[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 14860-14861]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           ROYAL BOLLING SR.

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BARNEY FRANK

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 25, 2002

  Mr. FRANK. Mr. Speaker, earlier this week I shared with my colleagues 
an editorial from the Boston Globe about the death of an outstanding 
former Massachusetts State Legislator, Jack Backman. Today I am 
saddened by the fact hat I feel called upon to memorialize here another 
former legislative colleague who performed extraordinarily important 
service for his own constituents and the people of Massachusetts in 
general.
  When I arrived at the Massachusetts House in 1972, one of the leaders 
was Royal Bolling Sr. Then Representative Bolling was one of the early 
political leaders of the African American community in Massachusetts, 
and I--along with my current Massachusetts Congressional colleague (Mr. 
Markey), who was then a Massachusetts House colleague--had the great 
honor of working closely with him in an effort to establish for the 
first time in Massachusetts history fair legislative districting that 
established a state Senate seat that pulled together the various 
efforts of the African American community.
  No one was surprised when Royal Bolling was the first winner of that 
seat. He was for years a leader in the fight against racial 
discrimination in our state, as well as a strong advocate for social 
fairness in general. As the

[[Page 14861]]

following article from the Boston Herald shows, Royal Bolling was a 
pioneer. He launched a career in elected office at a time when racism 
was a serious obstacle, and through his personality, intelligence and 
energy, he was one of the most successful in confronting those 
prejudices.
  Royal Bolling Sr. was also a patriarch of an important political 
family--two of his sons followed him into elected office, inspired by 
the model he provided of how one effectively fought against prejudice 
and for basic values for which America ought to stand.
  Mr. Speaker, Royal Bolling's family is entitled to be enormously 
proud of the great contribution he made to Massachusetts and I ask that 
the Boston Herald article about him be printed here.

                [From the Boston Herald, June 25, 2002]

                Friends Bid Farewell to Community Leader

                         (By Jules Crittenden)

       Neighbors, fellow veterans and politicians came out to pay 
     their respects yesterday to a man they say served as an 
     inspiration and a role model to his community.
       Royal Bolling Sr.'s body lay in state yesterday at the 
     Reggie Lewis Center at Roxbury Community College, the school 
     he helped found as a state senator.
       Bolling died last week at the age of 82, retired from a 
     long career as a neighborhood Realtor, legislator and 
     decorated war hero.
       Emmanuel Horne, a fellow member of the William E. Carter 
     American Legion Post 16, was taking turns with other members 
     standing in a guard of honor by his friend's casket.
       ``His impact as a role model was immeasurable,'' said 
     Horne. He cited Bolling's example as an active father of 12 
     in a community where many families had one parent; his 
     success in business; and his legislative career. ``When we 
     had so few leaders, it was important for young people to see 
     someone who had attained a position, so they could realize 
     that they might someday achieve that.''
       John Canty, owner of Walnut Cleaners, said, ``He was a 
     standard for this community, for the morals of this 
     community. He was firm in his beliefs. When Royal believed in 
     something, he stood up for it.''
       House Speaker Thomas Finneran and Senate President, Thomas 
     Birmingham paid their respects yesterday. Sen. John Kerry, 
     former Gov. Michael Dukakis and former speaker and attorney 
     general Robert Quinn were expected to attend a memorial 
     service last night.
       ``He was relentless in trying to create a level playing 
     field,'' said his son Bruce Bolling, a former City Council 
     president. ``He refused to accept anyone having to be a 
     second-class citizen.''
       As a Realtor, Bolling said, his father experienced ``red-
     lining,'' when some sellers, banks and insurance agencies 
     refused to deal with blacks or black neighborhoods. In the 
     Legislature, he helped pass laws that made the practice 
     illegal.
       ``There was an expectation that these are things you have 
     to do,'' Bolling said. ``He didn't look at it as being a 
     pioneer, but as trying to correct a wrong.''

     

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