9998 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS May 22, 1989 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS TRIBUTE TO INEZ TIMS true? Besides, these people here gossip too Boyd-sit on the City Commission. And the much." County Commission has one black Back in the early '70s, when people member-I.D. Henderson Jr. HON. CHARLES WILSON around these parts gossiped, one of the Of course, none of this was easy. "The OF TEXAS most likely subjects was Inez Tims, and his fact that Inez ran would be perceived by the IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES radical ways. At least at the time Inez' ways community to be a radical, radical thing to seemed radical. do," Richards said. Monday, May 22, 1989 Inez, who says he worked for about half a And Inez will tell you that he had trouble Mr. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, an outstanding century at a foundry in this East Texas getting other Blacks to stick their necks out community before becoming an aide for U.S. citizen of east Texas passed away earlier this with him. He says that some thought he Congressman Charles Wilson in 1972, was was making a big mistake by getting in­ month, a man who deserves to be honored as the first Black ever to run for office in one of the heroes of the civil rights move­ volved in legal action. Lufkin. "My trouble was not the white folks," ment. Inez Tims is a household name only in In 1971, Inez ran for the City Commission Inez recalled. "My trouble was with the Angelina County, TX, but his spirit and tenaci­ against W.O. Ricks, the white incumbent, Black folks. They didn't go with me suing ty set an example for all Americans. I ask that and lost in a runoff by just 60 votes. At the the city. Nobody didn't help me. I did that the following profile of Inez, written by John time, this was quite a move, when one con­ siders that the local schools had been dese­ myself." Kelso, be entered in the RECORD, followed by grated by federal court order just the year Consequently, Inez says, he was the only the eulogy I delivered at my friend's funeral. before. Black who testified in either suit. Nobody [From the Lufkin Daily News, May 4, 1989] "They voted pretty good for me," Inez re­ else, he said, would show up in court to speak out. INEZ TIMS: UNSUNG FARMER CHANGED called of the Black community support he received at the polls. "None. None whatsoever. I couldn't get ANGELINA But Black support or no, Inez figured he one to testify," Inez said. "They said Inez (By John Kelso) would have had a better chance of winning was ignorant and unlearned, and didn't LUFKIN.-Inez Tims, a quiet man, would that election if the voting system had been know what he was doing. He was going to rather garden than argue. set up differently. At the time, Lufkin elect­ get defeated suing the city and the county. Even his grown daughter, Geisle, who sees ed its City Commissioners on an at-large But see, they didn't know who I was. They him every day, can't remember him ever basis. didn't know I was a Christian, so I couldn't raising his voice or becoming upset. And if So two years after losing, Inez was the lose. They didn't know that, so I felt sorry you spent some time talking with him, you force behind a lawsuit filed against the City for 'em." might never suspect you were visiting with of Lufkin in U.S. District Court in Tyler. Despite the lonely nature of his position an activist. Inez' side won. Judge William Wayne Jus­ at the time, Inez Tims doesn't seem angry Inez, 80, a tall slender man who speaks tice ruled that Lufkin's at-large voting about the situation. Other people were slowly and succintly and kicks around in system was unconstitutional, and ordered simply afraid, he says. casual clothes and work shoes, keeps a tiller the creation of one at-large and six single­ "See, our people were scary people," he and a tractor in his garage at home. His member districts for City Commissioner said. "They were scary, scary people. You main joy is the earth. And every spring he races. Two of those districts, recalled David know when they wouldn't testify they were sows that big tract of dirt that sits next to Richards, the Austin attorney who repre­ scary. When I went to Tyler, they wouldn't his house. sented Inez' side, were populated by a black come up there. They wouldn't have nothing He brags about the size of his squashes majority. to do with it. and he holds his long, slender, gentle hands Prior to the suit and the court decision, Inez, however, testified. Attorney Rich­ a few feet apart to show you how big the Inez said, the political system was stacked ards remembers his attitude on the stand as biggest ones get. heavily against Blacks in Lufkin. being "unflappable," and Inez attributes all Inez, who lives with Geisle in a brick "We didn't have one commissioner; noth­ of it to a higher authority. house he built with his own hands back in ing but white folks on the commission," re­ "They put me on the witness stand and 1973, explained they can't eat all the collard called Inez, of the way things used to be, they had me there all day, but they couldn't and mustard greens, tomatoes, potatoes, tur­ and why he became involved in the suit. shake me, 'cause the Lord told me what to nips and the other fruits and vegetables "See, they didn't have a <Black) commis­ say," he recalled. that he grows. So he hands them out to sioner in the city and, see, that's what I Inez Tims always has done whatever whoever comes around and asks. sued them for-to get a commissioner. Yes needed doing at the moment in question. As "I am a farmer," said Inez, emphasizing sir. That good Lord gave us the victory. a young man, he dropped out of school­ the verb and stretching out the sound of it, Inez, a religious gentleman who sings reg­ eighth or ninth grade, he thinks-to take to let the listener know that working the ularly with the New Zion Gospel Chorus in care of the family when his dad, Mose Tims, soil is something he truly enjoys doing. "I'll Lufkin, had a second law suit victory. After a farmer, became ill. Inez was one of 14 chil­ tell you what I do. I raise food here. I raise the city case, Inez and Attorney Richards dren, and somebody had to take care of the a garden down here and I give the food to teamed up in a similar suit against Angelina the elderly and the underprivileged people. County, where Lufkin is the county seat. family. I take a little bit for myself, but we don't As in the first suit, Inez was Richards' "His life faded on him," Inez recalled of eat too much." chief witness. Also, as was the case in the his father. "He got old and he lost his get­ If it's growing season, Inez is outside, all first suit, the end result was the creation of around. So I had to bare the burden. I day long, tending the vegetable patch and single member district voting. didn't know any better, and I'm glad I working up a sweat. Keeping busy, he says, "I'll tell you how I happened to do this," didn't." is what it's all about. He had a stroke and Inez recalled of what drove him into action. Inez figures he was about 16 when he related brain surgery back in 1978, but, "We were being treated so bad, and nobody dropped out of school to go to work at the except to cloud his memory some, it doesn't was doing anything about it. And somebody foundry, where he stayed on for about 50 slow him down. He'll tell you the stroke was had to do something. Somebody had to have years. Much of the time he worked as a the only time in his life he's ever been sick. something inside them to make them get common laborer. For the first 10-13 years, "You see some of these old folks who can't up. It was so badly needed." by his recollection, his main on-the-job tool get around?" asked Inez, who gets out in his Before Inez Tims became involved in the was a broom. garden at approximately 8 in the morning, two law suits, Lufkin had never had a Black "I didn't do anything but sweep," Inez and stays there until 5-5:30 in the after­ City Commissioner, and Angelica County said. 'In 1972, after retiring from the found­ noon, even in the heat of the summer. had never had a Black County Commission­ ry, Inez became the first paid employee of "That's because they sit down too much. er. Today, however, the situation is differ­ newly-elected Rep. Wilson, who made Inez You aren't supposed to sit down, ain't that ent. Two blacks-Percy Simond Jr. and Don his district assistant. • This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.