[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 24171-24172]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    REGARDING DR. C. DELORES TUCKER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CHAKA FATTAH

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 27, 2005

  Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, it is never easy to lose an esteemed friend 
and colleague such as Dr. C. Delores Tucker. A valiant warrior in the 
fight for freedom and equality, she selfishly committed herself to the 
work of serving others.
  Dr. C. Delores Tucker was the first African American woman in the 
nation to serve as the Common Wealth of Pennslvania Secretary of State. 
During this time, she instituted the first Commission on the Status of 
Women in Pennsylvania. In her term, Dr. Tucker was responsible for the 
governor's appointment of more women and African Americans to 
judgeships and commissions in the history of the Commonwealth. She also 
led the effort to make Pennsylvania one of the first states to pass the 
Equal Rights Amendment. As Chief of Elections of Pennsylvania, she was 
a leader in instituting a voter registration by mail and reducing the 
voting age from 21 to 18 years of age.
  Dr. Tucker was founder and president of the Bethune-DuBois Institute, 
Inc., which she established in 1991 to aid African American youth 
through scholarships and educational programs. Dr. Tucker launched and 
served as the publisher of the renowned publication, Vital Issues: The 
Journal of African American Speeches. This endeavor caught the 
attention of then Congressman William H. Gray and was submitted into 
the Congressional Record.

[[Page 24172]]

  Dr. Tucker has received awards from numerous organizations and 
institutions including the NAACP, the Philadelphia Urban League, the 
Salvation Army, Lincoln University, the National Association for Equal 
Opportunity, Higher Education, Women for Good Government, the Alliance 
of Black Women Attorneys, the National Black Caucus of State 
Legislators, the Opportunities Industrialization Center, B'nai B'rith, 
the National Newspaper Publishers Association, the Feminist Majority 
Foundation, Berean Institute, and the National Association for Sickle 
Cell Disease. Dr. Tucker was also selected as a People magazine 1996 
Yearbook Honoree and was featured in the inaugural issue of John F. 
Kennedy, Jr.'s George magazine for her crusade against gangster/porno 
rap. In addition, she has been acknowledged for her deep concern for 
children by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton in the book ``It Takes a 
Village.'' The National Women's Political Caucus and Redbook Magazine 
also named Dr. Tucker as the woman best qualified to be ambassador to 
the United Nations.
  Her tireless and passionate pursuits have generated many discussions 
over the concerns of equality and justice. Her efforts will never be 
lost in the hearts of those she touched and the world she labored to 
change. Our hearts are bowed in reverence of her memory. Please join me 
in honoring the legacy that is C. Delores Tucker.

                          ____________________