November 4, 1987 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 30913 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS A BILL TO RENAME THE MAIN pa.city. For example, there were 35 food chain verymen in gaining employment with a small POSTAL FACILITY IN CLEVE­ stores in the area, which together employed white-owned bakery. This action soon opened LAND, OH only three black workers. The entire Cleveland the door for the establishment in the Cleve­ transit system had only one black employee. land area of one of the finest black bakeries HON. LOUIS STOKES Furthermore, a survey at the time indicated in the State. During that same year, John 0. OF' OHIO that blacks in the central area of Cleveland Holly and the Future Outlook League also IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES were spending over $200,000 per week in succeeded in defying and preventing the business establishments which refused to hire Wednesday, November 4, 1987 unions from forcing nearly 200 blacks with them. Contributing to the problem of employ­ push carts, broken down trucks, horse wagon Mr. STOl<ES. Mr. Speaker, today I intro­ ment discrimination for black adults, was a coal, and ice peddlers from paying a $25 join­ duced legislation which would rename the youth crisis which forced nearly 30,000 young ing fee and $3 per month dues to sell coal U.S. Postal Service building located at 2400 people to roam the streets without either job and ice in the black areas of Cleveland. Orange Avemue in Cleveland, OH, the "John opportunities or adequate recreational facili­ 0. Holly Station of the U.S. Postal Service." ties. In 1941, John 0. Holly concentrated his Mr. Speal<er, it is with great pride that I in­ Against this difficult backdrop, John 0. Holly fight for jobs for blacks on the Ohio Bell Tele­ troduce this. bill, in tribute and recognition to stepped into the picture and soon started phone Co. Through continuous pressure one of the nreatest citizens of Cleveland, OH. turning the situation around. He literally led brought on by well-organized protests, John During his lifetime, between 1903-74, the late hundreds of black citizens in Cleveland into 0. Holly succeeded in getting for the first time, John Oliver Holly distinguished himself as peaceful demonstrations, employing consumer jobs for 11 blacks to distribute telephone di­ both a champion and a pioneer in the realm of boycotts and picketing as a means of getting rectories. On May 5 of the same year, follow­ civil rights and equal employment opportunity. companies doing business in black neighbor­ ing a conference in which Ohio Bell Co. offi­ His life ern::ompassed almost half-a-century hoods to open their doors to black workers. cials expressed their vehement opposition to throughout the State of Ohio, as a leader in John 0. Holly's accomplishments as the hiring black women, John 0. Holly responded political, fraternal, and religious activities. leader of the Future Outlook League are swiftly by organizing a picketing effort with many, and his contributions to the well-being At a time when most of the civil rights lead­ over 200 blacks in front of the downtown 25- ers of the sixties were only children, John 0. of black people of that time cannot be meas­ story Ohio Bell headquarters building. As a Holly was organizing one of the most suc­ ured through mere statistics. He gave people cessful "grass-roots" local organizations for hope they had never experienced, provided result of his efforts, 15 black women were em­ tearing down racial barriers to employmemt opportunities that they did not think were pos­ ployed who otherwise would have been opportunities in the Nation. In 1935, through sible, and offered leadership that they had denied an important job opportunity. his founding of the Future Outlook League, never seen. As a leader of the Future Outlook League's John 0. Holly began a crusade for job oppor­ Through the work of John 0. Holly, an un­ Fair Rent Committee, John 0. Holly wielded tunities for blacks that would provide an effHc­ precedented number of social accomplish­ pivotal influence in fighting unscrupulous land­ tive model for future civil rights leaders se1~k­ ments were achieved in Cleveland between lord activities, and succeeded in securing rent ing to use the economic weapon as a vehicle 1935 and 1943. In May 1935, for example, he reductions for hundreds of black families in to social progress. succeeded in getting the first black clerk the Cleveland area in 1942. In that same year, Mr. Speak.er, if we are to truly understand placed in an A&P food store, and found jobs on May 1, John 0. Holly led the Future Out­ and appreciate the gmat contributions of this for another 395 blacks. In 1936, he led 5 days look Lea.gue in picketing the Standard Tool unique public: champion, it is important to real­ of picketing area theaters, resulting in the em­ Co., a large factory responsible for work on ize the diffic:ulties of the times in which he ployment of several cashiers and ushers in war orders, but which refused to hire black worked for social change, and how actions the majority of the theaters located in the women. After 5 intense weeks of protesting, that we have come to expect as routine today, black area of the city, as well as a manager in and consultations with the mayor, Holly's ef­ were carried out in John Holly's time at great Cleveland's Globe Theatre. In 1937, after he forts resulted in seven factories opening their personal risk. In fact, ,John 0. Holly was siant led 7 weeks of boycotting in severe winter doors to hiring black women which had never to jail on several occasions for defying a court weather, black drivers were provided jobs on done so before. order banning orderly picketing. He not only milk wagons of the Telling Belle Vernon Co. placed his c1wn personal safety in jeopardy In 1938, John 0. Holly challenged the em­ Mr. Speaker, as these events clearly dem­ while attempting to help others, he dared to ployment practices of the Woolworth Co., onstrate, John 0. Holly was a tireless champi­ challenge an enormously negative bureaucrat­ leading a large number of young blacks in a on for racial equality. In 1954, he made the ic system which offered few avenues .of hope protest against the company's long record of strongest bid to that date, for the Democratic for the advancement 01' his people. discrimination. Although Holly and his follow­ nomination for Congress in the 21st District of At the timet that John 0. Holly began orga­ ers faced tear gas, sawed-off shotguns, and Ohio. I am proud to serve in the district he nizing the Future Outlook League in February were carried off to jail, they succeeded in sought to represent, and like many other of 1935, almost 80 percent of all black Ameri­ placing several young black women into jobs black leaders in the Cleveland community, I cans were unemployed. Fifteen percent of at the Woolworth Co. and the East 55th Street have greatly benefited from the causes this those working were located in menial jobs, Market. Years later, these girls would go on to great man has championed. His leadership, having a gross family income of less than become department heads at the Woolworth his commitment to an agenda of racial equali­ $1,000 per year. Minority businesses num­ Co. ty, and his cognizance of political and eco­ bered less than 50 out of a black population In 1939, John 0. Holly successfully focused nomic realities, make him a cherished figure of 80,000 in Cleveland. Many of the black pro­ the Nation's attention onto the atrocious hous­ for Clevelanders and others. fessjonals in the area, including medical doc­ ing conditions that black people were forced tors, were forced to accept work on the Fed­ to live in. His efforts spearheaded improve­ Mr. Speaker, the designation of this post eral WPA project as their only means of em­ ments which resulted in more than 6,000 office building in honor of John 0. Holly will ployment. houses being repaired in a 3-month period, memorialize his contributions, and will ensure Although more than :3,000 businesses were and a reduction in rent for 250 families. that his legacy be passed to future genera­ located in the central area of Cleveland, less In 1940, he held firm in the face of opposi­ tions, that they may be touched by his unique­ than 100 of these employed blacks in any ca- tion from local unions, and assisted black deli- ness and vision. e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter S€~t in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. 30914 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS November 4, 1987 CONCERN FOR THE HOMELESS be contributing members of society once loan and other programmes for farmers. again. A price will be paid for either choice. This year, for example, attorneys-general in HON. TONY COELHO But the price we pay now to assist the home­ the farm belt sow1ded an alarm over pro­ less is nothing compared to what we will pay posed lending rules by the Farmers Home OF CALIFORNIA Administration, the federal farm lender of IN THE HOUSE OF RJt.."'PRESENTATIVES if we neglect them. To have a growing seg­ ment of our society living in such impover­ last resort, which might, they said, disquali­ Wednesday, November 4, 1987 ished conditions, and particularly when a large fy up to half of all current borrowers.