[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 27]
[House]
[Pages 35980-35981]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING CONGRESSWOMAN JULIA CARSON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to stand with my colleagues 
to honor a truly remarkable Member of Congress, my friend, Julia 
Carson.
  There are a lot of people in Washington, D.C., that sometimes forget 
their roots or why they want to be here; not Julia Carson. Julia never 
forgot why she was here or who she represented. She was here to expand 
the opportunities for others, to end inequalities in our society, and 
to seek justice for every American.
  One of her most significant and meaningful accomplishments in the 
House was her effort to honor Rosa Parks with a Congressional Gold 
Medal. In the remarks that Julia delivered when she introduced this 
bill, she said, ``the quiet courage of Rosa Parks changed the course of 
American history.''
  For those of us who knew and worked with Julia, we knew that she was 
not always quiet, but that the course of American history has always 
been changed by her courage. One of Julia's greatest attributes was 
that it didn't matter who you were or where you came from or the color 
of your skin or the money in your pocket. She was happy to work with 
anyone who shared her commitment to treating everyone with respect and 
dignity.

[[Page 35981]]

  Her relationship with a good friend of hers, Alan Hogan, comes to 
mind. Somehow, at age 17, a suburban boy from southeastern Indiana 
found a mentor in Ms. Julia. Their mutual affection for each other and 
their work to promote justice and equality resonated with Alan and 
turned into a lifelong friendship. Her actions inspired Alan to fight 
to end social injustices, including working to ensure that young 
African American athletes were not exploited for their talents and that 
they received quality education when recruited to top-notch colleges 
and universities for their athletic scholarships.
  Ms. Julia affected Alan's life in a profound way, and I know she has 
uplifted countless others that I cannot begin to list here tonight. 
While she may have had many pieces of legislation that she could 
acknowledge as great accomplishments, I see an army of volunteers, like 
Alan, who will continue to carry her work as the greatest of her 
legacies.
  Julia's humanity always pierced through people's preconceived notions 
of what kind of stereotype she should fit into. You could never 
pigeonhole Julia Carson or predict what she could do or what she would 
say next. And it often left all of us at the edge of our seat, trying 
to predict what she would say next.
  Julia has said that it was Rosa Parks who paved the way for her to 
come to Congress. I believe that Julia's work as a representative has 
paved the way and opened the doors for countless young Americans who I 
hope will follow in her footsteps and achieve great things.
  Thank you, Ms. Julia Carson, for your friendship and for your legacy 
of justice and equality for all. We love you, and we will always miss 
you.

                          ____________________