CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— Extensions of Remarks E564 HON
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E564 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks March 30, 2011 THE HAMP TERMINATION ACT OF On Sunday, March 27, 2011, Harlem’s be- America and influence the world through the 2011 loved National Black Theater hosted and spoken word of the ‘‘Legendary Last Poets.’’ joined the community of Black Diasporan Artist f SPEECH OF and Poets to celebrate and honor the legacy of Abiodun Oyewole and his most prized insti- HONORING VIETNAM VETERAN HON. ERIC CANTOR DOCKIE BRENDLE FOR HIS SERV- OF VIRGINIA tution, ‘‘Open House Sundays @ 110 ICE AND SACRIFICE IN THE IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Morningside Drive,’’ a true rendition of free art, VIETNAM WAR Tuesday, March 29, 2011 expression, and family love. Abiodun Oyewole, a founding member of The House in Committee of the Whole the legendary and original spoken word group, HON. HEATH SHULER House on the State of the Union had under The Last Poets, has for over 30 years opened OF NORTH CAROLINA consideration the bill (H.R. 839) to amend the his apartment every Sunday, feeding his fellow Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES artists food for thought, body and soul. Sun- 2008 to terminate the authority of the Sec- Wednesday, March 30, 2011 retary of the Treasury to provide new assist- day’s participants would gather at Poets ance under the Home Affordable Modifica- Haven to celebrate each other, eat delicious Mr. SHULER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to tion Program, while preserving assistance to foods, and gravitate to the elders. For many honor Specialist Fourth Class Dockie Brendle homeowners who were already extended an aspiring and renowned artists and poets, this for his valiant service and sacrifice during the offer to participate in the Program, either on is home, a place where one can help oneself Vietnam War. a trial or permanent basis: to salmon croquettes, grits and home fries. In In 1967, Mr. Brendle started his tour of duty Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Chair, last November, his living room you can find griots, storytellers as an Armored Track Commander with the voters sent an unambiguous message in op- and poets sharing their work with people who 11th Armored Calvary Regiment in Swan Loc, position to the surge in government spending. have an appreciation for the arts and yearn to South Vietnam. In 1968, Mr. Brendle was Today, House Republicans are fighting to be around love and expression of Black Con- wounded four times. Due to his service and provide a surge protector. sciousness. sacrifice Mr. Brendle received various medals In three short months, we have changed the Shortly after the assassination and murder and accolades, including a Silver Star, a conversation in Washington from increasing of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., along Bronze Star with ‘‘V’’ Device for Valor, an spending to cutting spending and by how with the changing domestic landscape came Army Commendation Medal with ‘‘V’’ Device much. We have made significant strides to- the New York City-hip group called The Last for Valor, four Purple Hearts, a Combat Infan- ward returning spending to more reasonable Poets. They used obstreperous verse to chide try Badge, a President Unit Citation, a Viet- 2008 levels, and we are taking the scalpel to a Nation whose inclination was to maintain the nam Service Medal with three Bronze Stars, a excessive regulation that is smothering the colonial yoke around the neck of the Vietnam Gallantry Cross, and a Vietnam Cam- economy. disenfranchised. Their name, ‘‘The Last paign Medal. By lifting the ominous fiscal cloud that Poets,’’ is taken from a poem by the South Af- Although he is now a 100 percent disabled hangs over our businesses and job creators, rican revolutionary poet Keorapetse Kgositsile, veteran, Mr. Brendle is an active part of the we are laying the foundation for lasting who posited the necessity of putting aside po- Swain County community. He is a member of growth. etry in the face of looming revolution. ‘‘When the Vietnam Veterans of America, Smoky Today, through our YouCut program, the the moment hatches in time’s womb there will Mountain Chapter 994 as well as a member of American public has put another wasteful be no art talk,’’ he wrote. ‘‘The only poem you Veterans of Foreign Wars in Bryson City. He spending initiative on the chopping block. will hear will be the spearpoint pivoted in the regularly attends events throughout the com- In February 2009, the administration ear- punctured marrow of the villain.... There- munity. An avid football fan, he can be seen marked $30 billion in TARP money to imple- fore we are the last poets of the world.’’ watching many Swain High School football ment the Home Affordable Modification Pro- So Abiodun Oyewole and founding mem- games as a member of the ‘‘Fence Walkers.’’ gram. This effort was intended to fight fore- bers Umar Bin Hassan, Jalal Mansur Nuriddin, I am grateful I have selfless, brave, and closure and strengthen the housing market, Felipe Luciano, Gylan Kain, David Nelson and dedicated veterans like Mr. Brendle in our but to quote the non-partisan Inspector Gen- percussionist Nilaja Obabi formed The Last community. His service to our country is a eral, it ‘‘continues to fall dramatically short of Poets on May 19, 1968, Malcolm X’s birthday, great source of pride to me and to Western any meaningful standard of success.’’ at Marcus Garvey Park (formerly Mount Morris North Carolina. I ask my colleagues to join me HAMP was meant to help 4 million home- Park) in the East Harlem/El Barrio neighbor- today in recognizing Specialist Fourth Class owners; yet only 521,630 loans have been hood part of my Congressional District in New Dockie Brendle for his service and sacrifice to modified under the program. To add insult to York. our great nation. injury, HAMP suffers from high re-default rates These young radical poets and musicians f and has left many borrowers worse off. rose to become the rappers of the civil rights This legislation would save taxpayers up to era. During the late 60s and early 70s, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEW- $29 billion by preventing the government from Abiodun and members of The Last Poets con- MAN CHAPEL UNITED METH- providing any new assistance under HAMP. It nected with the violent factions of the SNCC ODIST CHURCH is a common sense way to put an end to the (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Com- culture of waste we have been working to mittee), the SDS (Students for a Democratic eradicate in Washington. I urge my colleagues HON. RON PAUL Society), and the Black Panther party. They to vote in favor. OF TEXAS went through confrontations with the FBI and IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES f police, arrests for robbing the Ku Klux Klan Wednesday, March 30, 2011 A DAY IN HONOR OF ABIODUN and various other ventures with Revolution in OYEWOLE, ‘‘FOUNDING MEMBER mind. Abiodun Oyewole received a 12- to 20- Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to OF THE LEGENDARY LAST year jail sentence, but served less than four congratulate the parishioners of Newman POETS’’ AND ARCHITECT OF years. Chapel United Methodist Church of Kendleton, POETS HAVEN—OPEN HOUSE Post the revolutionary Civil Rights era, Texas, on the opening of their new multipur- SUNDAYS @ 110 MORNINGSIDE Abiodun went into teaching. He was a Colum- pose worship center. The Center opened this DRIVE bia University Fellow, where he taught biology, past Sunday, March 27th. and also spent 15 years with the New York Established in approximately 1872, Newman HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL City Board of Education teaching children. Chapel was the first Methodist Church orga- The Last Poets have been cited as one of nized in the Kendleton. Originally, parishioners OF NEW YORK the earliest influences of what would become meet by the San Bernard River under the old IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES hip-hop music and for paving the way for all oak trees. Services were held at the river until Wednesday, March 30, 2011 socially committed Black and diverse emcees. 1874 when the parishioners constructed a log Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to So, Mr. Speaker, I ask that today we pay cabin that served as both a place for worship recognize a day in honor of Abiodun Oyewole, homage to Abiodun Oyewole, Umar Bin Has- and a school. founding member of the legendary Last Poets san, Felipe Luciano and percussionist Don Newman Chapel may have come a long and architect of Poets Haven—Open House Babatunde Eaton. Without fame or fortune, way from its roots in a gathering of believers Sundays @ 110 Morningside Drive. they continue to raise the consciousness of by the San Bernard River, but what has never VerDate Mar 15 2010 05:34 Mar 31, 2011 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A30MR8.016 E30MRPT1 jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with REMARKS March 30, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E565 changed is the parishioners’ and staff’s com- where he continues to serve. Under his lead- Among Mr. Russell’s numerous accolades mitment to the mission of building a spirit-filled ership, new programs have been implemented are an honorary doctorate from Suffolk Univer- community church of believers. The new wor- and membership has grown to 146. sity, an honorary degree from Harvard Univer- ship center will enhance the Church’s ability to The significance of Shiloh Baptist Church sity and the NBA’s first Civil Rights Award. carry out this mission by providing a more has been recognized with the placement of a Also, in 2009, the NBA Finals MVP trophy was spacious and comfortable location for worship historical marker presented by the Fairfax renamed: the Bill Russell NBA MVP Award.