[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 82 (Thursday, May 14, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S2315]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING RUBY DUNCAN

  Ms. CORTEZ MASTO. Mr. President, I also rise today to honor the life 
of Ruby Duncan, who was a powerhouse in anti-poverty, welfare, and 
justice advocacy in Nevada for several decades. Ruby, sadly, passed 
away on April 6, 2026.
  After her own experiences as a single mother of seven, Ruby dedicated 
her life to uplifting women, children, and families; and she 
transformed Las Vegas' welfare system for generations to come.
  After spending her formative years in Louisiana, Ruby moved to Las 
Vegas in 1952, where she worked in the city's booming hotel and casino 
industries. Ruby was injured while working as a cook and found herself 
relying on social welfare programs to support her growing family. Ruby 
was met with a disjointed State welfare system.
  At that time, race, gender, and public attitudes determined an 
individual's access to the resources that they needed to thrive. For 
Ruby, this inspired a lifetime devoted to breaking down those barriers 
for others.
  Recognizing that Black women were especially vulnerable to inequities 
in the welfare system, Ruby mobilized with other Black mothers to 
create the Clark County Welfare Rights Organization and, eventually, 
the Nevada Welfare Rights Organization.
  Under Ruby's leadership, the groups engaged with State legislators, 
organized sit-ins, eat-ins, and marched down the Las Vegas Strip to 
protest for better treatment for Nevada's families in need. Those 
efforts did not go unnoticed, prompting Nevada to reverse a 75-percent 
cut to welfare for women with children and participate in Federal 
nutrition assistance programs.
  Ruby's work also sparked community developments that continue to 
provide support and resources to families in West Las Vegas to this 
day. In 1972, she founded Operation Life, an organization tasked with 
bringing robust childcare, education, career, healthcare, and 
prevention services to a historically underserved neighborhood.
  Operation Life brought the first library, a medical clinic for 
children, a childcare center, low-income housing, drug and violence 
prevention programs, and job training to the Westside. Today, these 
initiatives fuel a community made stronger because of Ruby and her 
relentless drive.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating Ruby Duncan's life and 
the lasting impact of her dedication and sacrifice.
  Ruby loved Nevada and made life better for everyone who lives there. 
As she once said, ``If you want your life to get better, you got to 
fight for it.''
  And through her tireless fight, the community supports that Ruby 
built will endure for the women, children, and families of the future.
  And as a friend of mine, as someone whom I got to know as a young 
girl and then later was able to work with, I extend my deep condolences 
to Ruby's children, her family, her friends, and the countless lives 
that she touched. She will be dearly missed.
  I yield the floor.

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