[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21156]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 A WARM CONGRATULATIONS TO MATTIEBELLE WOODS ON HER HUNDREDTH BIRTHDAY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GERALD D. KLECZKA

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 16, 2002

  Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, October 26, 2002 the Milwaukee 
Community will join together to celebrate Ms. Mattibelle Woods' 100th 
birthday and honor her for over 50 years of journalistic excellence 
serving the Milwaukee community.
  Mattiebelle Woods was born and raised in Milwaukee and has spent more 
than 50 years as a newspaper columnist and community activist. Ms. 
Woods has served as an icon for an array of people across socioeconomic 
lines and professions with a lifetime commitment and dedication to 
improving the quality of life for citizens in the Milwaukee community. 
Her distinguished professional career has taken her to the top of her 
craft with assignments to the Milwaukee Globe, The Chicago Defender, 
The Milwaukee Star, Jet Magazine and currently the Milwaukee Courier. 
She still remains active in the community and has been gainfully 
employed for almost a century. Currently Mattiebelle has a weekly 
column in the Milwaukee Courier newspaper, `Mattibelle's Party Line.'
  Legendary is her community involvement where she has played an active 
role in the March of Dimes, The United Way, The NAACP, the United Negro 
College Fund, the Urban League, and numerous other endeavors including 
the political arena. Ms. Woods was the Founder and Director of Miss 
Black Teen-Wisconsin, Miss Bronze Milwaukee and Ten Best Dressed Black 
Women in Wisconsin.
  Numerous awards and recognitions she has received which include: 
Black Female Pioneer Award, Quality of Life Award, Status of Women 
Service Award, African-American Ancestry Award, Outstanding Woman in 
Wisconsin Journalism, and NAACP Presidential Award.
  So it is with great pride that I congratulate Mattiebelle Woods, not 
only for her 50 years of community public relations and social affairs, 
but also for a lifetime of service to the Milwaukee community, and on 
her 100th birthday celebration. Happy Birthday!

                          ____________________