October 15, 1990 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 29493 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS HOLDING KIDS TO A HIGHER embraced the values that produce decent says. "Values are like ozone. They protect STANDARD behavior and success. you from the things that can destroy you, Values. The word crops up in virtually while miraculously letting through the every serious conversation Amos has. Talk things that are necessary for life." HON. LOUIS STOKES to this former Xerox executive about the OF OHIO problems young Washingtonians face and IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES he'll tell you lack of constructive outlets for CHARLES PRUDHOMME, M.D. their energies, or the dearth of decently Monday, October 15, 1990 paid legitimate jobs, is only a minor part of HON. MERVYN M. DYMALLY Mr. STOKES. Mr. Speaker, much has been the trouble. The main source, he says, is written and numerous studies have been con­ that the youngsters have not been taught OF CALIFORNIA the values that will help them withstand IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ducted on the problems confronting our Na­ the temptation to trouble. tion's youth. Many have wondered how we Talk to him about the trial of D.C. Mayor Monday, October 15, 1990 can break the cycle of crime, peer pressure Marion Barry, and his comments are not Mr. DYMALL Y. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased and lack of values and positive role models about what the judge or the prosecutor or to bring to the attention of Members an inter­ that confront a majority of our youth. the jury did but what the failure of the esting article about Dr. Charles Prudhomme, a Recently, Washington Post columnist Wil­ decent blacks to hold public officials to a higher standard of decency has done to the past vice president of the American Psychiat­ liam Raspberry highlighted the efforts of Kent ric Association, which appeared in the Psychi­ Amos, an exceptional individual who is reach­ values of our children, "Talk to him about atric News, October 5, 1990. ing out to troubled youth and making a differ­ his adopted "family," and he talks about values. [From Psychiatric News, Oct. 5, 19901 ence in many of their lives. For the past 9 "I try to help these youngsters enjoy CHARLES PRUDHOMME OvERCAME MucH To BE years, this former Xerox executive has wel­ themselves in positive ways, but I also insist comed young people into the Amos "family," that they devote serious time to study," he A PSYCHIATRIST where they receive counseling, tutoring, and said in a recent interview. "I insist that they <By Lucy Ozarin, M.D.) positive reinforcement in a family type setting. work when they're not in school, and that The APA Archives contains two pieces of Amos believes, however, that the key to they do something positive for their com­ autobiographical material on Dr. Charles success for young people is the enforcement munities.... Prudhomme (1908-88), one of the first black of strong values. These values he said, will "We try to make our children believe that physicians to enter psychiatry and probably we are in control, but it's not true. The chil­ the second black psychoanalyst in the U.S. "protect you from the things that can destroy dren themselves have the ultimate decision He was also a vice president of APA in 1970- you, while miraculously letting through the on almost everything they do, starting at a 71, the first black to hold elected office in things that are necessary for life." Putting this very young age. All I am doing is trying to the Association. theory to work, he has successfully changed get them to internalize a set of values.... " One of the items is a taped talk he gave in the lives of more than 57 members of the It doesn't always work. A few kinds yield May 1972 at the Washington Psychoanalyt­ Amos "family." to peer pressure and outside temptation and ic Society, and the other is an oral history Mr. Speaker, I read the article on Kent drop out of the Amos "family." Some get taped in 1975 by Jean Jones, then APA li­ Amos and his family with great interest. Mr. into trouble and have to start over again. brarian. Both are fragmented, and names And once or twice, parents have questioned mentioned by Dr. Prudhomme are misspelt Amos is to be commended for his dedication, Amos' intensive approach. in the transcript <and hence unidentifiable), commitment, and special efforts on behalf of "One mother who didn't even live in the but the difficulties and rebuffs suffered by our youth. I am pleased to share this article area called me disturbed about what I was Dr. Prudhomme because of his color come which is entitled, "Holding Kids to a Higher doing with her child," he recalls. "That was through loud and clear. Standard" with my colleagues. It is certainly during his second year in the program. I re­ Dr. Prudhomme was born in Opelousas, worthwhile reading. assured her that I was only interested in let­ LA. His maternal grandfather was Puerto ting the young man reach his potential. We Rican and his grandmother black. His HOLDING KIDS TO A HIGHER STANDARD later met-at his graduation, with honors. grandfather had opened a country store <By William Raspberry) Most parents, though, are pleased to have that his father later took over. When It started nine years ago when Kent their boys and girls join the Amos family, Charles was 3 years old, his father devel­ Amos's son, newly enrolled at Coolidge High once they learn how seriously Amos takes oped tuberculosis and the family began a School, came home with a couple of new his self-appointed mission. <Not only has he migration ostensibly destined for Denver. friends. spent an estimated $250,000 of his own One of the stops along the way was "The boys were OK," says Amos, who money on the program, but he has also en­ Kansas City, MO, where Charles and his heads a Washington consulting firm, "but listed his wife, Carmen, as hostess and cook mother remained while his father moved they just weren't the kind of kids I thought for the study sessions.) on. Charles became a fine baseball player my son ought to be spending his time with. "I really do take the position that these and graduated from high school second in I mean they were rude and poorly spoken; are my kids," he told me. "I'm available to his class. they weren't interested in academics or any­ them around the clock. Just last week, one Charles entered the University of Kansas thing else except sports and running of the older boys tore up his knee playing in 1925 but remained only a short time. Be­ around.'' basketball, and he had no insurance. I called cause of segregation practices, he was not His first thought, he says, was to forbid my friend Tony Rankin <an orthopedic sur­ allowed to take certain courses, and he Wesley to associate with these rough-cut geon) and Tony took care of him for me. I could not use the college swimming pool. He youngsters lest they drag him down. Then have cried at their family funerals, and I obtained a scholarship to Howard Universi­ he had a second thought: Why not lift them have gotten kids out of jail. Once I was ty with the aid of an interested alumnus up to where they ought to be. called away from Constitution Hall, where I and for the next six years alternated be­ The upshot was the Amos "family," a was attending graduation exercises for some tween college and work. After graduating in group of high school students who meet of my kids, to come get another one out of 1931, he entered Howard University Medical nightly at Amos's Northwest Washington jail. That kid has now graduated from col­ School. He was able to complete his studies town house to study and talk. Since those lege." there in 1935 with scholarship money from early days, the "family" has embraced 57 It was no surprise to Amos that the values the State of Missouri-Missouri did not young people, most of whom have cleaned he had taught finally kicked in. allow blacks at the state university but did up their language and attitudes, abandoned "The best thing that serious concerned pay out-of-state tuition. Dr. Prudhomme re­ the path that was leading to wasted lives adults can do for our children is to give counts that he asked for help from his sena­ and prison, and, most important to Amos, them a clear, unequivocal set of values," he tor at the time, Harry S Truman, and re- e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. 29494 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS October 15, 1990 ceived it. He served an internship at Freed­ And when he was in Chicago, he had a [From the Commercial Appeal, Apr. 12, man's Hospital in 1936-37. bitter disagreement with a prominent neur­ 1990] During his years at Howard, he had nu­ opathologist who insisted that blacks do not RESIDENTS HELP CONGREGATION To REBUILD merous contacts at St. Elizabeths Hospital, contract multiple sclerosis after Dr. Prud­ CHURCH forging strong ties to several physicians homme had correctly diagnosed the illness. there. One is identified as Dr. Kaufman. <By Clay Bailey) This is probably Dr.