[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17679]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     MEMORIAL TO MS. GALE CINCOTTA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 21, 2001

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, in these times of stress, as we 
unite and come together as a Nation, we look for leadership and for 
example to those who have preached unity, who have practiced 
organization--the bringing together of the diverse people of America 
for the common good.
  Mr. Speaker, last month we lost a great American who spent her life 
bringing people together for the common good. She did not aspire to 
public office or great power. She eschewed financial reward. She never 
left her community.
  Mr. Speaker, Gale Cincotta was born in 1929 and grew up in on 
Chicago's Westside. Gale Cincotta's experiences as a wife, as a mother, 
as a Westside resident led her to a career as an advocate for the 
interests of her neighbors, and for common folk everywhere; as she was 
once quoted in the Chicago Sun Times, ``I got mad and stayed mad.''
  But her anger was never channeled into destruction. When Gale got mad 
she got her neighbors together to make things right. And she was very, 
very, good at making things right.
  Gale Cincotta recognized early on that the key to people's advocacy 
was organization and she became an outstanding community organizer, 
empowering people to seek redress of grievances and pro-actively shape 
public policy to advance community interests.
  Housing was a recurring and central issue for Gale's attention and 
she led strugglies to organize for an end to block busting, mortgate 
and insurance readlining, reform of federal first-time home-owners 
programs, and for an to end predatory lending practices.
  Ms. Cincotta played a key role in the passage of federal legislation 
including Home Mortgage Disclosure and the Community Reinvestment Act.
  Her drive for empowerment and organization over time grew and evolved 
into a national organization known as the National Training and 
Information Center.
  Mr. Speaker, during her lifetime, Gale was recognized for her 
advocacy with many honors and positions including a seat on the City of 
Chicago Commission on Women, a Chicago Commission on Human Rights Award 
and a ``Woman of the Year'' award from Ms. magazine.
  But these awards only served to deepen her commitment to the 
community.
  Mr. Speaker, we deeply mourn the passing of a tireless crusaders for 
people's empowerment, Gale Cincotta.
  We will miss her, we will miss her energy, we will miss her guidance. 
But we are resolved to carry on. That would be what Gale expected from 
us. That is what this great American experiment in democracy is all 
about. That is what we are resolved to do.

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