[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 124 (Tuesday, July 30, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E787-E788]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING THE LIFE AND MEMORY OF CHARLES OLVERA LONA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 30, 2024

  Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to announce 
the passing of Charles ``Charlie'' Olvera Lona on June 26, 2024. 
Charlie was a beacon of justice, advocacy, and hope in Kansas City's 
Westside community and beyond. I urge us all to celebrate and remember 
the life of this incredible activist, community leader, friend, 
brother, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.
  Born in Kansas City on October 14, 1946, to Wesley H. and Luz O. 
Lona, Charlie became an active community member of Kansas City's 
Westside neighborhood--a historic Mexican-American community--at birth. 
A graduate of Westport High School and Metropolitan Community College, 
Charlie took over his family business and transformed it into a 
Westside, and Midwest, staple.
  Through dedication, effort, and business acuity, Charlie transformed 
his father's automotive repair shop into one specializing in building 
custom lowriders. His business, Lona & Sons Hydraulics, brought this 
unique aspect of Chicano culture to Kansas City. As Charlie allowed 
lowrider culture to make its mark on Kansas City, his skill and work 
brought attention from all over the United States.
  Charlie's contribution to Kansas City's Chicano community did not 
stop at his business. He spent his life uplifting and empowering the 
residents of the Westside through his relentless advocacy and 
commitment to being a voice for the unheard. Worried that his fellow 
residents were being excluded from city affairs and left with 
disproportionately low resources, Charlie became a proud supporter of 
the Chicano Movement in the 1960s. He courageously marched, organized, 
and protested for

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equal rights and better conditions for the Westside neighborhood and 
beyond. Charlie also founded the Kansas City chapter of the Brown 
Berets, a Chicano activist group inspired by the Black Panthers. 
Collaborating with other famous Chicano leaders like Rodolfo ``Corky'' 
Gonzales and Cesar Chavez, Charlie inspired Kansas Citians to join El 
Movimiento.
  In addition to bringing nationwide movements to Kansas City, Charlie 
placed great value on local activism. His political influence helped 
elect many Chicano leaders to local government, allowing Westside 
residents to take part in the city affairs from which they long felt 
excluded. He also is responsible for the founding of the Aztlan Center 
for Chicano cultural education and empowerment, and for immensely 
expanding the impact of the Guadalupe Centers, a local social service 
agency for Latin Americans in the United States, that is now the 
longest continuously standing agency of its kind. Even as he neared the 
end of his life, Charlie never wavered in his fight for justice and 
equity.
  Though Charlie has passed, his legacy and impact on Kansas City will 
remain long past our mortal lifetimes. I am reminded of Mark 10:45--
``For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and 
to give his life as a ransom for many.'' Charlie's life was one 
dedicated to serving others in need, bettering the lives of countless 
people throughout. Charlie is survived by his loving family, friends, 
and the current and future generations of the Westside. As we celebrate 
and fondly appreciate the decades of devoted service from Charlie, let 
us be inspired by him to advocate for justice and uplift our community.

                          ____________________