[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 138 (Tuesday, August 23, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E869]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING REVEREND ANN GRAY BYRD

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 23, 2022

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor 
Reverend Ann Gray Byrd for her outstanding contributions to our 
community.
  Rev. Byrd was born March 30, 1936, in Tatum, Texas. She moved to 
Santa Rosa in 1952, where she was one of only three Black students at 
Santa Rosa High School. From a young age, she was deeply involved in 
the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of 
Colored People (NAACP), cofounded by her father. During her 70 years 
living in Santa Rosa, Rev. Byrd went on to make an incredible impact in 
our community through her work serving as the President of the Santa 
Rosa-Sonoma NAACP chapter. She also served as Sonoma County Chapter 
Chair of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
  In 1992, Rev. Byrd helped to establish and served as the Executive 
Director of the Gray Foundation. The Foundation provided over $180,000 
in scholarships to help low-income Sonoma County high school students 
attend college. Rev. Byrd was a founding member of the Sonoma County 
Commission on the Status of Women and Sonoma County People for Economic 
Opportunity. Rev. Byrd was the recipient of the 2016 ACLU Jack Green 
Award and multiple NAACP accolades including the Legacy Award. She was 
also recognized with a Woman of the Year award by the California State 
Legislature in 2005.
  In addition to her extraordinary public service, Rev. Byrd devoted 
her life to her two children, two grandchildren, and four great-
grandchildren. She instilled the spirit of activism in her family and 
was proud of young people carrying on her legacy by taking to the 
streets to advocate for a better future. Ms. Byrd passed away on July 
7, 2022, and she will be greatly missed by our community.
  Madam Speaker, it is evident that Rev. Ann Gray Byrd has left a 
monumental impact on our Santa Rosa community. Therefore, it is fitting 
and proper that we honor her and her legacy here today.

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