[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 126 (Wednesday, July 23, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H3558-H3559]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING THE LIFE OF KAREN LEWIS

  (Mrs. Ramirez of Illinois was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy 
of Karen Lewis, a tenacious organizer, a teacher, and truth-teller.
  Long before she became known to many as the president of the Chicago 
Teachers Union, or CTU, Karen dedicated 20 years to serving Chicago 
students as a chemistry teacher including at Lane Tech College Prep 
High School in Illinois' Third.
  As president of CTU, Karen built an intersectional solidarity 
movement rooted in love, in justice, and in the radical belief that 
working-class Black and Brown children deserve fully funded public 
schools.
  In 2012, she courageously led her union in a successful and historic 
7-day strike for a fair contract that captured the Nation's attention 
and brought new life into Chicago's labor movement.
  Today, we invoke Karen, both her wisdom and her vision, to guide us 
as we stand opposed to all the forces of austerity, division, fear, and 
hate.
  May her memory continue to fuel our fight, and may she rest in peace 
and power.


                   Honoring the Life of Marion Stamps

  Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and the legacy of 
Marion Stamps, a Chicago civil rights icon and tenant organizer.
  Marion moved to Chicago in 1963 at a time when public housing 
residents were denied the full measure of dignity that they deserved. 
Marion was an organizer. She cofounded the Chicago Housing Tenants 
Organization, and she took on the Chicago Housing Authority, demanding 
respect, safety, and a seat at the table for tenants in Cabrini-Green 
and beyond.
  Marion built people power from the ground up, participating in the 
first and only successful national rent strike against HUD, exposing 
the corruption and holding Chicago city leadership accountable.
  Today, we invoke Marion, both her blueprint and her audacity to 
challenge those in power, to guide us as we challenge an administration 
that would deprive us of affordable housing and deepen housing 
inequality.
  May Marion's courage and her spirit, which lives in her daughters, 
Karla, Tracy, Guana, Justice, and Commissioner Tara Stamps, guide us to 
organize tenants, challenge systems, and never ask permission to make 
our voice heard.


                  Honoring the Life of John Pennycuff

  Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and legacy of 
LGBTQ+ activist John Pennycuff, a proud gay

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man, a fearless organizer, and a tireless advocate for dignity and 
justice.
  John understood that queer liberation wasn't just about marriage or 
visibility. It was about housing, healthcare, and survival. Alongside 
his partner, Robert Castillo, John advocated to have gender identity 
added to the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance and Chicago Fair Housing 
Ordinance, increasing fair housing protections for LGBTQ+ people in 
Chicago.
  Today, his memory lives on in the John Pennycuff Memorial Apartments, 
an affordable housing community in Illinois' Third Congressional 
District that proudly honors the vision of inclusive, just 
neighborhoods.
  Today, in a moment where LGBTQ+ rights are under attack, we invoke 
John and his uncompromising vision of holistic justice. We thank John, 
and may his memory call us to act with compassion, with clarity, and 
without apology.


            Honoring the Life of Reverend Dr. Calvin Morris

  Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to rise to honor the life 
and legacy of the one and the only Reverend Dr. Calvin Morris, a civil 
rights giant, a scholar, and a spiritual leader whose work helped shape 
the conscience of this Nation.
  In 1987, at the request of Reverend Jesse Jackson, Dr. Morris became 
the national coordinator of the Southern Christian Leadership 
Conference's Operation Breadbasket, today known as Rainbow PUSH 
Coalition.
  He served through the assassinations of Dr. King and Fred Hampton, 
guiding the movement with courage, with conviction, and with faith.
  Dr. Morris also served for nearly two decades as the executive 
director of the faith-based social justice organization Community 
Renewal Society, where I am grateful that our paths got to cross.
  Today, in a moment when the civil rights gained tanks to our elders 
are under attack, we invoke Dr. Morris and his moral clarity, his 
prophetic witness, his fire for justice, and his habit for breaking out 
into song.
  In a time such as this, may his memory inspire the moral courage we 
need to walk boldly in his footsteps. May Dr. Morris rest in power, and 
may we continue to be inspired by who he is and continue to be for so 
many of us.

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