[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 14] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 19391-19392] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]THE FINAL MISSION OF THE LATE OSSIE DAVIS ______ HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL of new york in the house of representatives Thursday, July 28, 2005 Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to an outstanding American actor, civil rights advocate, and highly regarded humanitarian--Ossie Davis. Throughout his distinguished career as an actor, he was simultaneously an activist who utilized the platform his celebrity status gave him to advocate for opportunity and justice for all Americans. Ossie Davis passed away almost six months ago, leaving behind a legacy of determination, pride, and caring that will long be remembered and will continue to be an inspiration to all who were privileged to know him. Upon hearing of his death, I was deeply saddened but remembered his rich legacy of activism and leadership. Ossie Davis fully participated in and led the great movements for civil rights and justice in this nation in the 1960s. As the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and school desegregation threatened to divide our nation, Ossie stepped forward as a champion of integration, equality, and civil rights. From the Broadway stage to the motion picture screen to the streets where injustice lay, Ossie Davis was there to demand that each and every person be treated as an equal, as a brother. With his deep voice that spoke from wisdom and experience, he would discuss the challenges to the attainment of equal treatment and fairness that is the constitutionally mandated birthright of every citizen born in this great country. He would discuss how to achieve that level of equality and would challenge those around him to aid in his crusade. Ossie Davis was selected to be the speaker at the first annual Congressional Black Caucus dinner, I recall, because we wanted to have someone who, as a celebrity and a highly respected civil rights leader, would be both entertaining and inspirational. Ossie, in a speech that is still remembered and quoted today, set us on a course to sustain the achievements of the civil rights era and to build upon them. He exceeded our collective expectations. Ossie was one of the noblest individuals I knew. He lived a life of dignity and pride that was so exemplary that one wanted to emulate him. In his chosen profession of acting, he was a true legend that used his position to advance positive images of the Black male and to challenge those who would accept the subjugation of an entire group based on their race. He has a history of over one hundred films, plays, television series, and other productions that cover the range of experiences of the Black male in America today. Ossie who was always working, always raising important issues, left us in the film on which he was working at the time of his death, an inspiring story that serves as a metaphor for the struggle by African- Americans for equality of opportunity and inclusion. We are fortunate in the Harlem community to have Ossie's film to screen as a highlight of our celebration of Harlem Week. The movie Proud, which was released two months after his death, is a heroic story about an all-Black crew on the U.S. warship Mason during World War II. Ossie and his fellow cast members tell the important story of how the War and a segregated Navy changed them. True to his nature, Ossie Davis made this experience a personal investment in the struggle for justice and equality in Black America for his audience. This movie allows Ossie one [[Page 19392]] last opportunity to tell the story of Black America in this country. It is also our last opportunity to witness this great man in action. I submit for the Record the press release announcing the movie and describing how it came to be made. I look forward to attending the screening of Proud in my community next week and encourage everyone to take time out and see this wonderful film. [From THEntertainment, April 18, 2005] Press Release ``PROUD'' New York.--The late Ossie Davis completes a final mission when the THEntertainment film ``Proud,'' which will screen at the Tribeca Film Festival, April 23rd, is released by Castle Hill Productions in the New York, Washington and Los Angeles Magic Johnson Theatres during Memorial Day weekend. Ossie Davis, a WWII veteran himself, not only stars in the film, but had taken a personal interest since becoming aware of this true adventure of the USS Mason in 1995. The men of the USS Mason were the only African-American sailors to take a navy warship into combat in WWII. Like Ossie Davis, they served in a segregated military, but found strength in the midst of struggles against racism from their camaraderie and pride in their own excellence. Ossie Davis' character, Lorenzo DuFau, passes the story of his time on the Mason on to his grandson (Albert Jones) and two friends, who then become the 1940's sailors in a dramatic movie that depicts the events of the men's service on the USS Mason. As a destroyer escort, the men shepherded convoys across a perilous Atlantic infested with Nazi U-boats. They faced the storm of the century and were instrumental in saving a convoy. In spite of enduring racist incidents in a segregated Navy, they found an unexpected welcome in Northern Ireland. In ``Proud'' Stephen Rea plays the Derry man who welcomes them and Darnell Williams is the war correspondent, Thomas Young, who traveled with the Mason. Tommy Hilfiger's attention was first attracted by the book and documentary done by Mary Pat Kelly, but he felt the story should be a dramatic feature if it were to reach a wide audience. The events of 9/11 convinced him to finance the film himself. ``We need our heroes,'' he said. Hilfiger's daughter, Ally, became the producer and Mary Pat Kelly the writer/director. Ossie Davis was the first to sign on. ``He blessed the movie with his presence,'' said Kelly and Hilfiger. Ossie Davis attended a test screening of ``Proud'' in Washington, DC, with his grandson, Jamal Day, who plays trumpet on the movie score. Davis wore his USS Mason ball cap and told the audience he wore it all the time so interviewers would ask about it and he could tell them about the film. Davis died of natural causes in Miami Beach, Florida on February 4, 2005. He had intended to help promote the film. ``We're pleased that those who admired Ossie Davis will see him in a role that so embodies his own life as an artist and activist,'' said Kelly. ____ Ossie Davis (Lorenzo DuFau) As USS Mason veteran, Lorenzo DuFau, Ossie Davis, himself a WWII veteran, forms the head of the movie ``Proud.'' He is the grandfather who passes the story of the ``men of the Mason'' on to his grandson and thus insures that his shipmates will live on. ``I am a part of American history,'' he says. ``Proudly we served and I want that acknowledged.'' As an actor, writer, producer and director, Ossie Davis has himself shaped American history and insured that the richness of African-American experience is presented with artistry and joy. Born in Cogdell, Georgia, Mr. Davis attended Howard University and began a career as an actor and writer with the Rose McClelland Players in Harlem in 1939. He joined the Army after Pearl Harbor and served with great distinction as a member of a medical team in West Africa. In 1946, Mr. Davis made his Broadway debut in ``Jeb,'' the first of many roles that included following Sydney Poitier into the lead of ``Raisin in the Sun.'' Mr. Davis used his backstage waiting time to write ``Purlie Victorious'' in which he starred in 1961. The artistically acclaimed play became the musical ``Purlie'' and introduced Melba Moore and Cleavon Little. The film career of Ossie Davis is legendary. Beginning with ``No Way Out'' in 1950 with Sydney Poitier, Davis has appeared in dozens of feature films from ``The Cardinal,'' ``The Hill,'' and ``The Scalphunter'' through recent movies such as ``Dr. Doolittle,'' ``Do the Right Thing,'' and ``On The Bus.'' He directed ``Cotton Comes to Harlem'' in 1970 and continued to direct and produce movies and plays. Mr. Davis did not neglect television. Beginning in 1965 in the title role of ``The Emperor Jones,'' he's given award-winning performances in ``Teacher, Teacher, King,'' and ``Miss Evers' Boys'' to name a few. He's been a regular on ``Evening Shade'' with his friend Burt Reynolds. Davis' partnership with his wife actress/writer Ruby Dee has produced such notable achievements as the television special ``Today Is Ours,'' ``Martin Luther King: The Dream and The Drum,'' ``A Walk Through the 20th Century with Bill Moyers'' and the series ``With Ossie and Ruby.'' Mr. Davis received many honors and citations including the New York Urban League Frederick Douglass Award and the NAACP Image Award. With Ruby Dee, he received The Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award and in 2002 The President's National Medal of Arts at the Kennedy Center. Mr. Davis died of natural causes in Miami Beach, Florida on February 4, 2005. ____ short synopsis Proud is a memory piece told by WWII vet, Lorenzo DuFau (Ossie Davis). As a sailor on the USS Mason, he was a member of the only African American crew to take a US Warship into combat. As DuFau tells his wartime experiences to his grandson and two college friends, the young men are transformed into USS Mason sailors. They fight for their country, but also have to battle the racism inherent in a segregated Navy. They perform heroically and receive an unexpectedly warm welcome in Ireland. The crew was recommended for commendations in 1944, but they were never awarded. The grandchildren take up the fight, and the long overdue commendation is awarded to the surviving crew members in 1995. ____________________