Bennie Thompson

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, throughout the month of February, I would like to recognize outstanding African Americans of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi, and their contribution to Black History. The 23 counties of the 2nd District are well represented from both a local and national perspective. Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as ``Negro History Week'' and later as ``Black History Month.'' In fact, black history had barely begun to be studied--or even documented--when the tradition originated. Although blacks have been in America as far back as colonial times, it was not until the 20th century that they gained a presence in our history books. Though scarcely documented in history books, if at all, the crucial role African Americans have played in the development of our nation must not be overlooked. I would like to recognize Mrs. Jessie D. Banks of Holmes County, Mississippi. A native of Tchula, MS, Mrs. Banks received her Bachelors of Science degree in Elementary Education in 1963 and served as an elementary school teacher in Tchula until 1986. Mrs. Banks is not only noted in Holmes County for her long and distinguished career in education, but also for her dedication in public service and the political arena. Mrs. Banks was elected as the first African-American Alderwoman for the City of Tchula in 1977. Mrs. Banks served as a delegate to the National Democratic Convention in Atlanta in 1988 and in Chicago in 1992. In 1989, she was elected as the first African American woman mayor of the City of Tchula. She was re-elected mayor in 1993. Mrs. Banks returned as a delegate to the DNC in Los Angeles in 2000 and the 2004 DNC convention in Boston. Mrs. Banks' public service and political career spans many other public endeavors including NAACP President for Holmes county, Commissioner of Regional 6 Housing Authority, and membership in Habitat for Humanity, The National Council of Negro Women and a life member of the National Alumni Association for Mississippi Valley State University. I take great pride in recognizing and paying tribute to this outstanding African American of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi who deserves mention, not only in the month of February but year round.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, throughout the month of February, I would like to recognize outstanding African Americans of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi, and their contribution to Black History. The 23 counties of the 2nd District are well represented from both a local and national perspective. Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as ``Negro History Week'' and later as ``Black History Month.'' In fact, black history had barely begun to be studied--or even documented--when the tradition originated. Although blacks have been in America as far back as colonial times, it was not until the 20th century that they gained a presence in our history books. Though scarcely documented in history books, if at all, the crucial role African Americans have played in the development of our Nation must not be overlooked. I would like to recognize Edwin E. Searcy, M.D. Family Practitioner of Bolivar County. Dr. Searcy is a member of the hospital staff at Bolivar Medical Center in Cleveland, Mississippi. Dr. Searcy is a native of Cleveland, MS and received his undergraduate degree from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee and his medical degree from The University of Mississippi Medical School in Jackson, MS. Dr. Searcy completed a residency in Family Practice at The University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, MS. He is the son of the late Dr. Rupert T. Searcy and Mrs. E.W. Searcy and has served as a physician for the past twenty-eight years. Dr. Searcy is a member of the Mississippi State Medical Association Board. He was also selected by the Governor of the State of Mississippi to serve as a member on The State Board of Physical Therapy. I take great pride in recognizing and paying tribute to this outstanding African American of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi who deserves mention, not only in the month of February but year round.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, throughout the month of February, I would like to recognize outstanding African Americans of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi, and their contribution to Black History. The 23 counties of the 2nd District are well represented from both a local and national perspective. Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as ``Negro History Week'' and later as ``Black History Month.'' In fact, black history had barely begun to be studied--or even documented--when the tradition originated. Although blacks have been in America as far back as colonial times, it was not until the 20th century that they gained a presence in our history books. Though scarcely documented in history books, if at all, the crucial role African Americans have played in the development of our Nation must not be overlooked. I would like to recognize Mrs. Edna Pulliam Carpenter of Tunica County, Mississippi, born on April 11, 1934. Mrs. Carpenter graduated from Coahoma Agricultural High School and was in the first graduating class at Coahoma Junior College. Carpenter has taught in Robinsonville, MS at Bowdre School, and she began teaching at Rosa Fort High School in 1962. During her teaching career, she taught various courses including English, Physical Education, Math and Black History, as well as Elementary Education. She also introduced the sport of basketball in the Tunica School System. In addition she coached volleyball, tennis, track, and softball. In 1980, her Lady Lions basketball team made their first of seven appearances at the State Championships in Jackson, MS. In 1984, she was the first black female to coach the North Mississippi Girls Basketball All-Star Team in Jackson, MS. She also taught classes at Coahoma Community College. In 1990, she retired from Tunica County School System, but continued to teach and coach for 2 years. She still tutors and works occasionally within the system. In 2003, she was named Hometown Hero by Lifetime Television in New York City at the Lifetime Achievement Awards. In 2003, she was also given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Tunica Teens in Action. As a result of her hard work and dedication in Tunica County, in 2004, the Tunica Middle School renamed their gymnasium in her honor. I take great pride in recognizing and paying tribute to this outstanding African American of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi who deserves mention, not only in the month of February but year round.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, throughout the month of February, I would like to recognize outstanding African Americans of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi, and their contribution to Black History. The 23 counties of the 2nd District are well represented from both a local and national perspective. Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as ``Negro History Week'' and later as ``Black History Month.'' In fact, black history had barely begun to be studied--or even documented--when the tradition originated. Although blacks have been in America as far back as colonial times, it was not until the 20th century that they gained a presence in our history books. Though scarcely documented in history books, if at all, the crucial role African Americans have played in the development of our nation must not be overlooked. I would like to recognize John E. Brown of Madison County, Mississippi, born October 22, 1949. Mr. Brown attended Canton public schools and graduated from Rogers High School in 1968 and graduated from Tougaloo College in 1974 with a B.A. degree in Sociology. Additionally, he received his M.S. degree in Environmental Education from the University of Michigan in 1975. For the past 25 years Mr. Brown has served the people of his community as an advocate for social change and community development. For the past 10 years, Mr. Brown has served as President of the Canton Branch of the NAACP. Currently, he serves as CEO of Madison County Union for Progress. Mr. Brown is a member of Pleasant Green Church of Christ Holiness where he serves as a member of the Board of Deacons. I take great pride in recognizing and paying tribute to this outstanding African American of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi who deserves mention, not only in the month of February but year round.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, throughout the month of February, I would like to recognize outstanding African Americans of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi, and their contribution to Black History. The 23 counties of the 2nd District are well represented from both a local and national perspective. Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as ``Negro History Week'' and later as ``Black History Month.'' In fact, black history had barely begun to be studied--or even documented--when the tradition originated. Although blacks have been in America as far back as colonial times, it was not until the 20th century that they gained a presence in our history books. Though scarcely documented in history books, if at all, the crucial role African Americans have played in the development of our nation must not be overlooked. I would like to recognize Ms. Katharine Carr-Esters of Attala County, Mississippi. Ms. Carr-Esters was born on April 9, 1928, to Mr. James William McKinley and Ms. Ida Presley Carr. Ms. Carr-Esters has always played instrumental part in the movement toward equality in Attala County. She has dedicated her time and efforts to Focus.com (Founder), the Attala County Democratic Committee, the Heritage House Activity Center--organizations which benefit the community. Her community service has been recognized through the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Image Award for Community Harmony, NAACP, Inc., the Attala Historical Society and the Black Service Unlimited. Because of her constant service and dedication to her community, the Katharine Carr Esters Group Home in Kosciusko, MS, and the Katharine Carr Ray Esters Group Home in Meridian, MS, was named in her honor. She was also named the Grand Marshall of the Kosciusko Christmas Parade in 2003. I take great pride in recognizing and paying tribute to this outstanding African American of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi who deserves mention, not only in the month of February but year round.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, throughout the month of February, I would like to recognize outstanding African Americans of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi, and their contribution to Black History. The 23 counties of the 2nd District are well represented from both a local and national perspective. Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as ``Negro History Week'' and later as ``Black History Month.'' In fact, black history had barely begun to be studied--or even documented--when the tradition originated. Although blacks have been in America as far back as colonial times, it was not until the 20th century that they gained a presence in our history books. Though scarcely documented in history books, if at all, the crucial role African Americans have played in the development of our nation must not be overlooked. I would like to recognize Mrs. Julia Thomas of Washington County. Mrs. Thomas has been an advocate for young African Americans throughout her life. She has been instrumental in getting young African-Americans elected to public office. She is a member of the Progressive Art and Civic Club that provides scholarships to African-American students to help further their education. Mrs. Thomas' dedication to the citizens of Washington County is also recognized through the sponsorship of twenty to thirty girls to participate in Literacy Bowls, and workshops on etiquette, attitude, mannerism, drugs, health, politics, etc. Mrs. Thomas also volunteers 85 percent of her time going to schools to talk to students about the contributions that African-Americans have made and are still making in the State of Mississippi and throughout the nation. Some examples of Mrs. Thomas hard work and dedication to having African Americans represented in the political arena include Mr. Davis Weathersby (African-American) serving as Election Commissioner for 2 terms and Mr. Mark Seard being elected to the Office of Supervisors. Even though she has not been the ``1st'' she has made numerous contributions to her race. Throughout her lifetime she has kept the motto to ``lift as she climbs.'' I take great pride in recognizing and paying tribute to this outstanding African American of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi who deserves mention, not only in the month of February but year round.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, throughout the month of February, I would like to recognize outstanding African Americans of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi, and their contribution to Black History. The 23 counties of the 2nd District are well represented from both a local and national perspective. Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as ``Negro History Week'' and later as ``Black History Month.'' In fact, black history had barely begun to be studied--or even documented--when the tradition originated. Although blacks have been in America as far back as colonial times, it was not until the 20th century that they gained a presence in our history books. Though scarcely documented in history books, if at all, the crucial role African Americans have played in the development of our Nation must not be overlooked. I would like to recognize Ms. Mildred Juanita Scott of Sunflower County, Mississippi. A native of Indianola, MS, Scott attended Indianola Elementary School and later graduated from Booker T. Washington High School located in Memphis, Tennessee. She continued her education at Coahoma Community College in Clarksdale, Mississippi, where she received an AA Degree in Library Science. Ms. Scott also has worked extensively towards a degree at Delta State University, located in Cleveland, Mississippi. Ms. Scott has worked diligently with grassroots organizations in and around Sunflower County. At an early age Ms. Scott joined the Sunflower County Branch of NAACP where she served as Secretary for this great organization. It was during this time Ms. Scott and others participated in sit-ins and boycotts throughout Sunflower County. Ms. Scott served as chairperson of the Sunflower County Democratic Executive Committee. She served as Den Mother for Boy Scouts of America and is a member of the National Council of Negro Women. For the past 11 years Ms. Scott has served as County Coordinator for the Friends of Bennie Thompson campaign committee. She recently became the treasurer for the Sunflower CO-OP for Community Improvement. In addition to her long list of volunteer services, Ms. Mildred Juanita Scott has worked for over 38 years as an Administrative/Finance Assistant. She currently works in the Accounts Payable Department at the Bolivar County Community Action Agency. I take great pride in recognizing and paying tribute to this outstanding African American of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi who deserves mention, not only in the month of February but year round.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, throughout the month of February, I would like to recognize outstanding African Americans of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi, and their contribution to Black History. The 23 counties of the 2nd District are well represented from both a local and national perspective. Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as ``Negro History Week'' and later as ``Black History Month.'' In fact, black history had barely begun to be studied--or even documented--when the tradition originated. Although blacks have been in America as far back as colonial times, it was not until the 20th century that they gained a presence in our history books. Though scarcely documented in history books, if at all, the crucial role African Americans have played in the development of our nation must not be overlooked. I would like to recognize Andrew Hawkins, Sr. (1918-2000) and Mary Lou Hawkins (1907 -1972) of Shaw, MS which is located in Bolivar County. Andrew and Mary Lou ``Mae Lou'' were married in 1937 until her murder in 1972. Being children of slaves and having grown up in the Mississippi Delta during the Jim Crowe era and when the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission was active, they set out on an expedition against segregation and discrimination to improve life for black folks. Their stubborn will would not allow them to accept the unfair treatment imposed by white folks. In fact their willingness to lead and step out front brought death; alienation, planned house fires, and increased harassment upon the family but that did not stop the Hawkins. In 1969 Andrew along with Mae Lou and twenty other African American plaintiffs sued the Town of Shaw for violating their rights as spelled out in the 14th Amendment. They had lawyers representing them from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. These were their rights to parallel living conditions in black neighborhoods as experienced by whites in their neighborhoods. Photographed and statistical evidence of both black and white neighborhoods pointed to the disparities between the two of inadequate water supply, unsanitary sewage exposure and disposal, water line pipes, rock roads, natural gas supply, street lights, and more. Hawkins first loss came when he appeared in District Court before Judge Keady. Then on January 23, 1971, the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Judge Keady's decision making the case a precursor for lawsuits against the inequalities of services provided by municipalities. Careful examination of the evidence presented by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund Lawyers overrode all evidence presented by the Town of Shaw helping to establish a prima facie case of racial discrimination. The court prohibited the Town of Shaw from further spending of monies to improve conditions in white neighborhoods until they improve conditions in the black neighborhoods thus creating a better living environment for the entire Town. The Hawkins v. Town of Shaw case is often equated with such paramount cases as Brown v. Board of Education for being one of the great pillars in African American History. In May 1972 two months after the 5th Circuit en banc affirmed the decision of Hawkins v. Town of Shaw, Mary Lou Hawkins was shot and killed by a black ``white controlled'' police officer for the Town of Shaw. In the first fire set to their home, no one was injured but in the second fire, their son Andrew, Jr. and two granddaughters were killed. Mr. Andrew Hawkins and his family has certainly been in a storm and faced tragedies as a consequence. I take great pride in recognizing and paying tribute to these outstanding African Americans of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi who deserve mention, not only in the month of February but year round.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, throughout the month of February, I would like to recognize outstanding African Americans of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi, and their contribution to Black History. The 23 counties of the 2nd District are well represented from both a local and national perspective. Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as ``Negro History Week'' and later as ``Black History Month.'' In fact, black history had barely begun to be studied--or even documented--when the tradition originated. Although blacks have been in America as far back as colonial times, it was not until the 20th century that they gained a presence in our history books. Though scarcely documented in history books, if at all, the crucial role African Americans have played in the development of our nation must not be overlooked. I would like to recognize Reverend Victor Dixon of Copiah County in the State of Mississippi. Born September 27, 1957, Dixon was educated in the Copiah County School District. Rev. Dixon is the pastor of the Egypt Hill M.B. Church, where he has been pastor for twelve years. Presently he serves as Moderator of the Brushy Creek-New Hope Association. He is the President of the Copiah County Minister Alliances, Executive Board Member for the Copiah County Fair Association and Board Member for the Copiah County Boys and Girls Club. Additionally, Rev. Dixon is the owner and President of Dixon Body & Auto Sales, Inc. Previously, Rev. Dixon ministered at Greater Mt. Olive M.B. Church of Oma, Mississippi for 8 years. Rev. Dixon served also served as the Vice-Moderator of Lawrence County Association for four years and Vice- Moderator of the Brushy Creek-New Hope Association for 10 years. I take great pride in recognizing and paying tribute to this outstanding African American of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi who deserves mention, not only in the month of February but year round.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, throughout the month of February, I would like to recognize outstanding African Americans of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi, and their contribution to Black History. The 23 counties of the 2nd District are well represented from both a local and national perspective. Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as ``Negro History Week'' and later as ``Black History Month.'' In fact, black history had barely begun to be studied--or even documented--when the tradition originated. Although blacks have been in America as far back as colonial times, it was not until the 20th century that they gained a presence in our history books. Though scarcely documented in history books, if at all, the crucial role African Americans have played in the development of our nation must not be overlooked. I would like to recognize Mr. King T. Evans, Sr. of Sharkey County in the State of Mississippi. Mr. Evan has dedicated his life to community services as an advocate, member, and president of the Sharkey County branch of NAACP. During the Civil Rights era, Mr. Evans was instrumental in securing the return of a high school in the City of Anguilla for black students that was originally constructed for white students in the community. As a result of his longevity during the Civil Rights Era, Mr. Evans was recognized as a ``Long Distance Runner'' by the Mississippi Conference of the NAACP. Mr. Evans is also known as the co-founder of one of the oldest funeral homes in Greenville, Mississippi, Edwards & Evans Funeral Home (1944). In addition, Mr. Evans recorded oral family history and the history of the Mississippi Delta Region on CD-ROM for the University of Southern Mississippi along with filming historical pleas and contemporary culture of the MS Delta Region to preserve the rich history of this area in the 2nd Congressional District. He has received numerous awards for his outstanding contribution to the African American Race-Received ``Outstanding Volunteer Award,'' Service Award, and Appreciation Award. For his hard work and dedication to African Americans, the City of Greenville has honored him with a street being named ``King T. Evans Street'' and the South Delta School District has named their resource room the ``King T. Evans Resource Room'' in his honor. Mr. Evans has been a true trailblazer for the African-American community. I take great pride in recognizing and paying tribute to this outstanding African American of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi who deserves mention, not only in the month of February but year round.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, throughout the month of February, I would like to recognize outstanding African Americans of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi, and their contribution to Black History. The 23 counties of the 2nd District are well represented from both a local and national perspective. Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as ``Negro History Week'' and later as ``Black History Month.'' In fact, black history had barely begun to be studied--or even documented--when the tradition originated. Although blacks have been in America as far back as colonial times, it was not until the 20th century that they gained a presence in our history books. Though scarcely documented in history books, if at all, the crucial role African Americans have played in the development of our nation must not be overlooked. I would like to recognize Mrs. Mildred J. Cain Burks, of Carroll County, Mississippi. Though small of stature, Burks was very powerful in her speech and way of life. Ms. Burks founded the Senior Citizens Lunch Program and the Boys and Girls Club in Carroll County. In addition, Ms. Burks, along with her husband, Winston Burks, started the Burks No. 506 Order of the Eastern Star. Ms. Burks was a member of the NAACP for many years and very active during the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Ms. Burks was a very humble and dedicated woman with a purpose. She worked tirelessly for the betterment of her community especially with the younger generation. It is with this vision that she purchased property for the children in the community to use as a park for them to play. Although she had no children, she felt she was blessed to have so many children in the community that were just like her own. Despite chronic health problems, she never gave up in trying to make a difference in the community. One of her last quotes was, ``I am not as fast as I used to be, but I'll do what I call. I have no regrets of what I've done in my life or how I used my time.'' I take great pride in recognizing and paying tribute to this outstanding African American of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi who deserves mention, not only in the month of February but year round.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, throughout the month of February, I would like to recognize outstanding African Americans of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi, and their contribution to Black History. The 23 counties of the 2nd District are well represented from both a local and national perspective. Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as ``Negro History Week'' and later as ``Black History Month.'' In fact, black history had barely begun to be studied--or even documented--when the tradition originated. Although blacks have been in America as far back as colonial times, it was not until the 20th century that they gained a presence in our history books. Though scarcely documented in history books, if at all, the crucial role African Americans have played in the development of our Nation must not be overlooked. I would like to recognize Mr. Frank Davis of Claiborne County, Mississippi. Mr. Davis was born March 22, 1947. Upon his completion of high school, he served two years in the United States Army, where he developed a passion to protect and serve. Afterwards, Mr. Davis attended Alcorn State University and obtained his B.S. degree in 1971. Davis continued his educational studies at the University of Southern Mississippi in 1973 in Criminal Justice and Alcorn State University in 1988 in Business Education. Following his extensive educational studies, Mr. Frank Davis became the first elected black Sheriff for the State of Mississippi. Sheriff Davis has served in many capacities throughout Claiborne County. His long standing commitment in law enforcement has lead him to hold the position of First Sergeant of the 114th Military Police Company and Deputy Sheriff of Claiborne under the leadership of the late and former Sheriff Dan McCaa. In addition, Mr. Davis has held the position of Assistant Chief of Police for the City of Port Gibson, Director of Claiborne County Civil Defense, Acting Superintendent of Education for the Claiborne County Public Civil Defense, and Acting Superintendent of Education for the Claiborne County Public School District. Sheriff Davis has not only held several key positions throughout his career, but he has held key positions with civic organizations throughout the county. Sheriff Davis was elected president of the Mississippi Sheriff Association from 2000-2001, making him the first black to hold this position. He is a founding father of NOBLE (National Organization of Black Law Enforcement) Chapter in Mississippi, and served as president in 1990. He is a member of the Young Men of America, a member of the Heritage Corridor Study and served on the Boys and Girls Ranch Board of Mississippi Sheriff's Association Boys and Girls Ranch. Additionally, his compassion for people and their rehabilitation while incarcerated led him to continue studying. Ultimately, he became certified in jail management, criminal investigations, mentally ill inmates, street survival and rural homicide to name a few. Today, he continues his devotion to justice by serving as Sheriff of Claiborne County with 25 years of dedicated service. I take great pride in recognizing and paying tribute to this outstanding African American of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi who deserves mention, not only in the month of February but year round.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, throughout the month of February, I would like to recognize outstanding African Americans of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi, and their contribution to Black History. The 23 counties of the 2nd District are well represented from both a local and national perspective. Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as ``Negro History Week'' and later as ``Black History Month.'' In fact, black history had barely begun to be studied--or even documented--when the tradition originated. Although blacks have been in America as far back as colonial times, it was not until the 20th century that they gained a presence in our history books. Though scarcely documented in history books, if at all, the crucial role African Americans have played in the development of our Nation must not be overlooked. I would like to recognize Mr. John Austin James, Jr., of Leflore County. From 1942-1946, Mr. James was enlisted in the U.S. Army and fought in World War II, where he later received an Honorable Discharge. He also spent three years in the U.S. Army Reserve. Mr. James departure from the military sparked the beginning of his career in education. He was formally educated and later became Department Head for the Science and Mathematics Department at Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU). In 1971, he was named the Director for the Office of Institutional Research at MVSU, a position he retired from in 1992. Mr. John A. James has been active in several civic and professional organizations. He is currently Treasurer for the Leflore County Democratic Executive Committee and former Chairman of the Board of Authority for the Delta Correctional Facility located in Greenwood, Mississippi. He is the past Basileus for the Beta Rho Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Mr. James is Co-Chairman of the MVSU Pioneers and Life Associate Member of MVSU Alumni. Mr. John A. James has received several awards and recognitions for his outstanding community involvement and volunteer services. To name a few, Mr. James has a building on the campus of MVSU named in his honor, received the Outstanding Service Award at his church, Meritorious Service for his leadership as the Board Chairman, Omega Man of the Year, MVSU 25th Anniversary Meritorious Service plaques and others. I take great pride in recognizing and paying tribute to this outstanding African American of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi who deserves mention, not only in the month of February but year round.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, throughout the month of February, I would like to recognize outstanding African Americans of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi, and their contribution to Black History. The 23 counties of the 2nd District are well represented from both a local and national perspective. Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as ``Negro History Week'' and later as ``Black History Month.'' In fact, black history had barely begun to be studied--or even documented--when the tradition originated. Although blacks have been in America as far back as colonial times, it was not until the 20th century that they gained a presence in our history books. Though scarcely documented in history books, if at all, the crucial role African Americans have played in the development of our nation must not be overlooked. I would like to recognize Ms. Timaka Jones and Mr. Lawrence Browder of Humphreys County in the State of Mississippi. Ms. Jones and Mr. Browder are unique in that they are one of the few father and daughter duos, elected officials in the State of Mississippi. Before Jones began her political career, she assisted her father in becoming the first African American elected to the Office of Chancery Clerk in Humphreys County. Prior to Mr. Browder being elected Chancery Clerk, he was the first African-American Alderman in the City of Belzoni, where he served for 9 years. As the daughter of a political father, Ms. Jones was influenced to spread her wings. After being requisitioned by former-Supervisor Arvell Bullock, she announced her candidacy for Justice Court Judge. In 1999, she won this office, being the first and youngest African-American Justice Court Judge in Humphreys County. In 2003 she fulfilled her ambition to become the first female African American Circuit Clerk. Ms. Timaka Jones and Mr. Lawrence Browder have both been influential in helping others who have decided to run for political office in Humphreys County. I take great pride in recognizing and paying tribute to these outstanding African Americans of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi who deserve mention, not only in the month of February but year round.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, throughout the month of February, I would like to recognize outstanding African Americans of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi, and their contribution to Black History. The 23 counties of the 2nd District are well represented from both a local and national perspective. Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as ``Negro History Week'' and later as ``Black History Month.'' In fact, black history had barely begun to be studied--or even documented--when the tradition originated. Although blacks have been in America as far back as colonial times, it was not until the 20th century that they gained a presence in our history books. Though scarcely documented in history books, if at all, the crucial role African Americans have played in the development of our Nation must not be overlooked. I would like to recognize Mr. Robert Bernard Wilson of Carroll County in the State of Mississippi. Born September 10, 1928, in Chicago, IL, Wilson was educated in the Chicago Public Schools, and later at the Mississippi Industrial College (B.S.), and received certification in Science/Biology at Mississippi State University. Mr. Wilson served in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean Conflict and received an honorable discharge. He was an educator for 32 years in the Carroll County and Montgomery County school districts where he taught science and biology. During his tenure as an educator, Mr. Wilson was the first African American to coach high school football after school integration in Mississippi. He received numerous awards, such as Teacher Award, Coach of the Year Award (Local and State), Senior Class Sponsor Award and the Montgomery County Citizenship Award. I take great pride in recognizing and paying tribute to this outstanding African American of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi who deserves mention, not only in the month of February but year round.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, a better amendment title for this amendment would be The Bounty Hunter Act of 2005. The amendment gives bail bondsmen authority to round up illegal immigrants and to have them deported without any sort of hearing or due process rights. This amendment would not make our homeland any safer or keep terrorists out. Instead, it would endanger civil rights and create fear in the immigrant community. We should not outsource the Department of Homeland Security's job to a bunch of bounty hunters. As already has been said, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 has very similar language to this amendment. And for those Members who have not suffered from the ills of slavery and what people went through, I want to share and encourage you to look at this amendment very clearly before it comes to a vote. Let us give the Department of Homeland Security the 2,000 employees that we authorized for border security, not 2,000 bounty hunters. This is not a reality program. People will not be watching it on TV. We are turning over the Department of Homeland Security's enforcement responsibility to bounty hunters, people who have no training whatsoever, who absolutely can and possibly will infringe on civil rights of the people of this country. Mr. Chairman, I encourage absolute opposition to this amendment.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, the Republican majority claims that this bill is an effort to prevent terrorists from entering the United States, not an effort to play partisan politics over immigration reform. I would like to take them at their word, but if this bill really were about keeping terrorists out of the country, why is the Republican majority not talking about the real threats of terrorists' entry? Why is the Republican majority not concerned about the complete lack of an interagency border security plan? And why does the President's budget not fully fund the mandates in the 9/11 intelligence bill, which we passed and he signed a few short months ago? Why sign a bill if you have no intention of actually funding the items in the bill? Mr. Chairman, just one example: The President's budget only provides for 210 new border patrol agents, even though the 9/11 intelligence bill authorized up to 2,000. We have caught at least one suspected terrorist who illegally waded across the Rio Grande. Why is the Republican majority not talking about the failure of this administration to ensure that our frontline officers are able to check suspicious individuals against a comprehensive terrorist watch list? More than 3 years after 9/11, why are more of our frontline personnel using obsolete name-checking systems, that have trouble telling the difference between ``bin Laden'' and ``Lyndon?'' Is this real security? Does this make America safer? This bill wholly fails to address these and other critical gaps in our border security. The bill focuses on people already in the United States instead of keeping terrorists out. The one aspect of this bill that seems directed at keeping people out of the United States is section 102. I understand this section originated from a desire to complete approximately 3 miles of a 14-mile fence along the border near San Diego. Let me be clear: I am not against building a fence, but I do not think a fence will keep terrorists out of America. Homeland security expert Stephen Flynn, who is a retired commander of the U.S. Coast Guard, and Jeane Kirkpatrick, Senior Fellow in National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that ``Great powers have been building great walls throughout history. The Great Wall of China and the Berlin Wall went up at considerable expense and treasure and ultimately failed to block or contain the forces they purported to obstruct.'' Mr. Flynn says that efforts by the United States to ``protect'' the southwest border, including installing a fence between San Diego and Tijuana, are similarly fated to fail. Mr. Chairman, it is clear that this is not a good bill, and we are completely in opposition to it. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes), someone who has significant knowledge about border patrol agents.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez), the chairman of the Democratic Caucus,

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the life and legacy of Mr. James Forman, former executive secretary for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. In tribute to Mr. Forman, I would like to submit the following excerpt from the Washington Post Article, Civil Rights Activist James Forman Dies at 76; Key Organizer of SNCC, written by Joe Holley on Wednesday, January 12, 2005. James Forman, 76, who as executive secretary of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the early 1960s dispatched cadres of organizers, demonstrators and Freedom Riders into the most dangerous redoubts of the Deep South, died January 10 of colon cancer at Washington House, a local hospice. At the height of the civil rights movement, Mr. Forman hammered out a role for SNCC among the so-called Big Five, the established civil rights organizations that included the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Congress of Racial Equality and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. SNCC in those years was the edgier, more aggressive organization, pushing the South specifically and the nation generally toward change. On numerous occasions, Mr. Forman himself was harassed, beaten and jailed during forays to register voters and organize protests in communities willing to use any means necessary, including terror, intimidation and murder, to resist the dismantling of the region's rigid system of segregation. ``Accumulating experiences with Southern `law and order' were turning me into a full-fledged revolutionary,'' Mr. Forman wrote, recalling his experiences of 1962 and 1963. Although he moved increasingly leftward during his years at SNCC, he was edged out of the organization in the late 1960s when Stokely Carmichael, H. Rap Brown and other, younger members considered him insufficiently militant. When Mr. Forman joined SNCC in 1961, it was a loose federation of student organizations housed in a grubby, windowless room in Atlanta, across the street from the offices of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference on Auburn Avenue. As an Air Force veteran who was about a decade older than most of those involved with SNCC, he had the drive and experience, as well as the administrative abilities, to give focus to the organization, universally pronounced ``Snick.'' Appointed executive secretary within a week of his arrival, he set about paying old bills, radically expanding the staff and planning logistics for direct action efforts and voter-registration drives in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and elsewhere. ``He imbued the organization with a camaraderie and collegiality that I've never seen in any organization before or since,'' said Julian Bond, chairman of the NAACP and SNCC's communications director during Mr. Forman's tenure. ``Jim performed an organizational miracle in holding together a loose band of nonviolent revolutionaries who simply wanted to act together to eliminate racial discrimination and terror,'' said Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), who was a member of SNCC. ``As a result, SNCC had an equal place at the table with all the major civil rights organizations of the 1960s.'' James Forman was born in Chicago on Oct. 4, 1928, and spent his early years living with his grandmother on a farm in Marshall County, Miss. When he was 6, his parents took him back to Chicago, although he often spent summers in Mississippi. Until he was a teenager, he used the surname of his stepfather, John Rufus, a gas station manager, unaware that his real father was a Chicago cabdriver named Jackson Forman. He graduated with honors from Chicago's Englewood High School in 1947 and served with the Air Force in Okinawa during the Korean War. After his discharge in 1952, he enrolled at the University of Southern California. Early in his second semester, in 1953, he was falsely arrested, beaten and held for three days by Los Angeles police. The experience prompted a breakdown that briefly put him in a psychiatric hospital. Afterward, he returned to Chicago and enrolled at Roosevelt University. He graduated in three years, planning to be a writer or journalist. While doing graduate work at Boston University, he wrangled press credentials from the Chicago Defender and took the train to Little Rock, where, in the fall of 1957, court-ordered school integration was being resisted. From there, he filed a few stories and looked for opportunities to organize mass protests in the South. After working briefly as a substitute elementary school teacher in Chicago, he found that opportunity in Fayette County, Tenn., a few miles from his childhood home. Seven hundred families of sharecroppers had been evicted from their homes for registering to vote. Joining a program sponsored by the Congress of Racial Equality, he helped publicize the farmers' plight, distributed food and registered voters. In the summer of 1961, he was jailed with SNCC-organized Freedom Riders who were protesting segregated facilities in Monroe, N.C. After his sentence was suspended, he went to work full time for SNCC. One of Mr. Forman's early challenges was to referee an internal dispute between SNCC activists who believed in direct action--sit-ins, demonstrations and other forms of confrontation--and those who believed voter registration was the most effective path to political empowerment. Mr. Forman maintained there really was no distinction. ``The brutal Southern sheriffs,'' he wrote a few years later, ``didn't care what kind of `outside agitator' you were; you were black and making trouble and that was enough for them.'' He also wrestled, as did most SNCC members, with the meaning and utility of nonviolence. Unlike his friend and SNCC cohort John Lewis, who considered nonviolence a way of life, Mr. Forman considered it a tactic, nothing more. There were times, he believed, when self-defense--fighting back-- was absolutely necessary. Mr. Forman also was often at odds with Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In 1961, for example, Mr. Forman objected to King's involvement in the Albany Movement, a boycott, sit-in and voter registration drive SNCC initiated in Georgia. ``A strong people's movement was in progress, the people were feeling their own strength grow,'' he wrote some years later. ``I knew how much harm could be done by interjecting the Messiah complex--people would feel that only a particular individual could save them and would not move on their own to fight racism and exploitation.'' King came to Albany, spoke and left. SNCC's work in the area continued for the next couple of years. In the summer of 1964, Mr. Forman's SNCC brought almost a thousand young volunteers, black and white, to register voters, set up ``freedom schools,'' establish community centers and build the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. Among those volunteers were Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner, the three young men murdered along a muddy road near Philadelphia, Miss., in June 1964. (According to Julian Bond, Mr. Forman was probably not aware in the last days of his life that Edgar Ray Killen, a preacher and sawmill operator, had been recently charged with the murders.) Later that summer, Mr. Forman journeyed to Atlantic City, where he worked to persuade Democratic Party officials to recognize the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party at the Democratic National Convention. Despite his efforts and despite the powerful testimony of Fannie Lou Hamer, who told of being fired by her boss and beaten unconscious by the police for her work in support of MFDP, the upstart party failed to supplant the state's party regulars. ``Atlantic City was a powerful lesson, not only for the black people from Mississippi but for all of SNCC and many other people as well,'' Mr. Forman wrote. ``No longer was there any hope, among those who still had it, that the federal government would change the situation in the Deep South.'' Despite Mr. Forman's growing militancy, SNCC dumped him and Lewis in 1966, replacing them with Carmichael and Ruby Doris Smith Robinson. Mr. Forman, who always had been interested in African liberation movements, went to Africa in 1967. In 1969, he helped organize the Black Economic Development Conference in Detroit, where a ``Black Manifesto'' was adopted. He also founded a nonprofit organization called the Unemployment and Poverty Action Committee. On a Sunday morning in May 1969, Mr. Forman interrupted services at New York City's Riverside Church to demand $500 million in reparations from white churches to make up for injustices African Americans had suffered over the centuries. Although Riverside's preaching minister, the Rev. Ernest T. Campbell, termed the demands ``exorbitant and fanciful,'' he was in sympathy with the impulse, if not the tactic. Later, the church agreed to donate a fixed percentage of its annual income to anti-poverty efforts. In the 1970s, Mr. Forman was in graduate school at Cornell University and received a master's degree in African and African American studies in 1980. In 1982, he received a PhD from the Union of Experimental Colleges and Universities. A writer and pamphleteer, Mr. Forman moved to Washington in 1981 and started a newspaper called the Washington Times, which lasted a short while. He also founded the Black American News Service. He was the author of ``Sammy Younge Jr.: The First Black College Student to Die in the Black Liberation Movement'' (1969), ``The Making of Black Revolutionaries'' (1972 and 1997) and ``Self Determination: An Examination of the Question and Its Application to the African American People'' (1984). His marriages to Mary Forman, Mildred Thompson and Constancia Ramilly ended in divorce. Survivors include two sons, Chaka Esmond Fanon Forman of Venice Beach, Calif, and James Robert Lumumba Forman Jr. of the District; and one granddaughter. In July, despite being weak from his long struggle with cancer, Mr. Forman took a train from Washington to Boston during the Democratic National Convention. He took part in a ``Boston Tea Party,'' in which members of the D.C. delegation tossed bags of tea into Boston Harbor to protest lack of statehood and no vote in Congress. ``It was said that on his deathbed, Frederick Douglass's last words were, `Organize! Organize!' That's what Forman did every day of his life,'' Bond said. ``That's what today's civil rights movement has forgotten how to do.'' I take great pride in commending Mr. James Forman for his work to curb racial segregation and win social justice in this country.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the State of Mississippi's pursuit for justice as it has brought forth an indictment of noted Klansman Edgar Ray Killen for the murders of James E. Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner. As the State of Mississippi has been collecting evidence and investigating this case, I would like to submit the following excerpt from Olen Burrage's The Mississippi Murder of Goodman, Schwerner, and Chaney by Seth Cagin and Phillip Dray. The owner of a local trucking company, Olen Burrage, was having a cattle pond dug on his property, five miles southwest of town on Highway 21. Burrage had hired Herman Tucker, one of his part-time drivers and the owner/operator of two Caterpillar dozers, to build the pond and the large dam that would restrain it. The Neshoba Klansman arranged for Billy Wayne Posey to arrive at midnight on the lane of the Burrage property with the bodies of Goodman, Schwerner, and Chaney. Once the bodies were placed in the center of the dam, fifteen or twenty feet down, Tucker would reseal it with one of the bulldozers. When the pond filled with rainwater, the place where the bodies were stashed would simply become an innocuous part of the Neshoba landscape--a Klansman version of a Choctaw burial mound. ``So you wanted to come to Mississippi?'' one of the murderers is reputed to have told the victims later that night. ``Well, now we're gonna let you stay here. We're not even gonna run you out. We're gonna let you stay here with us.'' (p. 55) Killen, as organizer of the Neshoba and Lauderdale County klaverns of the White Knights of Mississippi and point man for the conspiracy, was eager to return to Philadelphia as soon as he had collected enough men for the operation. There were ``arrangements'' to be made, he explained to the men at Akin's. Quickly he sketched for them the plan he had devised in collusion with Neshoba County deputy sheriff Cecil Price and Billy Wayne Posey, and possibly--to infer from the events that would transpire--Hop Barnett and Olen Burrage. Deputy Price would release Goatee and the other two civil rights workers as soon as it got dark. Once the civil rights workers were turned loose and were alone out on the highway, they would be stopped by a Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol car and turned over to the Klan. (p. 336) Billy Wayne Posey was among those who attempted the Bonanza alibi, but in fact Posey had been far too busy that day to watch television. His role in the conspiracy was to arrange for the disposal of the victims' bodies, a grisly task easily as complex as setting them up to be done away with in the first place. After Goodman, Schwerner, and Chaney were arrested late on the afternoon of June 21, Posey met with Olen Burrage, who owned a trucking firm and several pieces of farm property west of Philadelphia, and Herman Tucker, a bulldozer operator who occasionally worked for Burrage. This meeting took place either at Burrage's garage, southwest of Philadelphia, or at the Phillips 66 station. Posey's arrangement with Burrage to use a dam being built on Burrage's property as a burial site for the three civil rights workers' was probably not the result of brainstorm thinking by the conspirators. In all likelihood, Burrage's dam site had been previously scouted out by the Neshoba klavern for its potential as a secret grave, perhaps as early as mid-May, when Mickey Schwerner's incursions into Longdale were becoming known to the Klansmen. Mississippi FBI agent John Proctor claims to have learned from an informant that Burrage once told a roomful of Neshoba Klansmen discussing the impending invasion of civil rights workers, ``Hell, I've got a dam that'll hold a hundred of them.'' Although the Meridian Klansmen had been instructed to leave Mickey Schwerner alone, the leaders of the Neshoba klavern had apparently been given Sam Bowers's approval to ``eliminate'' him if they caught him in Neshoba County. They may well have expected to have further opportunities to nab Schwerner on one of his visits to Longdale, and it is possible many elements of the conspiracy--the release from jail, the highway chase, and the secret burial--were loosely in place before June 21. The previous summer, Burrage had consulted an agent of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Soil Conservation Service about joining a program under which landowners could obtain government funding for pond dams that met certain conservation requirements. Burrage's proposed dam met the program's specifications, but the approval of the funding was contingent upon periodic inspections of the construction site by agents from the Department of Agriculture. In May 1964, when Burrage finalized arrangements with Herman Tucker and authorized him to begin work on the dam, Burrage chose--for reason he never explained--to do so without participating in the government program. (pp. 340-342) With the civil rights workers' bodies in the hole, Posey signaled Tucker to start moving. The tractor ran fifteen minutes as Tucker bladed off the top of the dam so it would look as though it had not been disturbed. The eight Klansmen got into Barnette's car and the civil rights workers' station wagon for the short ride down highway 21 to Burrage's trucking garage. There the men replaced the license plates on Barnette's car, which had been removed earlier in Meridian, and Jordan was given all the gloves the men had worn and told to dispose of them. Tucker took a glass gallon jug and filled it with gasoline from one of Burrage's pumps, to use in setting fire to the station wagon. (p. 361) Chaney, Goodman, Schwerner will be remembered in the State of Mississippi's history as extraordinary individuals doing whatever it took to end racial segregation and win social justice not only in the State of Mississippi but across this country. The story of Olen Burrage is one of many in Mississippi's plagued past. The State's insistence on justice signals a new day not only for the State of Mississippi, but also for the families of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a distinguished religious educator with over 50 years of dedicated service to the Clinton, Jackson, Bolton, and Terry communities in the State of Mississippi, the Reverend Wroten McQuirter, Sr. Rev. Wroten McQuirter, Sr., is known throughout the State as more than just a pastor, but as a social activist, counselor, supporter, leader, and most importantly as a friend. In 1970, he began his religious training at the Mississippi Baptist Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi, and in 1973, Reverend McQuirter received his bachelor of theology degree from Natchez College. Throughout Reverend McQuirter's pastoral tenure from 1957 to 2004, he has served in various positions including the dean and moderator of the Original J.M.B. District Association; president of the Hinds County Council for Church and Social Action; president of the Clinton Ministerial Workers Council, dean of the Congress of Christian Education; board member of the National Baptist Convention U.S.A., Inc., president of the Terry Ministerial Fellowship, and member of the Moderator Department of the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc. In addition to his pastoral duties and responsibilities, Reverend McQuirter has been a great asset to the communities in Mississippi. He has served as an active leader and organizer for Hinds County Communities in the fight for equality. He has been an activist with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, NAACP, for more than four decades. He led the movement for desegregation in the Clinton Public School District in 1968, whereby his two younger children were among the first six black students to enroll in Clinton Park Elementary School. Although retired, he is not retired. Reverend McQuirter, who recently celebrated his 82nd birthday on October 23, remains actively involved in Christian education ministering to the needs of others. He teaches bible class at the Clinton Community Christian Corporation as well as bible study at Pleasant Green Church. He also teaches several courses in church leadership schools offered by various churches. Please join me in congratulating Rev. Wroten McQuirter, Sr., on 50 years of distinguished service. It is in achievement that brings pride not only to his local community, but to the whole State of Mississippi and the Nation. .

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Edwards, Mississippi native, Olympic gold and silver medalist, Otis Harris, Jr. At this year's 2004 Olympic Games held in Athens, Greece, the track and field standout showcased his world class speed on the world's biggest stage. Edwards, Mississippi's hometown hero, the son of Otis, Sr. and Cheryl Harris, began his track career at high school track powerhouse, Hinds Agricultural High School in Raymond, Mississippi. As Harris helped lead his high school team to three consecutive Class 2A State Championships, and in 1999 winning the 100m, 200m, and 400m State Championships respectively, he accumulated dozens of individual accolades leading to his acceptance of a track scholarship from the University of South Carolina. Running his way through both the Gamecock and Southeastern Conference (SEC) record books in 2003, Otis took claim of SEC track titles in the 400m dash, as well as the 4 X 400m relay team, making these his signature events. Harris was deemed academically ineligible to participate in athletics during the 2004 collegiate season, causing him to briefly disappear from the Olympic track radar screen. As Harris stunned many by qualifying for the Olympics in July 2004 in the 400m dash, he remained unfaltering as his dreams became realistic. On Monday, August 23, 2004, Otis settled into his familiar stance, only this time Olympic medals were up for grabs. Running the fastest time of his life (44.16), Otis garnered the Olympic silver medal in the 400m dash. While still overwhelmed with the excitement of his first Olympic feat, Harris took the stage again five days later. This time Harris was starring in his other signature event, the 4 X 400m relay team which was favored to win the gold. Harris teamed with Derrick Brew (400m bronze), Jeremy Wariner (400m gold) and Darold Williamson. Harris ran the fastest leg of the four Americans, turning in a time of 43.28; the team ran 2:55.91, the best time in the world this year, bringing home the gold medals. I commend Mr. Otis Harris, Jr. for his valiant triumphs at this year's Olympic Games. His efforts are buttressed by his resiliency through the seemingly unsteady foreign relations climate leading into the Games. Harris, as well as all of our Olympic athletes, showed true professionalism in serving as ambassadors and representing our nation on the global stage. May Otis continue to represent our nation with professionalism and may he continue to excel in his career.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I join the ranking member on the committee in opposition to the amendment basically because the gentleman from California (Mr. Baca), the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) and myself would not be allowed if the amendment passes to introduce our amendment which basically would do three things: First of all, it would increase the civil rights enforcement moneys for the Office of the Secretary. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has clearly been called the last plantation. Because of that, Mr. Chairman, many of the discriminations for black farmers and other individuals coming out of USDA, we could address it with more money. In addition to this, the 2501 program would be increased so that socially disadvantaged farmers could take advantage of USDA programs. If this amendment is passed, we would not be able to offer the increase in the program. But, thirdly, Mr. Chairman, the tribal extension grants for Hispanic- serving institutions, we could not increase that money. I know that the chairman does not want to hurt those institutions, but this is an opportunity, if this amendment is allowed to be offered and somehow we can reach some agreement, that we could help those Hispanic-serving institutions, also. Reluctantly I rise in opposition to the amendment, because another amendment that we think would be as important to a tremendous number of people could not be offered.