Jim Clyburn

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Reverend Dr. Willis T. Goodwin, Pastor of Washington United Methodist Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and New Frances Brown United Methodist Church in North Charleston. On May 15, Reverend Dr. Goodwin was awarded the prestigious ``National Service Award'' by the Washington Times Foundation. This ``Salute to a National Hero'' was presented at the third annual National Service Awards Banquet, here in Washington, DC, and I was honored to be present for the occasion. Reverend Dr. Goodwin was honored for his outstanding record of humanitarian service. Faith-based community leaders from all 50 states were recognized for the wonderful contributions they have made to our society. Reverend Goodwin has spent a lifetime helping the sick, the disposesssed, and the less fortunate of this world, and I am pleased to see that this kind of commitment is recognized and commended. Mr. Speaker, please join me in paying tribute to Reverend Dr. Willis T. Goodwin for his many years of unselfish service to God and Country.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a dear friend, Carrie Sinkler- Parker upon her appointment to the board of Friends of HelpAged--Ghana International. Friends of HelpAged--Ghana is a member of HelpAged International, a nongovernmental association established in 1988. Their goal is to assist older persons who are poor, marginalized, or isolated with their daily needs. They seek to promote adequate health care treatment and medicinal availability in rural regions. They work to provide vital services to older persons without care, and enlist volunteers to visit with isolated persons in their homes. Ms. Sinkler-Parker holds a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology and a Masters in Public Health from the University of South Carolina. Throughout the course of her career, Ms. Sinkler-Parker has focused on eliminating barriers to obtaining quality health care and on addressing social issues that significantly impact older persons. Ms. Sinkler- Parker has been very valuable to me and my staff and I am certain she will use her experiences, dedication, and knowledge to help shape our world views and understanding of the aging population. Mr. Speaker, please join me in wishing Ms. Carrie Sinkler-Parker good luck and Godspeed in her new position and in honoring her for the incredible service she continues to provide to elderly citizens around the world.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Judge John Bratton Davis. On Monday, April 2, it was my pleasure to participate in a very moving ceremony renaming the building housing the United States Bankruptcy Court in Columbia, South Carolina in honor of Judge Davis. Mr. Davis was born in Hartsville, South Carolina in 1917. After graduating from the University of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina Law School, he took graduate work at Harvard Law School. He served in the South Pacific Theater of Operations, first as an executive officer and later as naval aide to the Commander of the New Hebrides Island Group. After service to his country, Mr. Davis began the practice of law with Graydon, Grimball, Graydon, Faulkenberry, Sawyer, and Suber. He remained in the private practice of law until 1969, when he was appointed as a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the District of South Carolina. In 1986, Judge Bratton Davis was appointed Chief Justice of the Bankruptcy Court, a post he held for fourteen years. He has served as Chairman of the State of South Carolina Development Board, Vice- President of the Richland County Bar Association, and President of the Navy League of South Carolina. In addition, Mr. Davis has served on the Board of Directors of the South Carolina National Bank, Security Federal Savings and Loan Association, and University of South Carolina Educational Foundation. Committed to his community, Mr. Davis served as State Vice-Commander of the American Legion, Co-Chainnan of the March of Dimes Campaign, President of the Richland County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and President of the Columbia Kiwanis Club. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Columbia Chapter of the American Red Cross and the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. Active in his church, Mr. Davis is a Vestryman at Trinity Cathedral. Mr. Speaker, please join me in paying tribute to Judge John Bratton Davis for his many years of unselfish service to God and country.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mrs. Tracy Young Cooper, a teacher at C.A. Johnson High School in Columbia, South Carolina. Ms. Young was recently named South Carolina's ``Teacher of the Year.'' A 29-year-old Columbia native, Mrs. Cooper is a product of Richland School District I schools where her parents were well known educators. She earned a bachelor's degree in English hoping to one day work in broadcast journalism. After attending graduate school, she instead chose to follow in the footsteps of her parents, Mary and Bobby Young of Columbia, and pursue a teaching career. She has been teaching for four years. Mrs. Cooper, the first African-American to win South Carolina's teaching award in 11 years and the fourth since 1969, initially taught English and reading, and is currently a curriculum-resource teacher. In that position, she aids her principal with administrative duties, but spends most of her time working with colleagues, including serving as a mentor to first-year teachers. Mrs. Cooper is a graduate of Columbia High School and earned her bachelors degree in English from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She holds a master's of arts in teaching from the University of South Carolina and is working toward her doctorate degree in education at my alma mater, South Carolina State University. Mrs. Cooper is truly an ambassador for education. Last year, she spent 3 weeks in Japan as a participant in the prestigious Fulbright Memorial Teacher Fund Program, which works to bridge the cultural gap between the U.S. and Japan. I commend Mrs. Cooper and wish her the best as she continues to promote the teaching profession and expand her efforts to improve the quality of life of South Carolina's children. Mr. Speaker, please join me and my colleagues in congratulating Mrs. Tracy Young Cooper as South Carolina's 2001 ``Teacher of the Year.''

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a good friend and former student Charlie Brown of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Mr. Brown was recently named a recipient of the J. Willard Marriott Award of Excellence for 2001. Mr. Brown is the Community Relations and Supplier Diversity Manager for Marriott Vacation Club International on Hilton Head Island. He is a consumate team player, noted for assisting anyone in need and being the first to lend a helping hand. Mr. Brown has become legendary for always being the first to arrive after a hurricane to assist with evacuations and to see where he can be of the most help. Committed to his community as well as his job, Mr. Brown helped to establish the Hilton Head Medical Center Community Relations Work Group in 1997. He worked toward the start of this group after seeing a need for more open lines of communication between the minority community and the Hilton Head Medical Center and Clinics. Mr. Brown has also been instrumental in seeing the vision of a Minority Business Council on Hilton Head move from the talking stage to fruition. Selflessly devoting his time, Mr. Brown serves on the boards of the Hilton Head Island Community Foundation, Hilton Head Island American Heart Association, Beaufort County First National Bank, and the NAACP/ Housing Initiative Project. In addition, he is the chairman-elect of the Hilton Head Chamber of Commerce and the chairman of the Island Recreation Center Fastline Track Club. Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join with me and my fellow South Carolinians in honoring Mr. Charlie Brown. He is a wonderful example of commitment to career and community alike and is well-deserving of the Marriott Award of Excellence.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the nominees for the South Carolina Outstanding Neighborhood Volunteers of the Year. Many of these volunteers nominated for the award are from my district and well deserving of the honor. The Burton Heights-Standish Acres Neighborhood Association in Columbia, South Carolina is an organization devoted to the safety and cleanliness of their neighborhood; this association has four members who were nominated for the award. Mr. and Mrs. John Watson are dedicated volunteers who have been catalysts for a united, safe, and friendly community. Sylvester Jenkins, a charter member of the Burton Heights-Standish Acres Neighborhood Association, is a model citizen who also serves as President of the Retired Mail Handlers Organization. Venis J. Livingston is noted throughout the neighborhood for her rapport with the youth, a characteristic she utilizes in her role as a Parent educator. ``The Drama Team,'' a subunit of the Eau Claire Community Council Youth Organization, uses theatrical plays and artistic endeavors to educate community youth about issues ranging from HIV/AIDS to violence and drugs. ``The Drama Team'' has three fine women who have been nominated for the Outstanding Neighborhood Volunteers of the Year Award. Angela Cooper is a schoolteacher who provides mentoring to the students on the team, teaching self-esteem and reading skills. Community Advocate Angeline Morris ensures support from the business community to the ECCC so the operations of the team are properly financed. Rubye Finch is a team mentor who excels in the teaching of conflict resolution. Neighborhood promotion, preservation, and improvement are the goals of the Bradley Community Council; the Council has three outstanding volunteers nominated for the award. Block Captain Sue Finch devotes her time on a regular basis to ensure the success of events such as the annual Hot Dog Night and Crime Out Night. Susan Hamm served as President of the Bradley Community Council from 1995 to 2000 and currently leads a neighborhood bible study. Stacey Shugart leads the Council in the production of a Community Directory and assists in the printing of newsletters and meeting minutes. The Booker T. Washington High School Foundation nominated one of their founding members, Susan Brown Freeman, as the Outstanding Neighborhood Volunteer of the Year. Mrs. Freeman was the first African American consultant for Special Education teachers in Richland County, SC School District 1. Mary C. Short of the Bethel Bishop Tenant Association is another nominee for the award. Her dedication to the AmeriCorp organization along with her work as an The members of the Brandon Acres/Cedar Terrace Neighborhood Association are committed to preserving and improving the community in which they reside; they have nominated Dr. Ramona Lagos, professor at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Lagos organized the Association's first meeting with important city officials; she also serves as Secretary. The Seminar Ridge Neighborhood Organization organizes activities to provide the best living environment to its residents. Dr. Lois Fries served as President of this Organization for seven years, during which time she greatly increased its impact in the community. The Read Street/Edgewood Community Improvement Cooperative Council nominated Georgia Davenport for the Outstanding Neighborhood Volunteer of the Year Award. Mrs. Davenport worked extensively in the Read Street clean up, which led to a reduction in drug traffic and violence in the area. The Booker Washington Heights Neighborhood Organization is dedicated to the improvement of the community of Columbia, South Carolina and has nominated three individuals. Johnnie Edmonds serves as Treasurer and is very active in this organization despite the fact that he moved out of the neighborhood years ago. The late Beverly Hampton left a legacy of community involvement and dedication to her neighbors when she departed this life on May 21, 2000. Kevin Speaks has worked to improve a poor section of the Booker Washington Heights neighborhood by giving his time and showing pride in his community. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring each and every one of these wonderful volunteers. They show all of us what can be done if we give back to the neighborhoods and towns we call home. Every one of the nominees for the Outstanding Neighborhood Volunteers of the Year Award deserves the honor along with our appreciation.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, on April 28, 2001, in Granville South Carolina, the Beech Island Historical Society will host the Fifteenth Annual Beech Island Heritage Day Celebration. As in the past, the theme of Heritage Day is 315 years of Beech Island history. To illustrate that history, the society invites artists and craftsmen to demonstrate ancient skills practiced by Native Americans and early American skills that settlers brought with them to Beech Island. Re-enactors also recreate Beech Island history from Colonial days to the Civil War era. The theme of this year's 15th Heritage Day is the history of ``Silver Bluff--A Celebrated Place.'' Silver Bluff, located on the South Carolina side of the Savannah River about 10 miles from Beech Island, was visited in the 1500's-1700's by Spanish and English explorers and was the site of Irishman George Galphin's trading post and plantation and British Fort Dreadnought, which was recaptured by revolutionary forces under Lieutenant Colonel Henry ``Light Horse Harry'' Lee in 1781. This year's Heritage Day will feature a wide variety of Colonial and Early American craftsmen demonstrating traditional, but almost forgotten skills, such as: molding pewter, gunsmithing, hand sewing, blacksmithing, spinning, quilting, basket weaving and chair caning. Mr. Speaker, please join me and my colleagues in congratulating the Beech Island Historical Society for hosting this wonderful event.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable South Carolinian who was named ``MVP 2001'' by the South Carolina State Council of Senior Citizens. Richard Brewer has earned this prestigious honor though his constant dedication to his community. Mr. Brewer is the first elected president of ILA Local 1422 Retirees, where he continues to serve. He is also on the Executive Board of the South Carolina State Council of Senior Citizens. Family and church have always come first for Mr. Brewer, but he selflessly devotes his time to his Chartered ILA Club. He is active in the politics of South Carolina, leading rallies at the State Capitol dealing with issues ranging from the Confederate Flag to workers rights. Richard Brewer led the ILA Retiree volunteers in hosting a ``Legislative Breakfast'' in Charleston, South Carolina last year. He also took it upon himself to ensure the attendance of key elected officials, causing the event to be a complete success. The funding for the breakfast was also secured by Mr. Brewer, whose ILA Retirees paid for the event. Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in paying tribute to Richard Brewer and the ILA Local 1422 Retirees. Mr. Brewer has demonstrated tireless dedication and loyalty to the citizens of my state of South Carolina and for this he should be honored.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, on April 21-23, 2001, more than 1,200 students from across the United States will be in Washington, D.C. to compete in the national finals of the We the People . . . The Citizen and the Constitution program. I am proud to announce that the class from Wilson High School from my district in Florence will represent the state of South Carolina in this national event. These young scholars have worked diligently to reach the national finals and through their experience have gained profound knowledge and understanding of the fundamental principles and values of our constitutional democracy. The students are: Lakisha Boston, Lynette Carr, Christine Chen, Rebecca Derrick, Ashunti Drummond, Elizabeth Fortnum, Albert Hayward, Anthony Henderson, Benjamin Ingram, Janny Liu, Christina Moss, Jason Owens, Anna Stewart, Tyler Thomas, and Dheepa Varadarajan. I would also like to recognize their teacher, Yvonne Rhodes, who deserves much of the credit for the success of the class. We the People . . . The Citizen and the Constitution is one of the most extensive educational programs in the country specifically developed to educate young people about the Constitution and Bill of Rights. The three-day national competition is modeled after congressional hearings and they consist of oral presentations by the high school students before a panel of judges. The student's testimony is followed by a period of questioning by the simulated congressional committee. The judges probe students for their depth of understanding and ability to apply their constitutional knowledge. The 250th Anniversary of James Madison's birth in 1751 offers an appropriate opportunity to examine this Founder's contribution to American constitutionalism and politics. To this end, the national finals will include questions on Madison and his legacy. Findings suggest that national finalists are less cynical about politics and public officials and participate in politics at a higher rate than do their peers. Administered by the Center for Civic Education, the We the People program has provided curriculum materials at the upper elementary, middle, and high school levels for more than 26.5 million students nationwide. Members of Congress and our staff enhance the program by discussing current constitutional issues with students and teachers and by participating in other educational activities. As a former history teacher, I am pleased to know that this program provides students with a working knowledge of our Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the principles of our democratic government. The class from Wilson High School is currently conducting research and preparing for the upcoming national competition in Washington, D.C. I wish these young scholars the best of luck at the We the People . . . national finals. My staff and I look forward to greeting them when they visit Capitol. Mr. Speaker, please join me and my colleagues as we congratulate the young scholars from Wilson High School as they compete in this national civics competition.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mrs. Annie Martin Gibson of Summerton, South Carolina, who died at the age of 90 on March 6. Mrs. Gibson and her late husband William were among the principle petitioners in the lawsuit Briggs v. Elliott, which became the first of the five lawsuits collectively known as Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. Those cases began the process of breaking down racial barriers in our nation's public schools. Annie Gibson's place in history has been often overlooked. She, along with 19 of her peers, were the original signers of the document that started legal action leading to the desegregation of America's schools. Mrs. Gibson was the last surviving petitioner who set the landmark desegregation movement into motion. For decades following the lawsuit, the Gibson family suffered through stress and unrest due to their decision. Mrs. Gibson was fired from her job as a housekeeper at a local hotel. While many of the petitioners left the Clarendon County area, the Gibsons remained with their four children. With the land they owned they managed to earn a meager living. A family friend said the family never succumbed to the hardships facing them. Mrs. Gibson has been described by friends and family as a quiet, gentle person who refused to allow her children to receive a second rate education. She was one of many unsung heroes during the Civil Rights Movement who should be celebrated and remembered for putting her country before herself. Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me today in honoring Annie Martin Gibson for her great work as a Civil Rights Movement trailblazer. Her sacrifices should be remembered and celebrated by this House. Mrs. Annie Martin Gibson will be sorely missed.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Jerry Cleveland Whitmire who passed away on December 19, 2000. Mr. Whitmire was a loyal servant of his community and of his country as an infantry officer in Korea and Vietnam. I believe the eulogy given by Reverend Charles M. Blackmon gives the most appropriate praise to this wonderful South Carolinian. Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me today in honoring Mr. Whitmire. Eulogy for Jerry Cleveland Whitmire December 19, 2000 We are gathered, this afternoon, for a soldier's funeral. On his last journey in this world, Jerry Cleveland Whitmire-- ``Trigger''--will be draped in the flag of the United States of America, the flag for which he fought. And he will be escorted at each step by an Honor Guard, fellow soldiers of the United States Army. Ladies and gentlemen, I have presided at more military funerals than I can possibly count. I am always impressed by the dignity and precision of the Honor Guard. I am also impressed by something else: These superbly trained soldiers are here for a specific purpose. They are here to remind us that it is not only family and friends who have come here to say farewell to Jerry. A grateful nation has also come here to say farewell. America is here to say farewell to a son, a dutiful servant, a hero. It strikes me that to truly understand and appreciate this man, we need to look at his roots. We need to go back two generations to Jerry's grandfather and namesake, Jeremiah Cleveland Whitmire. Jeremiah was born in 1838. He was a blacksmith and yeoman farmer in the foothills of upper Greenville County. He did not own slaves--no Whitmire ever owned slaves. And when the legislature here in Columbia voted to secede from the Union, Jeremiah might not have agreed with all the reasons. But Jeremiah was a man of duty and loyalty. When the war came, he hiked north to Ashville, where he mustered with the 14th North Carolina. In the ensuing years, he fought with gallantry in the Army of Northern Virginia: at Richmond, Spotsylvania Courthouse, Sharpsburg, Gettysburg, to the bitter end at Appomattox. At the conclusion of the war, his duty done, Jeremiah walked the hundreds of miles back to his beloved farm in Greenville. Let me say this: Jeremiah would have been very, very proud of his grandson Jerry. He would have been proud that Jerry chose to go to The Citadel. He would have been proud of Jerry's decision to go into the infantry. He would have been proud that in the bitterest, coldest engagements in Korea, Jerry stood and fought at the point of maximum danger--as commander of rifle company on the front line. He would have understood Jerry's agony when a comrade fighting at his side, an African-American, sustained a terrible wound in the chest. Jerry cradled that man in his arms as he died. Likewise, Jeremiah would have been proud of Jerry's combat service in Vietnam. He would have been proud that when the rest of America had become divided and uncertain--Jerry remained resolute and dutiful. Jerry was a soldier--he volunteered for a second combat tour in Vietnam. And finally, Jeremiah would have been proud that at the end of the fighting, Jerry always returned to that same farm in upper Greenville County--land that Whitmires have farmed for more than two centuries. Jerry worked that land as a dairyman and cattleman throughout his adult life. He loved it with all his heart. Right up to the last, Jerry was happiest when he was tending his cattle, walking the bottomlands, jumping over creeks, climbing the highest hills. On that farm, Jerry Whitmire was at home. Of course, for family and friends gathered here, we do not remember Jerry as a fierce warrior. We remember him as the gentlest of gentlemen--a man who was always full of laughter, a man who loved to make other people laugh. I'm told that, at the golf clubhouse at Fort Jackson, they serve a brew called ``Trigger Beer'' in recognition of his good spirits. Jerry Whitmire was not a man of extraordinary virtues. He was a man of ordinary virtues possessed in extraordinary abundance. Kindness. Generosity. Charity. Honesty. Decency. It's ironic. Jerry was a soldier who knew war intimately. But if the world did a better job of practicing those virtues that Jerry lived by, there would be no need for soldiers because there would be no war. His brothers, James and Charles, will always remember him as an alter boy at Christ Episcopal in Greenville. Countless times they watched their baby brother Jerry carrying the tall silver cross down the center aisle. Jerry was--to the core--a Christian man. If he had one role model from the Gospels, it surely must have been the Good Samaritan. When it came to helping people and animals in need, Jerry knew no boundaries. He would always stop and help. In the Gospels, Christ admonishes his followers to give away their possessions, including the shirts on their backs. On so many occasions, Jerry followed that command almost literally. He was constantly giving his time and money to other people. He was quick to forgive debts. This same generosity applied to the dogs, cats, and cattle that had the good fortune to have him as their master. For several decades, now, Jerry has spent more money on hay and upkeep for his cows than he ever made by selling them at market. Truth is, Jerry never owned the cows--the cows owned him. And that was just fine with him. The result of this lifetime of generosity and giving is that Jerry did not die a rich man. Money was not what drove him. Jerry understood that we make a living by what we make, but we make a life by what we give. He was forever giving: himself, his labor, his money. As a result he takes to the grave the only wealth that really matters: the wealth of a life well lived . . . the wealth of our respect and admiration and love. Of course, for Jerry, his greatest wealth was his family, especially Tweetie, his beloved wife and partner of nearly a half century. Yes, Jerry had a powerful love for his daughters Laura and Marguerite. And yes, he loved his grandchildren. But truth be told, in his last years, he had a very, very special place in his heart for the youngest: his greatgrandson Daniel. And as Danny grows up to be a teenager and then a man, he will have the enormous privilege to learn more about Trigger, the great-grandfather he loves so much. Daniel will do well to live by his great-grandfather's example. There is an old expression: Sometimes life is not as simple as it seems--it is even simpler. And so it is with people. Sometimes their lives can be captured best in the fewest, simplest words. To capture the essence of Jerry's life, I once again go back to his great-grandfather, Jeremiah. Jeremiah is buried at Ebeneezer Baptist church not far from the Greenville farm. And on the gravestone, his epitaph is exactly eight words long. It says: ``Confederate Soldier, Christian Citizen, Faithful to Every Trust.'' With one necessary amendment, those same words can now sum up Jerry Cleveland Whitmire's life: American soldier, Christian citizen, faithful to every trust. We will remember him with love. May he rest in peace.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to D.E. Sumpter and Associates (DESA) for the contributions they have made to the landscape of the South Carolina business community. This month the company commemorated its 15th anniversary. DESA, Inc., an African American woman-owned business, has grown to 150 employees from its humble beginnings in 1986. In addition to its headquarters in Columbia, SC, the company now has regional offices in Charleston, SC, Atlanta, GA, and Falls Church, VA. DESA specializes in development education for minority businesses, conference management, technical assistance, construction management, and hospital management. The State newspaper named DESA's founder, Diane Sumpter, one of the ``People to Watch in Business in the Midlands in 2001.'' She contributes to her community through service on the Cultural Council of Richland and Lexington Counties. She has served on the boards of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Sumpter is also a founding member of the Minority Contractors Association for the State of South Carolina. She is a Life Member of the NAACP, and has recently joined the Board of Directors of the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce. DESA has worked with numerous small minority and women owned businesses through mentor protege programs. The company has been awarded SBA's 1990 Advocate of the Year, Midland Minority Supplier Development Council's 1991 Vendor of the Year, SBA's 1992 South Carolina Minority Business Person, and the YWCA Tribute to Women in Industry Award. Most recently, DESA received the 2000 BB&T Trailblazer Award. Mr. Speaker, please join me in paying tribute to DESA and its proprietor, my good friend, Ms. Diane Sumpter for the contributions she and her company have made to our State and Nation.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. But, Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland so much for his friendship over the years, and I appreciate being a part of this special order to speak on this very special issue. As the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson), our chair in the Congressional Black Caucus, stated so eloquently, one of the reasons to me, the main reason for this document, which I think was first published in the 101st Congress, and of course I came here in the 103rd, is in order to give young people most especially in our country a fuller understanding of the broad history of this great Nation. I have always maintained, as so many others, that Black History Month is a time for us in this country to focus attention in an affirmative way on what some of the issues are today that have come to pass because of our passive resistance in so many areas in years gone by. As I go around my district during this month, I like to remind the students that I talk to. I go to public schools and private schools. In fact, I have gone to participating in a Black History Month program in a private academy in my district with only one black student. But I accepted the invitation, because I wanted to be there to talk to those students, irrespective of skin color, about what this month really means. In this country, we tend sometimes when we know that there is an issue that needs to be addressed, we tend not to take the giant step. We want to creep and then crawl, then walk and run. We started out, when I was a kid, we had Black History Week, the week that embraced both the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, that was set aside every year for us to focus attention on the contribution of African Americans. That was done because our textbooks in those times were completely devoid of any mention of African Americans, irrespective of what field they may have made their contributions in. So in 1976, I believe, under the direction of, first, former President Gerald Ford I think, and then followed in action by maybe executive order by Jimmy Carter when he became President, we moved it to Black History Month. So we have gone from one week now to a month. I believe that, in the not too distant future, we will eliminate whatever reasons we have for setting aside this month, because I think that we will slowly but surely get to a point where we are going to bring into our textbooks all of the contributions of African Americans in whatever field of endeavor. I think now, though, we are here to talk about updating this book that really discusses the history of African Americans' service in this great body. I believe it is important for us to understand that this is to offer an opportunity for everybody, red and yellow, black and white, to get a better understanding of their history and a better understanding of all of the people who are citizens of our great Nation what contributions they may have made to the development of this Nation. Because in so many instances, I am actually surprised when I go to these schools the number of young students, black and white, who are just unaware of this rich history and the kind of respect that can be developed for each other when we have a better understanding that all of us have a rich history in this country and all of us, irrespective of background, race, gender, hair texture or which side of town one may have been born on, all of us have made significant contributions that the entire country celebrates this month and celebrates the year round. I am going to use an example of what happened in the school I was in the other day to underscore this point. I said to the students that I talked to, I said, you know, when I was a child, I remember the most dreaded disease known to us children at that time was the disease of polio. We used to really live in fear of it. I remember one would come home from school with a headache, my mother feeling that may have been the first sign of polio. Polio visited my neighborhood twice, leaving one of my playmates dead and another one crippled for life. But along came two people, Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin, whose great work, great study and contributions have virtually eliminated polio from the face of the earth. Well, at the same time, there were soldiers dying on battlefields all over the world, not because of the wounds they were receiving, but they were dying because of a loss of blood. Along came a guy named Charles Drew who saw that life did not have to end this way. Because of his hard work and his study, he came up with a method by which we can refrigerate blood and save it until we need it. So I tell students these two stories to let them know that it does not matter to me that Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin happen to have been born white, nor should it matter to anybody else that Charles Drew happened to be born black. What matters to all of us is these three men made contributions so that all of us can have better lives, better quality of life today. When these things are put in our books so that our students can see that people of various backgrounds, various skin colors did in fact make significant contributions, there is a higher level of respect they will have one for the other. They will learn to treat that student sitting next to him or her irrespective of what the gender or color they may be with a new level of honor because they will know that that could very well be another leader in the political world, in the government affairs, in science, in whatever field of endeavor they may undertake. So I want to thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for bringing this resolution so that we can update this book, because I think that, when one looks at some of the men and women who have been elected to this august body since it was last published in 1989, it behooves all of us to make them familiar to all of our students so those students can get a better level of respect for this body and for the men and women serving in it. So I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for letting me be a part of this special order. I hope that the entire Congress will see that the wisdom of going forward with this resolution, funding it, so we can get it out to all of our libraries and our schools, these men and women who make significant contributions day in and day out to the governmental affairs of our great Nation. Hopefully they may spark something into that little girl or boy who may wonder whether or not service in this body can, in fact, be something they can look forward to and use that as a stepping stone instead of the many stumbling blocks that have been placed in many of their ways in years gone by. So I thank the gentleman so much for letting me be a part of this.

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) very much for yielding me the time. I thank him so much for his leadership, not just on this issue, but his leadership here in the Congress on so many issues. Also, I want to thank the gentleman for our long-time friendship. The gentleman is right. I started adding up the years in my head. I hate to think of it, but the gentleman is probably close to it.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Joyce Rheney who on February 14, 2001 was honored as South Carolina Mother of the Year 2001. The Mother of the Year Committee recognizes the dignity of motherhood and the influence that mothers have on their families, professions, communities and churches. Along with her duties as mother and wife, Mrs. Rheney manages to find time to donate her talents to her community in several capacities. She is a member of Orangeburg City Council, serving her 12th year in office. She is an active representative of the Downtown Orangeburg Revitalization Association board and served as co-chair on the committee to renovate Steyenson Auditorium. She volunteered to serve on the Foundation Board of TRMC and was the 1997 co-chair of the fund- raising gala. The funds raised by this gala are used in the community for hospice cancer patient care and Camp Catch-A-Breath. She was elected president of the foundation for 2000-2001. Mrs. Rheney is a 1949 graduate of Jefferson-Hillman School of Nursing in Birmingham, Alabama. Her first job was as director of nursing at a tuberculosis sanitarium in Decatur, Georgia. After her move to South Carolina, she accepted positions in the surgical unit of Roper Hospital and later as pediatric head nurse at Saint Francis Hospital in Charleston, South Carolina. Upon moving to Orangeburg, South Carolina in 1954, Mrs. Rheney immediately became active in the community. She held memberships in the Junior Service League, the Medical Alliance, and the Salvation Army Advisory Board. In the 1960's and 1970's she was an active supporter and volunteer for many activities at Wade Hampton Academy, where her children were students. Mrs. Rheney and her husband, Dr. John Rheney, Jr. are the parents of four children: John III, a local dentist; Betsy, a human resources representative in Aiken; Bruce, a local bank vice- president; and David, a Greenville attorney. The Rheneys raised their children in a loving, Christian home, encouraging them to love God, one another, and themselves. As South Carolina's Mother of the Year, Mrs. Rheney will represent the state in Portland, Oregon in April at the national convention of American Mothers, Inc., a non-profit, interfaith organization founded for the purpose of developing and strengthening the moral and spiritual foundation of America's families. I am privileged to serve parts of Orangeburg county in this august body, a county which has seen three other of its outstanding women attain the state's Mother of the Year honor. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Mrs. Joyce Rheney, for her outstanding work as an exemplary mother and unselfish community servant.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Jerry R. Poer, a salon and cosmetology school owner from my district. On January 26, 2001, he was inducted into the National Cosmetology Association's Board of Directors Hall of Renown. Mr. Poer was recently honored at the International Beauty Show in Long Beach, California. The award acknowledges his many years of contributions to the cosmetology industry. Poer has received numerous other awards and honors during his distinguished career. He has received the Charleston Cosmetologist of the Year and the South Carolina Cosmetologist of the Year honors. He has also served as President of the National Cosmetology Association of South Carolina and Styles Director of the South Carolina Fashion and Education Committee. While a member of Hair America he served as coordinator for the NCA Montage Collection. Mr. Poer has been a platform artist, lecturer, and consultant for state shows, modeling agencies, and many educational classes. Modern Salon, American Salon, Passion, and Men's Passion have each featured Mr. Poer during his career. Mr. Poer has been inducted into the South Carolina Cosmetology Hall of Fame and served on the Governor's Advisory Board. Students and staff of his cosmetology school have received nine State Hair Styling Championships. Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me and my colleagues today in paying tribute to an individual whose dedication to his field is extremely noteworthy. Mr. Jerry R. Poer continues to this day to support the growth and advancement of the cosmetology industry and he deserves our praise.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Attorney Louis Weldon Hammond who, for over 37 years, tirelessly served our veterans and was a trailblazer in his field. Attorney Hanimond was bom in Ridge Spring, SC on January 5, 1939. He attended Morehouse College and obtained his bachelor and law degrees from South Carolina State College. For more than 35 years, he has been married to the former Loretta Thomas. They have two children, Kartika Loretta Hammond and Louis Weldon Hammond II. After graduating law school as the top Administrative Law student, the Veterans Administration Regional Office in Columbia, South Carolina, recognized his talefit and hired Mr. Hammond. His success on the job cast him into the role of trailblazer. Mr. Hammond was the first African American to hold each position as he rose through the ranks. The positions he held included Legal Claims Examiner, Veterans Claims Rating Board, Veterans Claims Examiner Authorizer, Section Chief, Assistant Adjudication Officer and Veterans Service Center Manager. He also served as an Equal Employment Opportunity Counselor and National Equal Employment Investigator. His career successes led to his appointment to a number of positions of distinction including Chairman of National Adjudication Officer's Advisory Committee, Southern Area Adjudication Officers Advisory Committee, and the V.A.'s top Leadership award. Mr. Hammond's distinguished career also led him to receive the award of first runner- up for Federal Employee of the Year for 1977. Perhaps his dedicated service to the Veterans Administration stemmed from his distinction as a veteran himself. He rose to the rank of SGT E-6 (Staff Sergeant) and received numerous honors including; Good Conduct Medal, Army Expeditionary Medal, Army Commendation Letter, Outstanding Soldier of Encampment, Outstanding Soldier of Reserve Unit, Court Martial Coordinator--Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Outside his legal and military career, Mr. Hammond was, and continues to be, very active in his community. Mr. Hammond founded a neighborhood organization called New Castle Concerned Citizens, and serves as a poll manager in his Midway precinct. He has also participated in a number of other organizations. He served on the Board of Directors at Providence Home and the Advisory Board of Richland Northeast High School and as former Chairman and Treasurer of the Kitani Foundation, Past President of the South Carolina State College's Columbia Alumni Association, and past president of the Dent Middle School PTO. Mr. Hammond is a Life Member of the NAACP and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He is a member of First Calvary Baptist Church, where he has served as Deacon, Chairman of a $2.5 million building project, as the Minister's Administrative Assistant, and is a member of two choirs. His dedication to South Carolina veterans and to the community was recognized on December 19, 2000 when Governor Jim Hodges awarded Mr. Hammond the Silver Crescent. Mr. Speaker, we seldom meet people who give so tirelessly of their time and efforts as Louis Weldon Hammond, Sr. Please join me in paying tribute to this wonderful South Carolinian, a personal friend, and a trailblazer who earned the reputation of being a dedicated, just, equitable, fair and caring professional during his long and distinguished career.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the men and women who were victimized in the little known civil rights battle which has become known as the Orangeburg Massacre. And to thank South Carolina's Governor Jim Hodges for the remarks he made during last week's thirty-third anniversary of this catastrophic event which took place on February 8, 1968. The Governor's remarks are inserted below. The Orangeburn Massacre's place in history has been overlooked, and is considered one of the most violent such events in South Carolina's struggle for civil rights. While many people believe the Kent State shootings were the first such event in our nation's history, the Kent State event occurred two years after the unrest at my alma mater, S.C. State. Henry Smith, 20, Samuel Hammond, 19, and Delano Middleton, 17, lost their lives during the bloody clash. Another twenty-seven people were also injured by the bullets from state law enforcement officers on that ill- fated evening. Some three hundred students gathered on the campus of South Carolina State after three days of sit-ins and protests at All-Star Bowling Lane. The students were continuing their demonstration against the segregation of Orangeburg's only bowling alley. Four years after passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the establishment remained segregated, despite numerous efforts to persuade the owners to integrate. Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me today in honoring Henry Smith, Samuel Hammond and Delano Middleton, the twenty seven students who survived their wounds. Governor James Hovis Hodges along with the hundreds of other students, teachers, administrators and parents who helped and are still helping to bring equality to this nation. Remarks of Governor Jim Hodges--South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, Thursday, February 8, 2001 I am truly honored and humbled to be here with you today. Nearly 170 years ago, when our country was still newly- formed a Frenchman named Alexis de Tocqueville came to our shores to explore this fledgling experiment in democracy. He recorded his thoughts in a landmark treatise called Democracy in America. He told his readers that he ``sought the image of democracy itself, with its inclinations, its character, its prejudices, and its passions, in order to learn what we have to fear or hope from its progress.'' Had Tocqueville visited America in 1968, he would have seen our fears and not our hopes. We were a country in turmoil. Thousands of American soldiers died in Vietnam. Assassins struck down Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King. Neighbors feared and distrusted one another. We were a state and a nation deeply divided by race, age and politics. This was especially evident on our college campuses. On these campuses, the passions of the time spawned protests and confrontation. Some of these protests are known to all Americans. One of the most famous images of the era is that of a young girl weeping over her fallen friend at Kent State in Ohio. But when we look in the pages of history, the Orangeburg Massacre is often missing. Most Americans know about the four students killed at Kent State in 1970, but not the three students killed at S.C. State two years before. What happened here thirty-three years ago was the first tragedy of its kind on an American college campus. Yet few Americans have ever heard the names of Samuel Hammond, Delano Middleton and Henry Smith. Most Americans do not know them as we know them. Henry Smith was a sophomore from Marion. His mother was secretary of his high school PTA. Henry's mother taught him the importance of a good education. She told her children, ``I always figured if I couldn't get it, I was going to have it for my kids. Get them to college and get them what they needed.'' Henry kept his promise to his mother. And he wrote her every week to let her know how he was doing in school. Delano Middleton was a student at Wilkinson High School here in Orangeburg. He would often lead his teammates in prayer after football practice. His mother worked at the college, and Delano often spent time on the campus making friends with the other students. Samuel Hammond was born in Barnwell, and grew up in Florida. He returned to his home state with dreams of becoming a teacher. On a college questionnaire, Samuel was asked ``What was the one big thing he wanted in life?'' Samuel responded that the thing he wanted most was an education. Henry Smith, Samuel Hammond and Delano Middleton each wanted to enjoy the unlimited potential offered in America . . . in a time and place where skin color provided limited opportunity. It was that effort to claim equal rights and equal opportunity, that pursuit of human dignity . . . that led students to protest segregation at a local bowling alley. And after three days of fear and uncertainty . . . these three young men were killed . . . and twenty-seven others wounded . . . on the grounds of this campus. We deeply regret what happened here on the night of February 8, 1968. The Orangeburg Massacre was a great tragedy for our state. Even today, the State of South Carolina bows its head, bends its knee and begins the search for reconciliation. The families of Samuel Hammond, Henry Smith and Delano Middleton are gathered here today. We thank you for coming. As a parent, I can only imagine the sorrow you must have felt to lose a loved one. We wish we had the opportunity to know them as you did. We regret that they were taken from us at such a young age. Many of the survivors of that night have gathered here. We thank you for coming, and we welcome you back to Orangeburg today. We take comfort from the fact that Orangeburg is a better place, South Carolina is a better place, and America is a better place than it was thirty-three years ago. I also want to thank the students of S.C. State for being here today. If these three young men were alive today, their sons and daughters would be college students just like you. They were here because their parents believed in the power of education. And you are here because of the sacrifices they made. These sacrifices must never be forgotten, and these opportunities must never be taken for granted. Thirty-three years ago, a group of students gathered around a bonfire on this campus after being denied their basic right to patronize a local business. And on that cold February night, that bonfire was extinguished, along with the lives of three brave young men. But that bonfire still glows brightly today. Because we-- the living--are now the keepers of that flame. We must carry the flame with understanding . . . and compassion . . . and education. Opportunity comes from education. Ignorance and prejudice are turned back by education. The flame of education illuminates the dark corners of our past. The flame of education warms our hearts with reconciliation. And the flame of education can guide us into a future of boundless hope and opportunity. In America, we still seek the image of democracy itself. And we still must contend with our passions and our prejudices. But if Alexis de Tocqueville . . . or Samuel Hammond . . . or Henry Smith . . . or Delano Middleton were here today, they would see a city, and a state, and a nation where fear has waned and hope abides. They would witness the progress of our democracy, nod their heads and recognize that there is still much to be done. And most importantly, they would urge us to continue down the path of reconciliation. Thank you for granting me the honor of standing here today.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to twenty-two exceptional students at Claflin University, who are participating in the ``Call Me Mister'' program. ``Call Me Mister'' was developed to address the looming shortage of teachers, especially black male teachers. The program strives to place black males in front of elementary school classrooms in order to provide positive role models for our children. Each of the twenty-two participants in ``Call Me Mister'' at Claflin underwent a rigorous application process and are required to maintain a minimum grade point average. The students will complete 300 hours of community service before they graduate. Black youths in South Carolina have the highest dropout rate of any group and twenty percent are held back in the first grade. These children are in desperate need of African American men to model their lives after, who can show them that the American dream can come true for all Americans. ``Call Me Mister'' promises to provide the State of South Carolina with a new breed of teachers. Less than one percent of the state's teachers are African American males despite the fact that the state is one-third black. Claflin University and the wonderful participants in the ``Call Me Mister'' program are working to make South Carolina's elementary school classrooms more representative of the state itself. Mr. Speaker, the ``Call Me Mister'' program is working to improve South Carolina schools along with the mentality of African American men. Please join me in paying tribute to these wonderful students and this long overdue program as they work to better the educational system in my state.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, the flags on this building are flying at half mast, recognizing the departure of one of this body's most respected and best loved Members. Julian Dixon was a kind of gentleman that engendered the kind of respect that all of us would like to have as Members of this august body. So it was no wonder that, when I arrived here 8 years ago, he was one of the first people that I sought out to sit down with. I had heard of Julian Dixon before coming here. I had read a whole lot about him and was particularly impressed with the fact that, at one of this body's most crucial times, Julian Dixon was called upon to chair the Committee on Ethics. It was his performance in that chairmanship that I believe maintained the stability that needed to be maintained in order to get the House of Representatives through that particular juncture. He was admired for his work there, but also admired for the work he performed as Chair of the Subcommittee on the District of Columbia of the Committee on Appropriations. That is one of the most difficult positions that one could be in because, as all of us know, the District of Columbia has a problem of taxation without representation. And of course that is a subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, and the person who chairs that subcommittee has probably more to say about the well-being or the ways and means of the District of Columbia than any other single person. Julian's performance on that subcommittee endeared him to all of the people in the District. And then, of course, at the time of his death he was serving as the ranking member on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Julian Dixon's performance there had to be admirable because, as all of us know, that is a special committee, one that requires a special kind of person. And of course everyone who knew Julian knew that he had within him the capacity to do well as ranking member on that committee. Many of us had looked forward to the day when Julian would be chair of that committee. But as the omnipotent and omnipresent being willed it, such would not be the case. Julian Dixon was the former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. As its current chair, it is with great respect that I requested this time this evening so those members of the Congressional Black Caucus who were not here on Friday, when we received news of his death and of course then entered into a spontaneous special tribute to him, so that they would have an opportunity to come to the floor this evening and pay their respects to the life and legacy of Julian Dixon and to impart to his wife, Bettye, and his son, Cary, how much we share in their loss. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Watt), who will manage the rest of this time and, hopefully, recognize those Members as they come to the floor.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Matsui).

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, before yielding to the senior member from the California delegation, let me at this moment yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi).

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I wish at this time to make an announcement that is very tough for me to make. We just received word that our colleague Julian Dixon of California has passed. I wish at this time for the House to stand at ease and for all of us to stand in silence and in our own way pray for him and his family and this body.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, Louis and Bertha Williams were married in Aiken County, South Carolina on October 27, 1950. There marriage symbolizes commitment, tenacity, and a spiritual bond between them that fosters a deep and comfortable friendship and partnership. Mr. Louis Williams retired from the Granitville Company in Granitville, South Carolina after 35 years of dedicated service as a shift supervisor/Mrs. Bertha Williams retired from the Aiken County Public School System after 37 years of dedicated service as a math teacher and high school basketball coach. Faith in God and family means everything to the Williams'. Mr. & Mrs. Louis Williams have two adult daughters, Carolyn and Barbara who reside in Maryland.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the subject of the special order to follow.