[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 13351]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 RECOGNIZING RICHARD K. ``DICK'' BLAKE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Posey) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POSEY. Mr. Speaker, it is, indeed, an honor and a pleasure to 
recognize the lifetime achievements of Richard K. ``Dick'' Blake, who 
is retiring after 40 years of service on the Rockledge City Council. He 
is the longest serving elected official on Florida's east coast and is 
a true servant heart leader.
  The grandson of freed slaves, Dick Blake was one of 10 children 
growing up in Rockledge, Florida. He attended Cocoa's African American 
Monroe High School, where he became an all-star athlete and model 
student.
  After graduating from Florida A&M University, Dick returned to Monroe 
High School to coach basketball and football and also to teach biology 
and math. While coaching during the era of segregated education, he 
gained statewide notoriety as his basketball teams dominated the 
Florida Interscholastic Athletic Association.

                              {time}  1115

  In fact, Dick helped pave the way for integration in Brevard County 
by arranging exhibition basketball games, which helped to foster race 
relations by bringing children, families, and communities together 
under the spirit of sports competition. In so doing, he touched the 
lives of so many talented players and students.
  In 1966, Dick became the first Black assistant principal at Cocoa 
High School, and later became the principal, serving in that position 
for 22 years.
  A staunch believer in the power of education, Dick earned a bachelor 
of science degree from Claflin University, a master of science degree 
from Columbia University, and a master of science degree from Florida 
A&M University.
  In July 2011, the city of Rockledge named a park in honor of Dick's 
legendary accomplishments as an athlete and sports official, educator, 
school administrator, elected community servant, and leader in civil 
rights and racial equality issues.
  I have served with Dick in local government and in many volunteer 
efforts over the years, and he is someone I and literally thousands and 
thousands of others greatly admire.
  Over the course of his life, he has witnessed injustice, but Dick has 
always remained positive. Dick is the type of person that if he 
encountered lemons, he made lemonade.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting Dick Blake's achievements 
and his service to our community and our country.
  May God continue to bless Dick Blake and the United States of 
America.

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