Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a friend and a remarkable individual from Los Angeles, Willis Edwards. For the past 40 years, Mr. Edwards tirelessly advocated for civil and political rights and worked to ensure that positive images of African Americans were seen by the American public. Throughout his life, Willis Edwards was known for his strength of conviction and passion for the promotion of the African American community. After working for the Robert Kennedy Presidential campaign in college and earning a Bronze Star in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam war, Edwards helped to elect the first African American mayor of Los Angeles, Tom Bradley, and served as the youngest-ever city commissioner on his Social Services Commission. Mr. Edwards continued his career of service as the director of black student services at the University of Southern California, where he helped future generations of students discover their passion. In 1982, Mr. Edwards was elected president of the Beverly Hills- Hollywood branch of the NAACP. Under his leadership, the branch fought to improve the image and gain more jobs for African Americans in front of and behind the scenes in Hollywood. As president in 1986, he helped to nationally televise the NAACP Image Awards, which continues today as a highly regarded entertainment event. Mr. Edwards never shied away from controversial subjects or issues.…”