[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 3, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E173]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF AVEL GORDLY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MAXINE DEXTER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 3, 2026

  Ms. DEXTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of 
a dedicated public servant and a beloved leader in Oregon.
  I rise to honor the life and legacy of a trailblazer, a mentor, and a 
fierce champion for justice in Oregon, State Senator Avel Gordly.
  A lifelong Portlander, Senator Gordly made history as the first Black 
woman elected to the Oregon Senate. For seventeen years in the Oregon 
Legislature, she served with compassion, intention, and an unshakable 
commitment to her community.
  Raised in Northeast Portland, she felt the pull toward justice early 
in life. At just sixteen years old, she attended a civil rights march 
protesting the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, 
Alabama. She often spoke of that moment as formative--a turning point 
that deepened her lifelong commitment to social justice and collective 
liberation.
  Appointed to the Oregon House of Representatives in 1991, she served 
three terms before her election to the State Senate in 1996, where she 
served until 2009. Throughout her tenure, she advanced police 
accountability, strengthened mental health services, championed 
environmental justice, and fought for equitable education. She did not 
simply speak about change, she delivered it for Oregonians across our 
state.
  Education was central to her life's work. She established 
multicultural curriculum requirements in Oregon schools, served as 
faculty in Black Studies at Portland State University, and coordinated 
the Black United Front's Saturday School. She understood education as a 
pathway to dignity, influence, and opportunity.
  Senator Gordly's deep love and commitment to our community grounded 
her work. She saw people, and for Oregon's African American community, 
that led to a level of mentorship, inspiration and empowerment that was 
deeply impactful. Her legacy lives on, and Oregon is stronger because 
of her and her service.
  May we honor Senator Gordly not only with our words, but with action. 
May we pursue our goals with determination, speak with authenticity, 
and seize every opportunity to serve our neighbors with selflessness 
and courage.
  Her legacy calls us forward.

                          ____________________