[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Page 2130]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING JESSE WHITE TUMBLERS

  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I rise to congratulate a well-loved 
Chicago institution on a landmark anniversary.
  For 50 years, the Jesse White Tumblers troupe has delighted audiences 
in Illinois and beyond and opened doors of opportunity for thousands of 
young people.
  Jesse White, the man who gave the team its name, is probably best 
known today as Illinois' secretary of state and the first African 
American ever elected to statewide office in the ``Land of Lincoln.''
  As a child, Jesse White was studious and well behaved. He was also a 
phenomenal athlete. His passion for sports won him a scholarship to 
Alabama State University, where he was all-conference in baseball and 
basketball for all 4 years.
  After college, Jesse White served 2 years in the U.S. Army as a 
paratrooper.
  Then sports opened another door for him. Jesse White was able to 
fulfill what for many of us is only a dream. He played professional 
baseball for the Chicago Cubs Triple-A farm team.
  Returning to Chicago after his baseball days, Jesse White decided to 
become a Chicago Public Schools teacher. He also worked nights as a 
physical education teacher for the Chicago Park District.
  In 1959, the park district asked him to create an acrobatic show. The 
result was so impressive that the troupe began performing on a regular 
basis. Its mission was--and remains--to keep children in school, off of 
drugs, and out of gangs in the Chicago area. And it has been a huge 
success.
  A half century later, more than 11,000 young people have participated 
in the Jesse White Tumblers. Becoming a Jesse White Tumbler is no easy 
task. Thousands of young people apply every year but only a fraction 
are chosen. To make the team, members must stay in school and maintain 
at least a C average. They have to obey the law and stay out of gangs 
and away from drugs and alcohol. In exchange, the young athletes get to 
experience the excitement and glory of performing before appreciative 
fans. They also receive tutoring and college scholarship opportunities, 
performance fees, and a chance to travel and perform around the world.
  The power of the Jesse White Tumblers to transform young lives and 
open new doors may be best illustrated by the story of three brothers. 
They performed together with the Tumblers, but at some point they 
decided together to drop out and join a gang. One of the brothers was 
murdered by a rival gang. The second brother, seeking to avenge his 
brother's death, killed an innocent man by mistake and ended up going 
to jail for murder. Instead of following in his brothers' footsteps, 
the third brother decided to rejoin the Jesse White Tumblers. The 
direction and discipline he received helped him not only avoid the 
pitfalls of his siblings but helped him earn a college education and 
eventually a law degree from the University of Notre Dame.
  Multiply that story hundreds or even thousands of times and you begin 
to understand the importance of the Jesse White Tumblers.
  The Jesse White Tumblers have earned their reputation as an icon in 
the State of Illinois. The program has done wonders, and I wish it 
another 50 years of continued success.

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