[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21298]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING ACTIVIST AND CIVIL RIGHTS HERO KATHLYN GILLIAM

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 16, 2011

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
honor the life of Kathlyn Gilliam, a champion of civil rights and the 
Dallas school district's first African-American female trustee. Ms. 
Gilliam was 81 years old when she passed away this last Sunday.
  There is no shortage of talent and diversity in the 30th District of 
Texas, and residents like Kathlyn Gilliam are a testament to this fact. 
An activist and a leader, Ms. Gilliam dedicated her life to achieving 
higher quality education and living standards for all.
  Growing up and working during the days of segregation, Ms. Gilliam's 
exceptional character helped her to triumph over a unique set of 
institutional hurdles and staunch resistance from her peers. She 
bravely attended Lincoln High School before Dallas ISD's desegregation 
and even went on to become the school district's first Black female 
trustee.
  Ms. Gilliam actively shaped the way South Dallas schools would evolve 
into some of the magnet schools we understand them to be today. By 
fiercely advocating for stronger curricula and warding off near-
constant opposition from the rest of the school board, Ms. Gilliam 
enhanced the overall learning experience for thousands of students in 
the area, the effects of which are still apparent today.
  Mr. Speaker, it saddens me and thousands of other Dallas residents to 
hear of Ms. Gilliam's passing. Her legacy of effectively reshaping the 
Dallas school district and improving her community is not only 
immortalized in a school named in her honor, but also in our hearts and 
memories. Ms. Gilliam's passing comes as a great loss to the 30th 
District of Texas, and I hope that others will take example by her 
leadership and exceptional character.

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