[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 36 (Tuesday, March 4, 2014)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E289] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] HONORING DELORES CHRISTINA BROWN OREY ______ HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON of mississippi in the house of representatives Tuesday, March 4, 2014 Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the late remarkable public servant, Mrs. Delores Christina Brown Orey, who was born on September 24, 1932 in Martinsville, MS (the eldest of five children) to the late Mr. Alpheus and Mrs. Ella Brown. Mrs. Delores Christina Brown Orey attended Piney Woods School and graduated from Parish High School in Hazlehurst, MS; did further study at Tuskegee Institute; and received her BA degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Sociology from Jackson State College. She became concerned about the disparate treatment that she and other African American Mississippians received and joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People under the leadership of Dr. Aaron Henry. She was very dedicated to the NAACP and served the organization in various capacities. She worked as Secretary in the NAACP State Office and also drove Dr. Henry around the State to investigate discrimination complaints. She was jailed for her unwavering activism and spied on by the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission. During that time, she helped organize Voter Registration Drives and Boycotts. She invited Freedom Riders, both Black and White, to stay at her home even under the threat of violence and started a Freedom School at her church, Mt. Nebo. She attended and helped to organize many marches for Civil Rights alongside Medgar Wiley Evers, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr., to name a few. She also ran for the Mississippi House of Representatives, and unfortunately, her opponent was killed in an airplane crash. The Governor of record appointed a white male who had lost the race rather than following procedure for Mrs. Orey to assume the post. In her continuing quest for equality, Mrs. Orey children integrated the Jackson Public Schools. Because of her activism on behalf of the poor and disenfranchised, she developed a special relationship with former President Jimmy Carter and was invited to represent Mississippi in his inaugural parade. She was a close confidant of former Governor Cliff Finch and this led to her son, Alfonso and his wife, Sadie, becoming the first Blacks to have an official wedding ceremony on the grounds of the Governor's Mansion. She was one of the first Head Start Directors for Mississippi Action for Progress and worked for the MS Council on Aging and was an AARP Volunteer. She loved children and served as NAACP State Youth Advisor for several terms. She mentored many young people among them our immediate past NAACP National President, Benjamin Todd Jealous, and our current Mississippi State Conference President, Derrick Johnson. Mrs. Orey has been credited with maintaining the Jackson Branch NAACP through the years by serving in all capacities from President to Treasurer to Secretary. She received numerous honors and prestigious awards throughout her distinguished life. Mrs. Orey enjoyed spending time with her loving family. They shared her passion for her advocacy. On numerous occasions they accompanied her to various activist events, especially her beloved national NAACP Conventions. On January 8, 2014, Veteran Mississippi Civil Rights Worker and champion for social justice, Mrs. Delores Orey transitioned this life. She was a heroine who was truly loved by her family and friends and will be missed by all. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mrs. Delores Christina Brown Orey for her dedication to serving. ____________________