[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5706]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 15, 2010

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Madam Speaker, it is my distinct pleasure to stand 
before you today to recognize and commend the members of the Gary, 
Indiana, branch of the National Association for the Advancement of 
Colored People (NAACP). On Saturday, April 24, 2010, the Gary NAACP 
will hold its 45th Annual Life Membership Banquet at the Genesis 
Convention Center in downtown Gary, Indiana.
  This annual event is a major fundraiser for the Gary NAACP. The funds 
generated through this event directly support the organization's many 
outstanding programs and advocacy efforts. Through its membership and 
the support of the community, the Gary NAACP is able to serve the 
people of Northwest Indiana and continue the mission started by the 
national organization in 1909, working diligently to combat injustice, 
discrimination, and unfair treatment for all people in today's society. 
In addition, the banquet serves to update and keep the community aware 
of the NAACP's activities and to formally honor its new life members.
  The keynote speaker at this year's event will be Mr. Herman Boone, a 
retired high school teacher and coach, who is most well-known for 
coaching integrated football teams at T.C. Williams High School, in 
Alexandria, Virginia. Many will recall Denzel Washington's memorable 
portrayal of Coach Boone in the movie Remember the Titans. I join the 
Gary NAACP in welcoming Mr. Boone to Northwest Indiana.
  This year, the Gary NAACP will honor six outstanding individuals from 
Northwest Indiana, who will join the hundreds of other outstanding 
civil, community, and religious leaders who have previously been 
recognized as life members. For 2010, the distinguished individuals who 
will be inducted as life members of the Gary NAACP are: Vanessa Allen, 
Anna Connor, Geneva Osawe Gonzales, Dr. Danita Johnson Hughes, Hattie 
McCune, and Cheron Reed.
  Madam Speaker, I ask you and my other distinguished colleagues to 
join me in paying tribute to the newest life members of the Gary NAACP, 
as well as Attorney Karen Pulliam, the current Gary NAACP president, 
and all members of the organization for their extraordinary efforts and 
tremendous leadership. These outstanding men and women have worked 
tirelessly to improve the quality of life for all residents of 
Indiana's First Congressional District, and for that they are to be 
commended.

                          ____________________