brought him and his family 
to Stamford, Connecticut in 1997, where he answered his second calling 
to Pastorship at Faith Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church.
  For 20 years, Dr. Jackson served as the Pastor of Faith Tabernacle. 
During his tenure at Faith, he spearheaded the expansion of his church. 
He served the Stamford community with a weekly food bank and held back-
to-school drives to equip children and families with supplies. Dr. 
Jackson was a proponent of education and took the time to mentor and 
prepare students in the congregation and in the community for academic 
excellence. Upon completing his doctorate degree at New York 
Theological Seminary, he went on to become

[[Page E765]]

part of the faculty, leading, guiding and mentoring aspiring faith 
leaders. Dr. Jackson served as a spiritual advisor and mentor for the 
congregation and for the community.
  In 2018, Dr. Jackson founded the Rehoboth Followship Church. He was 
diligent in fostering this ministry and created a welcoming place of 
worship for all. He loved his Rehoboth family and was always thinking 
of ways to expand the ministry.
  I was honored to join Dr. Jackson in his tireless work to bring 
together faith leaders, register and empower voters, combat the scourge 
of gun violence in our communities, remedy the historic wrongs of our 
criminal justice system, and inspire the next generation to seize 
opportunities to get an education and improve the world they will soon 
enter.
  Whenever they needed something good for the community done, they 
didn't have to seek out Dr. Jackson. He was already there, and he 
welcomed them with open arms. Dr. Jackson was a tremendous advocate for 
his community, at the local and state level, and I was proud to call 
him my friend.
  This world has lost a great leader. I dedicate today to mourning and 
remembrance as well as furthering Dr. Jackson's legacy of service and 
sacrifice and uplifting those who follow in his path. May we all be 
even half as successful as Dr. Jackson was at leaving the world a 
better place than we found it.

                          ____________________