CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE, Vol. 155, Pt. 3 February
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3494 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE, Vol. 155, Pt. 3 February 10, 2009 nickname by remaining constant in its efforts preme Court in that case, as well as many Griffin Boyette Bell to the State of in promoting equality for all. other laws that promoted segregation. Mar- Georgia and the United States as a The NAACP has grown considerably since shall would go on to become the first African- legal icon. its inception. Today, the NAACP has over American Justice on the Supreme Court. The Clerk read the title of the resolu- 500,000 members with more than 1,300 na- The NAACP fought against lynchings, Jim tion. tional and international branches, and over 45 Crow laws, and otherwise challenged the sys- The text of the resolution is as fol- branches in the State of Illinois. tem of laws which denied full citizenship for lows: Recently, three students from the Chicago Blacks. The election of President Barack H. RES. 71 Westside Branch, located in the Seventh Con- Obama represents a culmination of the Whereas Griffin Boyette Bell was born on gressional District, won at the 2008 National NAACP’s efforts over the years, particularly in October 31, 1918, in Americus, Georgia, to ACT–SO competition. The ACT–SO program, gaining full voting rights for African-Americans. Thelma Leola Pilcher and Adlai Cleveland founded by the NAACP, is a year-long pro- The work of the NAACP has not been with- Bell, a cotton farmer; Whereas Griffin Boyette Bell died on Janu- gram that is used to enrich African American out danger. Many NAACP members and staff ary, 5, 2009, at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, high school students’ lives by encouraging have been victims of racial violence. Perhaps Georgia, after enduring long-term kidney high academic and cultural achievement. This the best known, was the assassination of disease and a battle with pancreatic cancer; program allows students to compete in various Medgar Evers, the NAACP field secretary in Whereas Griffin Boyette Bell was raised in areas ranging from the sciences to visual and Mississippi, in 1962. the Shiloh community outside of Americus performing arts. Thus, I would like to recog- The NAACP has many heroes across the until his family moved into Americus to es- nize Terrence George, Eric Clark, and Aeriel country who have sacrificed in order to fulfill tablish a tire retail store; Robinson for their brilliance and hard work. our nation’s promise of democracy and free- Whereas Griffin Boyette Bell proved him- I commend the NAACP on its commitment self a superior student in the Americus pub- dom. Among the organization’s heroes are my lic schools and later at Georgia South- to the African American community and its po- good friends, Hazel Dukes and Percy Sutton. western College also in Americus; litical, economic, social, and educational ef- Ms. Dukes participated in many NAACP Whereas in 1942, Griffin Boyette Bell was forts in promoting social change. I tip my hat marches and was arrested several times as a drafted into the Army, where he served in to the first centennial anniversary and look for- protester. She has also served as president of the Quatermaster Corps and Transportation ward to its second. a New York chapter and national president of Corps; Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to the organization. Percy Sutton, a long time Whereas Griffin Boyette Bell, while sta- recognize the National Association for the Ad- member and former president of the NAACP, tioned at Fort Lee, Virginia, met and mar- vancement of Colored People (NAACP) for ried Mary Powell, who also had family ties represented many civil rights workers, includ- in Americus, Georgia, and they later had one providing 100 years of legal advocacy and jus- ing Malcolm X. I salute them for their dedica- son, Griffin Jr; tice for all Americans. tion to this organization. Whereas in 1946, Griffin Boyette Bell, after One hundred years ago today a coalition of Ben Jealous, the new leader of the NAACP, being discharged from active duty in the activists, scholars, and intellectuals of various has pointed out a new set of challenges to be Army with the rank of Major, enrolled in the shades gathered together to challenge our addressed in the years ahead. Among them Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer United States to live up to the words of the are racial injustices in the criminal justice sys- University in Macon, Georgia; Constitution for all Americans. This founding tem, improving educational resources, and re- Whereas Griffin Boyette Bell worked at the group was diverse in ethnicity but united in firm Anderson, Anderson, and Walker while moving any remaining obstacles to economic in law school; their thirst for equality. development. The challenges may be different Whereas Griffin Boyette Bell, while still a The catalyst behind the group’s formation from those addressed during the first 100 law student, passed the Georgia bar exam- was the 1908 racial attacks against Blacks in years, but they are no less important. ination and was appointed city attorney of Springfield, Illinois, the state capital and the Mr. Speaker, I proudly ask you and my col- Warner Robins, Georgia; birthplace of President Abraham Lincoln. Dis- leagues in joining me in honoring the NAACP Whereas Griffin Boyette Bell, after grad- heartened by the violence, which took the for 100 years of distinguished service to our uating Mercer University law school with lives of two Blacks and five accidental Whites; country. honors in 1948, practiced law in Savannah, the group formally organized on February 12, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. I yield Georgia, and Rome, Georgia; 1909, the birthday of President Lincoln. Whereas in 1953, Griffin Boyette Bell ac- back the balance of my time. cepted an offer to join the Atlanta law firm A year later, the national office of the The SPEAKER pro tempore. The of Spalding Sibley Troutman and Kelley, NAACP was opened in New York City. W.E.B question is on the motion offered by later renamed King and Spalding; DuBois founding publisher of The Crisis, the the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. JOHN- Whereas in 1958, Griffin Boyette Bell was organization’s official publication, was instru- SON) that the House suspend the rules appointed chief of staff to Governor Ernest mental in attracting distinguished African- and agree to the resolution, H. Con. Vandiver and while serving in that capacity American literary figures who became the Res. 35. was influential in organizing the Sibley voice of the Harlem Renaissance. The iconic The question was taken. Commission, which mapped Georgia’s ap- scholar also became the intellectual leader proach to school desegregation; The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the Whereas Griffin Boyette Bell, while as and voice of the NAACP, where he took a opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being chief of staff to Governor Ernest Vandiver, strong position in demanding full integration in the affirmative, the ayes have it. also helped moderate State policy con- for his people over Booker T. Washington’s Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speak- cerning civil rights and was instrumental in policy of accommodation. er, I object to the vote on the ground keeping Georgia’s schools open during that Due to the rabid racism of the day, the or- that a quorum is not present and make turbulent period; ganization grew quickly and reached the peak the point of order that a quorum is not Whereas in 1961, Griffin Boyette Bell was of its membership during the civil rights strug- present. appointed by President Kennedy to the 5th gles of the 1950’s and 1960’s. Rosa Parks, U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals where he The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- served for 14 years and often played an in- secretary of the NAACP chapter in Mont- ant to clause 8 of rule XX and the strumental role in mediating disputes during gomery, Alabama, triggered the famous boy- Chair’s prior announcement, further the peak of the United States Civil Rights cott of the bus system by refusing to give up proceedings on this motion will be Movement; her seat. postponed. Whereas in 1976, President Jimmy Carter The NAACP’s greatest achievements were The point of no quorum is considered nominated Griffin Boyette Bell to be the in the courtroom, where it challenged many of withdrawn. 72nd Attorney General of the United States and he was confirmed to that position on the laws that enshrined segregation. One of f the best known cases was Brown vs. Board of January 25, 1977; HONORING GRIFFIN BELL Whereas Griffin Boyette Bell brought inde- Education, which in 1954 challenged the ‘‘sep- pendence and professionalism to the Depart- arate but equal’’ doctrine that was the bulwark Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speak- ment of Justice during his tenure as Attor- of the nation’s segregationist policies. er, I move to suspend the rules and ney General by daily posting of his third- Thurgood Marshall, special counsel to the agree to the resolution (H. Res. 71) ac- party contacts, including meetings and calls NAACP, led legal arguments before the Su- knowledging the lifelong service of with the White House, Members of Congress, VerDate Mar 15 2010 15:10 May 17, 2011 Jkt 079102 PO 00000 Frm 00038 Fmt 0688 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR09\H10FE9.001 H10FE9 erowe on DSK5CLS3C1PROD with BOUND RECORD February 10, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE, Vol. 155, Pt. 3 3495 or other non-Justice Department individ- ican civil rights movement. I want to fect, a decision which might not have uals; thank Representative JACK KINGSTON been possible had lawyers and judges Whereas Griffin Boyette Bell in his capac- of Georgia for introducing this fitting like Griffin Bell not had the courage to ity as Attorney General, advised the Carter tribute to one of Georgia’s native sons.