[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 3729]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING DELORES CHRISTINA BROWN OREY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 4, 2014

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
late remarkable public servant, Mrs. Delores Christina Brown Orey, who 
was born on September 24, 1932 in Martinsville, MS (the eldest of five 
children) to the late Mr. Alpheus and Mrs. Ella Brown.
  Mrs. Delores Christina Brown Orey attended Piney Woods School and 
graduated from Parish High School in Hazlehurst, MS; did further study 
at Tuskegee Institute; and received her BA degree in Elementary 
Education with a minor in Sociology from Jackson State College. She 
became concerned about the disparate treatment that she and other 
African American Mississippians received and joined the National 
Association for the Advancement of Colored People under the leadership 
of Dr. Aaron Henry.
  She was very dedicated to the NAACP and served the organization in 
various capacities. She worked as Secretary in the NAACP State Office 
and also drove Dr. Henry around the State to investigate discrimination 
complaints. She was jailed for her unwavering activism and spied on by 
the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission.
  During that time, she helped organize Voter Registration Drives and 
Boycotts. She invited Freedom Riders, both Black and White, to stay at 
her home even under the threat of violence and started a Freedom School 
at her church, Mt. Nebo. She attended and helped to organize many 
marches for Civil Rights alongside Medgar Wiley Evers, Dr. Martin 
Luther King, Jr. and Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr., to name a few. She also 
ran for the Mississippi House of Representatives, and unfortunately, 
her opponent was killed in an airplane crash. The Governor of record 
appointed a white male who had lost the race rather than following 
procedure for Mrs. Orey to assume the post. In her continuing quest for 
equality, Mrs. Orey children integrated the Jackson Public Schools.
  Because of her activism on behalf of the poor and disenfranchised, 
she developed a special relationship with former President Jimmy Carter 
and was invited to represent Mississippi in his inaugural parade. She 
was a close confidant of former Governor Cliff Finch and this led to 
her son, Alfonso and his wife, Sadie, becoming the first Blacks to have 
an official wedding ceremony on the grounds of the Governor's Mansion. 
She was one of the first Head Start Directors for Mississippi Action 
for Progress and worked for the MS Council on Aging and was an AARP 
Volunteer. She loved children and served as NAACP State Youth Advisor 
for several terms. She mentored many young people among them our 
immediate past NAACP National President, Benjamin Todd Jealous, and our 
current Mississippi State Conference President, Derrick Johnson. Mrs. 
Orey has been credited with maintaining the Jackson Branch NAACP 
through the years by serving in all capacities from President to 
Treasurer to Secretary. She received numerous honors and prestigious 
awards throughout her distinguished life.
  Mrs. Orey enjoyed spending time with her loving family. They shared 
her passion for her advocacy. On numerous occasions they accompanied 
her to various activist events, especially her beloved national NAACP 
Conventions.
  On January 8, 2014, Veteran Mississippi Civil Rights Worker and 
champion for social justice, Mrs. Delores Orey transitioned this life. 
She was a heroine who was truly loved by her family and friends and 
will be missed by all.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mrs. 
Delores Christina Brown Orey for her dedication to serving.

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