[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 56 (Tuesday, April 20, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H2659-H2664]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING THE LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF REV. BENJAMIN LAWSON HOOKS
Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 1271) honoring the life and achievements of Rev.
Benjamin Lawson Hooks.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1271
Whereas Benjamin Lawson Hooks, a native Memphian, was the
fifth out of seven children born to Robert B. and Bessie
Hooks;
Whereas his grandmother, Julia Britton Hooks, was the
second African-American female college graduate in the
Nation, graduating from Berea College in Kentucky in 1874;
Whereas Dr. Hooks studied prelaw at LeMoyne College in
Memphis and continued his studies at Howard University in
Washington, DC, and at Depaul University Law School in
Chicago, Illionois;
Whereas Dr. Hooks was a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity;
Whereas after college, he then served in the United States
Army during World War II and had the job of guarding Italian
prisoners who were able to eat in restaurants that were off
limits to him, an experience that he found humiliating and
that deepened his determination to do something about bigotry
in the South;
Whereas in 1949, Dr. Hooks met teacher Frances Dancy and
the couple married in 1952;
Whereas the couple had a daughter, Patricia Gray;
Whereas from 1949 to 1965 he was one of the few African-
Americans practicing law in Memphis, Tennessee;
Whereas in 1954, Dr. Hooks served on a roundtable with
Thurgood Marshall and
[[Page H2660]]
other Southern African-American attorneys to formulate a
possible litigation strategy days before the Supreme Court
decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was handed
down;
Whereas Dr. Hooks served as assistant public defender of
Shelby County, Memphis, from 1961 to 1965;
Whereas in 1965, he was appointed by Tennessee Governor
Frank G. Clement to serve as a criminal judge in Shelby
County becoming the first African-American criminal court
judge in the State of Tennessee;
Whereas Dr. Hooks was also a Baptist minister who pastored
at the Greater Middle Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee,
and the Greater New Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Detroit,
Michigan;
Whereas he joined the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference of Reverend Martin Luther King in 1956;
Whereas from 1972 to 1977, President Richard Nixon
appointed Rev. Hooks to the Federal Communications
Commission, making him the first African-American appointed
commissioner;
Whereas from 1977 to 1992, Rev. Hooks was the Executive
Director and CEO of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People (NAACP);
Whereas under his leadership, the NAACP fought for
affirmative action, led efforts to end apartheid in South
Africa, and addressed racism in sports and in the Rodney King
trial;
Whereas Rev. Hooks was awarded the Spingarn Medal in 1986
from the NAACP;
Whereas Dr. Hooks served as chairman of the board of
directors of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis;
Whereas he taught at the University of Memphis, and the
Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change was established
at the University in 1996;
Whereas on March 24, 2001, Rev. Hooks and his beautiful
wife Frances renewed their wedding vows for the third time,
after nearly 50 years of marriage;
Whereas in 2002, Dr. Hooks founded the Children's Health
Forum to protect the most vulnerable children from
preventable disease;
Whereas Dr. Hooks received the Presidential Medal of
Freedom from President George W. Bush at a White House
ceremony in November 2007;
Whereas Rev. Hooks gave one of his last lectures on civil
rights and social justice as part of the premier lecture
series of the Benjamin Hooks Institute for Social Change in
the Judiciary Committee Room of the Rayburn House Office
Building in Washington, DC, on October 6, 2009;
Whereas he was one of the greatest civil rights icons of
United States history and a community leader in Memphis; and
Whereas Rev. Benjamin L. Hooks was one of the golden-
throated warriors of the spoken word, and one of the few
silver-tongued giants of oratory: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors the life
and achievements of Dr. Benjamin Lawson Hooks, for his
commitment to justice on the bench in Memphis, Tennessee, for
his strong work with the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People to formulate strategies for
eliminating barriers to civil rights, and for his leadership
in promoting equal opportunity for all.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
General Leave
Mr. COHEN. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5
legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Tennessee?
There was no objection.
Mr. COHEN. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, with the news today of Dorothy Height's passing, we have
now lost two significant civil rights leaders in less than 1 week.
Today in Memphis, Memphians and others throughout the country will have
the opportunity to pay respects to Reverend Benjamin Hooks during a
viewing at Greater Middle Baptist Church where he pastored for 52
years. Yesterday in Detroit, Michigan, Reverend Hooks was honored at
Greater New Mount Moriah Baptist Church where he also pastored for some
40 years in the Detroit area.
A native Memphian, Reverend Hooks was one of the golden-throated
warriors of the spoken word and one of the few silver-tongued giants of
oratory. Dr. Hooks was born in 1925 and was the fifth of seven children
born to Robert B. and Bessie Hooks.
His grandmother, Julia B. Hooks, was the second African American
female college graduate in the Nation after graduating from Berea
College in Kentucky in 1874.
Following in her footsteps, Dr. Hooks attended Le Moyne College in
Memphis, where he studied pre-law. He continued to study at Howard
University here in Washington, and later at DePaul University Law
School in Chicago, Illinois, where he received a law degree. It was
unfortunate that when he decided to go to law school, there was not a
law school in Tennessee that accepted African Americans, and for that
reason, Dr. Hooks traveled to Chicago.
After graduation from college but before law school, he entered the
Army during World War II, and he had a job guarding Italian prisoners.
The prisoners were able to eat in restaurants that were off limits to
him because he was African American. He found this experience to be
humiliating, and it deepened his determination to do something about
bigotry not just in the South but in our country, as our Armed Forces
were segregated and our African American soldiers fighting for our
freedoms were not allowed freedoms that prisoners of war enjoyed.
Dr. Hooks returned to Memphis after being discharged from the war
with the rank of staff sergeant. He began practicing law in Memphis in
1949, one of the few African Americans practicing law in Memphis. In
1954, he appeared on a roundtable with late Justice Thurgood Marshall
and other southern African American attorneys to formulate a possible
litigation strategy days before the Supreme Court decision in Brown v.
Board of Education of Topeka was handed down, the landmark case that
ended separate but equal and started the end of segregation in our
Nation.
Dr. Hooks served as assistant public defender of Shelby County from
1961 to 1965, and in 1965, he was appointed by Governor Frank Clement
to serve as criminal court judge in Shelby County. And he became the
first African American criminal court judge in the State of Tennessee.
In 1956, while serving in the Baptist ministry at Greater Middle
Baptist Church in Memphis, he joined the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., about the time that Dr.
King in Montgomery was starting the boycotts of the downtown stores in
Montgomery and working with Rosa Parks and boycotting the busses,
leading to the great civil rights uprisings and movement in the South
that made our Nation a more perfect Union.
{time} 1500
President Nixon appointed Dr. Hooks to the Federal Communications
Commission in 1972, and he served from 1972 to 1977 and was the first
African American appointed commissioner, and there he wanted to make
sure that African Americans had the opportunity to have ownership
interest in radio and television and other opportunities that they
didn't previously have.
In 1977 when he left the Federal Communications Commission, he did so
to become executive director and the chief executive officer of the
NAACP, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
In 1977, at that same time, Dr. Hooks' nephew, Michael Hooks, and I
were serving on the Tennessee State Constitutional Convention, and we
drafted a resolution to invite Dr. Hooks to address the Tennessee
Constitutional Convention, limited convention, of 1977, the first
African American ever asked to address the joint legislative body in
the State of Tennessee.
While Dr. Hooks served as executive director of the NAACP, he fought
for affirmative action, led efforts to end apartheid in South Africa,
and addressed racism in sports and dealt with the Rodney King trial in
Los Angeles. He was awarded the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP, its
highest honor.
Reverend Hooks served as chairman of the board of directors of the
National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, my hometown and his as well.
He taught at the University of Memphis, where the Benjamin L. Hooks
Institute for Social Change was established in his honor in 1976. He
made a significant personal financial contribution to that particular
institute and commented to me one time that it was appropriate and
right and proper that when African Americans have been able to secure
monies and savings that they make contributions to their society, and
he was able to do that, a first generation of wealth that was able to
contribute
[[Page H2661]]
to civic causes. And he was proud to be a leader in that cause as well.
I was present in 2007 and honored to be in the White House when
President Bush awarded Dr. Hooks the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Most recently he gave one of his last lectures on civil rights and
social justice as part of the premier lecture series of the Benjamin L.
Hooks Institute for Social Change of the University of Memphis here in
our Judiciary Committee room in the Rayburn House Office Building. It
was October 6, 2009. Several Members of Congress were present and other
interested parties in D.C. and on the Hill, and he was accompanied on
that occasion, as he was on so many occasions, by his beautiful and
jovial bride, Frances.
Frances Dancy was a teacher. She met Ben Hooks at a Shelby County
fair. Ben Hooks was a lucky man because he found the perfect bride.
Frances was by his side and gave up her career as a teacher. She gave
up that career to be first lady of the church, whether it was Mount
Moriah, Greater New Mount Moriah in Detroit or Greater Middle Baptist
in Memphis, whether on Lamar or on Knight-Arnold.
They were married in 1952. They renewed their vows for the third time
after nearly 50 years of marriage on March 24, 2001. She has encouraged
him in all of his endeavors, and she will see that his memory is
maintained and preserved in an appropriate fashion.
Dr. Hooks was one of the greatest civil rights icons in American
history and a community leader in Memphis and a friend of many in this
Congress. He is survived by his beautiful and devoted wife, Frances,
his daughter Patricia Gray, grandchildren and a nephew, in particular
Michael Hooks, who served in public office and a great grandnephew,
Michael Hooks, who also served in a public office.
His funeral will be tomorrow in Memphis, Tennessee, at Bountiful
Blessings, the flagship Church of God in Christ in Memphis,
Superintendent Hawkins presides. His was a life well lived.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. POE of Texas. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to commend Chairman Conyers and Ranking Member
Smith for so quickly sponsoring this resolution and bringing it to the
House floor.
I support House Resolution 1271, and this resolution honors the life
and achievements of Dr. Benjamin Lawson Hooks for his commitment to
justice and his work with the NAACP to eliminate barriers to civil
rights and his leadership in promoting equal opportunity for everybody.
He was born in Memphis in 1925. His family inspired him to study
diligently in school and go to college, from which he graduated in
1944. After service in the United States Army, he went to law school at
DePaul University. He graduated in 1948 and went back home to Memphis,
Tennessee.
From 1949 to 1965 he was one of a handful of African Americans
practicing law in Memphis. In his law practice, Dr. Hooks was
determined to combat segregation. Days before the United States Supreme
Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, Dr. Hooks joined
Thurgood Marshall and other attorneys at a roundtable to consider
litigation strategies to challenge Jim Crow laws. Dr. Hooks was a
pioneer in restaurant sit-ins and other boycotts sponsored by the
NAACP. Throughout the 1960s he worked with the NAACP on several civil
rights protests and marches throughout the United States.
Throughout this time period, however, Dr. Hooks fulfilled a long
desire and he entered the Christian ministry. In 1956, he was an
ordained Baptist minister and preached regularly and contributed in
many ways to churches which he served. It was his ministry and his law
degree working together that gave him the deep conviction to fight for
civil rights.
This deeper yearning surely influenced the power and scope of all of
his civil rights work. He ran unsuccessfully for the State legislature
in 1954; and as a juvenile court judge in 1959 and 1963, he became
well-known in Tennessee politics and the Governor tapped him to fill a
vacancy in Shelby County criminal court, and in 1965 he became the
first African American in criminal court as a criminal court judge in
the State of Tennessee.
When President Nixon appointed him to the Federal Communications
Commission in 1972 through 1977, he was also the first African American
appointed to the FCC. And from 1972 to 1992, 20 years, he served as
executive director for and CEO of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People.
Then in 2007, in recognition of his life's work and commitment to the
ideal that all people are created equal, Dr. Hooks received the
Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush.
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to comment, I appreciate
Representative Poe's comments. He was a former criminal court judge and
like Judge Hooks was a criminal court judge, they share that
experience.
I keep under the glass on my desk a picture that was taken of
Benjamin Hooks as a lawyer with Russell Sugarman, A.W. Willis, I
believe it was A.A. Latting and S.A. Wilbun, and appearing in city
court in Memphis and defending individuals in Memphis charged with the
violations of the law that were Jim Crow laws. It's a historic picture
that people in Memphis know well; they stood up in a courtroom with
just about a predominance of policemen around there and white visitors
in the courtroom, but they stood for justice and they stood up.
Leaders in Memphis like Maxine Smith and Russell Sugarman are getting
older, but they continue the fight as Reverend Hooks has. He had a
difficult last few days, but he knew his time had come and he was at
peace. He tried to make it to the inaugural to see the inauguration of
the first African American President, Barack Obama. He was here. I
think the weather was such and the conditions that he wasn't able to
make it to the inauguration, but he made a point of coming in here and
wanted to participate.
He was bipartisan. He came of an era when many African Americans in
the South, if not most, were members of the Republican Party, the party
of Lincoln. And he maintained a Republican allegiance through his
appointments by President Nixon and a closeness to Senator Baker and
others, but also had Democratic roots.
President Bush recognized his talents, as has President Obama and
President Clinton. He supported Hillary Clinton for President because
he had been close to the Clinton family. But he was happy to see
America come to the time when an African American could be elected
President, as Dr. King had wanted that time to come, that people were
judged by the content of their character and not the color of their
skin. We saw part of that resolution in 2008, and Ben Hooks was pleased
to be able to see it.
As I said, he will be buried tomorrow at Bountiful Blessings where
G.E. Patterson served as bishop of COGIC, and I know there will be many
other people from around the world there to honor him.
I would like to thank my friend John Conyers, the chairman of the
Judiciary Committee, who worked with me on this resolution and is
unfortunately absent because of other commitments. He was close to
Reverend Hooks in Detroit and other places fighting for civil rights
over the years. I would also like to commend the ranking member of the
Judiciary Committee, Lamar Smith, for joining me in cosponsoring this
resolution.
I yield as much time as he may consume to Chairman Towns of New York.
Mr. TOWNS. Let me thank the gentleman from Memphis for yielding to
me, because I had an opportunity to work very closely with Dr. Hooks. I
recall we moved the NAACP to Brooklyn, and he was the president of
NAACP at the time we moved them to Brooklyn. I was always impressed
with his dedication and commitment to people.
Dr. Hooks was really committed to change in a positive way; and, of
course, having the opportunity to work very closely with him, I had the
opportunity to observe him as he moved with people. He had just a way
of bringing about coalitions where people would disagree with each
other, but Dr. Hooks could pull them together and some way or another
get them to begin to talk and work together. He is going to be truly
missed. He was a person
[[Page H2662]]
that has truly made a difference in this world as a result of his
attitude and what he has done on behalf of the people.
So may I say to his family, you have my deepest, deepest sympathy;
but, here again, we can be thankful that we had an opportunity to live
during Dr. Hooks' lifetime. There is no question about it, he made this
world a better place for all of us to live.
Mr. COHEN. I thank the gentleman for joining and relating those parts
of Dr. Hooks' life.
He was, as I said, a great orator who took the Southern tradition of
politics and the ministry and wove it into a manner of speech that was
unrivaled and to his last days could deliver a sermon or a speech that
was unparalleled. He will be buried tomorrow at Elmwood Cemetery, where
my father is buried and where I suspect I will be buried, and we will
spend eternity together.
I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, this resolution honors the life and
achievements of my dear friend, the late Dr. Benjamin Lawson Hooks.
With Dr. Hooks's passing last week, our nation lost a champion for
justice and an iconic figure of the Civil Rights Movement.
Personally, I will never forget the genuine spirit and talent Dr.
Hooks had in inspiring every individual he encountered. This spirit of
Dr. Hooks is what we celebrate today.
In addition to being a dedicated civil rights advocate, Dr. Hooks was
an accomplished attorney and judge, a government servant, and a
respected Minister of the Gospel.
He served as the Executive Director of the NAACP for fifteen years.
He was also the first African-American appointed as Commissioner of the
Federal Communications Commission, and the first African-American
criminal court judge in Tennessee.
Dr. Hooks was the founder of the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for
Social Change at the University of Memphis. He also founded the
Children's Health Forum in 2002.
And the list of his accomplishments goes on.
Today, I would like to touch on three significant points.
First, Dr. Hooks's leadership in the Civil Rights Movement was shaped
by his firm belief that education and non-violent activism could lift
the oppressed.
He once said: ``There are a lot of ways an oppressed people can rise.
One way to rise is to study, to be smarter than your oppressor. The
concept of rising against oppression through physical contact is stupid
and self-defeating . . . the most enduring contributions made to
civilization have not been made by brawn, they have been made by
brain.''
Dr. Hooks's own life was a testament to the power of education to
overcome racism and oppression. He studied pre-law at Lemoyne-Owen
College in Memphis, TN. While in college, Dr. Hooks was required to use
segregated lunch counters, water fountains, and restrooms.
But he was not deterred by these daily reminders of inequality--he
finished his college education, and joined the U.S. Army in 1944.
Even in the Army, Dr. Hooks was subjected to discrimination--he found
that prisoners of war were often given better eating accommodations
than African-American soldiers.
Dr. Hooks's pursuit of a legal education was also full of obstacles,
because no law school in his native State of Tennessee would admit him.
However, he persevered, and obtained his Juris Doctorate degree from
DePaul University College of Law in Illinois.
And he pledged to use his hard-earned legal education to further the
Civil Rights Movement.
On my second point, Dr. Hooks's life's work resulted in the
acceleration of significant changes towards equality in America.
It has been written that ``Often in the past, Benjamin Hooks's words
have been heeded by his fellow Americans and have been turned into
national policies that have benefitted the whole society.''
The Civil Rights Movement is woven from the work of many people who
have tirelessly campaigned to end discrimination and racism in all its
forms.
Dr. Hooks was a central thread in the patchwork of great civil rights
leaders. His leadership in NAACP sit-ins and boycotts helped further
the cause through non-violence.
And he applied his hard-earned education in his work with Thurgood
Marshall and members of the Regional Council of Negro Leadership to
create strategies in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision in Brown
v. Board of Education.
It is with great pride that I remember Dr. Hooks's fifteen years of
leadership with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP). I attribute the success and the turn-around of the
NAACP to my friend, Dr. Hooks.
His tailored focus on empowering black Americans, and his call to all
Americans to continue pressing for equality, helped the NAACP combat
racism, fight apartheid, and defend affirmative action.
Finally, I would like to celebrate my dear friend's commitment to
public service, and to lifting up people from all walks of life.
Dr. Hooks never strayed from his focus on securing equality for all
Americans.
In 1972, he became the first African-American to be appointed to the
Federal Communications Commission. He used his tenure in this
distinguished government position to actively promote the employment of
African-Americans and other minorities in the broadcast industry.
Dr. Hooks saw his own success as an opportunity to help further the
cause of equality and justice. He once said, ``Black men who have
succeeded have an obligation to serve as role models for young men
entrapped by a vicious cycle of poverty, despair, and hopelessness.''
I would like to commend my colleagues for their sponsorship of this
resolution.
In particular, I would like to thank my good friend from Memphis,
Tennessee, Steve Cohen, for working with me on this important
resolution.
I would also like to commend the Ranking Member of the Judiciary
Committee, Lamar Smith, for joining me in co-sponsoring it.
I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution.
Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, rise today to express my strong
support for H. Res. 1271, honoring the life and achievements of Dr.
Benjamin Lawson Hooks. I would also like to commend the Chairman of the
Judiciary Committee, John Conyers Jr., and Chairman Steve Cohen, the
sponsors of this resolution, for their commitment to preserving the
accomplishments of Dr. Hooks.
Dr. Hooks had a legendary career and truly exemplifies the
quintessential renaissance man. He was an inspirational speaker,
defender of minorities and the poor, and a well-known director of the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Dr.
Hooks was a lawyer and a Baptist minister best known for boosting
membership in the NAACP and making it relevant in today's political
times. After a lifetime of advocacy for the oppressed, he was awarded
the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007.
Dr. Hooks was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and took pre-law courses in
his home town from LeMoyne College; after graduating in 1944 he joined
the Army. During the Second World War, Hooks found himself in the
position of guarding Italian prisoners who were allowed to eat in
restaurants that were off limits to him. The experience helped to
deepen his resolve to do something about bigotry in the South. After
his wartime service, he was promoted to the rank of staff sergeant.
Hooks went north to Chicago to study law at DePaul University because
no law school in Tennessee would admit him. He completed his Juris
Doctor Degree in 1948. Upon graduation, Hooks went into private
practice in Memphis from 1949-1965. While in private practice he became
an ordained Baptist minister in 1956 and began to preach regularly at
the Middle Baptist Church in Memphis, while continuing his busy law
practice. He served as a public defender in Shelby County. From 1964 to
1968 he was a county criminal judge. Benjamin Lawson Hooks was
nominated as a member to the Federal Communications Commission by
President Richard M. Nixon in 1972. Shortly thereafter the United
States Senate confirmed the nomination, and thus Mr. Hooks became the
first African American to be appointed to the Commission. He served as
a member of the Federal Communications Commission until 27 July 1977.
During his term on the Commission, Hooks actively promoted the
employment of African Americans and other minorities in the broadcast
industry as well as at the Federal Communications Commission offices.
He also encouraged minority ownership of broadcast properties. Hooks
supported the Equal Time provision and the Fairness Doctrine, both of
which he believed were among the few avenues available to minorities
for gaining access to the broadcast media.
The nomination and confirmation of Hooks to the Federal
Communications Commission represented the efforts by African American
organizations such as Black Efforts for Soul on Television to have an
African American appointed to one of the seven seats on the Commission.
Before Hooks' appointment there had been no minority representation on
the Commission and only two women, Frieda Henncock and Charlotte Reid,
had been appointed up to that time. Additionally, for 15 years Hooks
presided over America's largest and most influential organization for
blacks, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Dr. Hooks once said ``A good history covers not only what was done,
but the thought that
[[Page H2663]]
went into the action. You can read the history of a country through its
actions.'' Dr. Hooks would be proud on this day. Today, the United
States House of Representatives recognizes his travail and hard work
through the years. History will judge us by our actions.
As a member of the Judiciary, Subcommittee Chairman on Courts and
Competition Policy, and a former judge myself, I recognize the
importance of leaders such as Dr. Benjamin Lawson Hooks. I am proud to
be a legacy of Dr. Hooks' work. He symbolized the epitome of what
lawyers and judges strive to be, the character that all of us should
strive to show. Please join me and support this resolution to honor Dr.
Benjamin Lawson Hooks.
Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1271,
which remembers Rev. Benjamin Hooks, who passed away last Thursday at
the age of 85, and honors this heroic figure's life and achievements.
This important measure is a deserving tribute to Rev. Hooks, a true
champion of justice and equality. Rev. Hooks fought tirelessly for
civil rights and, in doing so, made our country a better place for all
Americans.
Rev. Benjamin Hooks was a critical figure in the fight for civil
rights in the United States. He fought segregation through his many
successful careers as a businessman, lawyer, judge, minister, and
public servant. Rev. Hooks was the first African-American criminal
court judge in Tennessee and the first African-American commissioner of
the Federal Communications Commission.
Rev. Benjamin Hooks is most well known for his work with the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Rev. Hooks
was a pioneer of the NAACP-sponsored restaurant sit-ins and boycotts in
the early years of the Civil Rights Movement. In 1976, the NAACP
elected Rev. Hooks as the executive director of the organization. Rev.
Hooks reenergized the NAACP, increased its enrollment dramatically, and
enhanced the group's effectiveness. At a time when the Civil Rights
Movement was widely considered to have ended, Rev. Hooks recognized
that much work was left to be done and recommitted the NAACP to
tirelessly fighting for the rights of disadvantaged communities across
the United States. Rev. Hooks guided the NAACP through decades of
activism and oversaw the constant modernization and adaptation of the
organization to respond to the new challenges of changing times.
Rev. Benjamin Hooks was a giant in the fight for civil rights in
America over the last 60 years. Even as he and his family were targeted
in bombings against civil rights leaders in the 1990s, his resolve and
commitment to an equitable society never faltered. In characteristic
modesty, Rev. Hooks often referred to himself as ``just a poor little
old country preacher,'' but the truth is that he was much more than
that. He left an indelible mark on American society and helped improve
the lives of countless Americans. Rev. Hooks was honored for his life
of service with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which President
George W. Bush presented to him in 2007.
I extend my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Rev.
Benjamin Hooks as they grieve the loss of this truly special
individual. Rest in peace, Rev. Hooks--``there is a balm in Gilead.''
Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great lion, a leader,
one of the golden throated warriors of the spoken word and one of the
few silver tongued giants of oratory, and a great civil rights icon,
Benjamin Hooks. He passed away in Memphis, Tennessee, on Thursday,
April 15, 2010. Dr. Hooks was the fifth child out of seven born to
Robert and Bessie Hooks. His grandmother, Julia B. Hooks was the second
African-American female college graduate in the nation after graduating
from Berea College in Kentucky in 1874. Following in her footsteps, Dr.
Hooks attended LeMoyne College in Memphis where he studied pre-law. He
continued his studies at Howard University in Washington, D.C. and at
DePaul University Law School in Chicago, Illinois. He was a member of
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.
After graduating from college, Dr. Hooks served in the Army during
World War II and had the job of guarding Italian prisoners who were
able to eat in restaurants that were off limits to him. He found this
experience to be humiliating and it deepened his determination to do
something about bigotry in the South. Dr. Hooks returned to Memphis
after being discharged at the end of the war with the rank of staff
sergeant.
Dr. Hooks began practicing law in 1949 becoming one of the few
African-Americans to practice in Memphis. In 1954, he appeared on a
roundtable with Thurgood Marshall and other Southern African-American
attorneys to formulate a possible litigation strategy days before the
Supreme Court decision in Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka was
handed down. Dr. Hooks served as assistant public defender of Shelby
County from 1961-1965 until being appointed by Tennessee Governor Frank
G. Clement to serve as a criminal judge in Shelby County, Memphis--
becoming the first African-American criminal court judge in the State
of Tennessee.
Rev. Benjamin Hooks was also the pastor at Greater Middle Baptist
Church in Memphis and Greater New Mount Moriah Baptist Church in
Detroit, Michigan. In 1956, while serving in the Baptist ministry, he
joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.
President Richard Nixon appointed Dr. Hooks to the Federal
Communications Commission, making him the first African-American
appointed commissioner. He served in this position from 1972 to 1977.
From 1977 to 1992, Dr. Hooks was the Executive Director and CEO of the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Under his leadership, the NAACP fought for affirmative action, led
efforts to end apartheid in South Africa and addressed racism in sports
and the Rodney King trial. He was awarded the Spingarn Medal in 1986
from the NAACP.
Rev. Hooks served as chairman of the board of directors of the
National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. He also taught at the
University of Memphis where the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social
Change was established in 1996.
Dr. Benjamin Hooks was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from
President George W. Bush at a White House ceremony in November 2007.
Most recently, he gave one of his last lectures on civil rights and
social justice as part of the premier lecture series of the Benjamin
Hooks Institute for Social Change in the Judiciary Committee Room of
the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC, on October 6,
2009.
Always by his side was his beautiful and jovial wife, Frances. They
were married in 1952 and renewed their vows for the third time after
nearly 50 years of marriage on March 24, 2001.
Dr. Benjamin Hooks was one of the greatest civil rights icons in
American history and a community leader in Memphis. His commitment to
justice on the bench in Memphis, his strong work with the NAACP to
formulate strategies for eliminating barriers to civil rights and his
leadership in promoting equal opportunity for all will always be
remembered by the countless number of lives he touched. Rev. Benjamin
L. Hooks is survived by his devoted wife Frances, daughter Patricia
Gray, grandchildren and nephew Michael Hooks. His was a life well
lived. Thank you for coming our way, Benjamin Hooks.
Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res.
1271, ``Honoring the life and achievements of Dr. Benjamin Lawson
Hooks'' introduced by my distinguished colleague from Michigan,
Representative Conyers.
Dr. Benjamin Lawson Hooks was a civil rights leader and served as the
Executive Director of the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP) from 1977 to 1992. Dr. Hooks graduated with a
bachelor's degree from Howard University, a juris doctor degree from
DePaul University College of Law, and received an honorary doctorate
from Central Connecticut State University. He held professional
memberships with the American Bar Association, National Bar
Association, Tennessee Bar Association, Southern Christian Leadership
Conference, the Tennessee Council on Human Relations, and Omega Psi Phi
Fraternity, Inc. After passing the Tennessee Bar, he established his
own law practice.
Dr. Hooks served as a distinguished adjunct professor for the
Political Science Department at the University of Memphis. In 1996, the
Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change was established at the
University of Memphis. The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute is a public
policy research center supporting the urban research mission,
and honoring Hooks' many years of leadership in the American Civil
Rights Movement. The Hooks Institute also emphasizes social movements,
race relations, strong communities, public education, effective public
participation, and social and economic justice.
Dr. Hooks was ordained as a Baptist minister in 1956, and he preached
regularly at the Greater Middle Baptist Church in Memphis. He joined
the Southern Christian Leadership Conference along with Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. Dr. Hooks became a pioneer of NAACP-sponsored
restaurant sit-ins and other boycotts of consumer items and services.
In 1965, Dr. Hooks was appointed by Governor Frank G. Clement as the
first African American criminal court judge in the Shelby Criminal
Court. In 1966, he would later campaign for and win a full term to the
same judicial office that he had been appointed to due to a vacancy. In
1972, President Richard Nixon appointed Dr. Hooks to be one of the five
commissioners to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). As a
member, he addressed the lack of minority ownership of television and
radio stations, the minority employment statistics for the broadcasting
industry, and the image of African Americans in
[[Page H2664]]
mass media. Dr. Hooks served as a producer and host for several local
television shows in Memphis.
Dr. Hooks' honors and awards include the NAACP Spingarn Medal for
outstanding achievements made by an African American, receiving the
Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush in November
of 2007, and he was inducted into the International Civil Rights Hall
of Fame at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site on
January 12, 2008. The Memphis Library Branch is also named in his
honor. The NAACP later created the Benjamin L. Hooks Distinguished
Service Award, which is awarded to persons for their efforts in
implementing policies and programs which promote equal opportunity.
So it is with great pride and admiration that we honor Dr. Benjamin
Lawson Hooks as a great civil rights leader, and as a successful
businessman, judge, lawyer, and minister. He has fought triumphantly
for the rights of African Americans and made great contributions to the
African American community.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life
and the legacy of Rev. Benjamin Lawson Hooks, who passed away April 15,
2010, at the age of 85. Rev. Hooks was more than just an accomplished
man; he was a modern-day pioneer who overcame modern-day struggles. No
matter the obstacle, Rev. Hooks continued to fight for equal rights,
always believing that tomorrow will be better.
In fact, Rev. Hooks was often quoted as saying, ``you have to believe
that tomorrow somehow can be, and will be, better than today.'' His
mission in life was to make this belief a reality. As the first
African-American commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission,
a member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Tennessee's
first African-American criminal court judge, and, finally, as the
Executive Director of the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP) from 1977 to 1992, Rev. Hooks worked tirelessly
to make America a fairer, and more just, nation.
Under his leadership of the NAACP, he brought this storied civil
rights organization from the brink of financial collapse. Rev. Hooks
returned it to stability, increased membership, and created programs
such as the NAACP ACT-SO (Academic, Cultural, Technological and
Scientific Olympics) competitions, a major youth talent and skill
initiative, and Women in the NAACP.
Rev. Hooks also was a stalwart in the face of adversity. In 1989,
there were several gasoline bomb attacks in the South, resulting in the
murder of a federal judge in Alabama and an African-American civil
rights lawyer in Georgia. NAACP leaders were threatened with violence
as well. Rev. Hooks responded to these acts of violence by saying, ``We
believe that this latest incident is an effort to intimidate our
association, to strike fear in our hearts. It will not succeed.''
This remarkable American lived a life of honor and purpose, leaving
behind a legacy of equality and justice. Our nation is so much better
for his dedication to the idea that ``all men are created equal.'' Rev.
Hooks is an inspirational figure to us all, and we must continue to
strive to ensure that tomorrow will continue to be better than today.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in
strong support of H.R. 1271 to honor the life and achievements of Dr.
Benjamin Lawson Hooks who passed away on April 15, 2010. Dr. Hooks
served as the Executive Director of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People, and wads a great civil rights leader.
Born in Memphis, Tennessee as the fifth of seven children, Dr. Hooks
faced numerous racial barriers growing up in the segregated South. He
graduated from Howard University in 1944, and after serving in the army
during World War II, he completed a law degree from DePaul University
in 1948. Upon graduation, he returned to Memphis where he opened his
own law practice. Although faced with relentless discrimination in the
legal field, Dr. Hooks managed to make a reputation for himself. In
1965 he was appointed to fill a vacancy in the Shelby County criminal
court making him the first black criminal court judge in Tennessee
history. Later, in 1972, he became the first African-American member of
the Federal Communications Commission where he developed a reputation
as a champion for minority owned television and radio stations.
In 1976, Dr. Hooks became the Executive Director of the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples. His tenure saw an
increase in membership and revenue, and additionally, he was
influential in the national recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Mr. Speaker, Dr. Benjamin Hooks was an unyielding advocate for
African-American civil rights, and he will be greatly missed. I ask my
fellow colleagues to join me today in recognizing this remarkable
leader who worked diligently for the black community and was a stalwart
champion of fairness and equality for all.
Mr. COHEN. I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1271.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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