[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 17405]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      NATIONAL HERITAGE FELLOWSHIP

  Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, today I rise to congratulate an Illinois 
resident who has received national recognition for her contributions to 
the American artistic community. Ms. Albertina Walker of Chicago, the 
``Queen of Gospel Music,'' has been selected to receive a National 
Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts, NEA.
  The highest honor in the field of folk and traditional arts, these 
fellowships are awarded to 12 outstanding artists each year to 
recognize their contributions to their fields. They are selected based 
on their artistic excellence and cultural authencity.
  National Heritage Fellowships are not open to application but are 
based on nominations from members of the public. Begun in 1982, these 
fellowships consist of a $20,000 grant and are part of the NEA's 
mission of supporting excellence in the arts, both new and traditional. 
Previous National Heritage Fellowship recipients have included such 
artists as B.B. King and John Lee Hooker.
  The Grammy-award winning Ms. Walker is a native of Chicago and has 
been involved in gospel music for over 70 years. She has recorded over 
60 albums and is an active member of West Point Missionary Baptist 
Church.
  I thank the National Endowment for the Arts for its recognition of 
Ms. Walker's outstanding work and once again applaud Ms. Walker for her 
achievement.

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