Political Quotes

“Mr. President, early this morning, we awoke to sad news out of Memphis, TN. This country has lost a civil rights pioneer, a strong leader, and a witness to history. Benjamin Lawson Hooks fought all of his life for freedom, prosperity, and universal equality. When the world was consumed by war, Benjamin put on the uniform of the 92nd Infantry Division and rendered honorable service to his country. When peace was won and America looked inward today to address policies of discrimination and inequality, he was on the frontlines once again, standing with visionaries such as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. At every turn, and at every moment in his life, he waged to fight against injustice. He became an attorney and was eventually appointed as the highest ranking Black Federal judge in the State of Tennessee. But that was only the beginning of a remarkable career in public service. Benjamin Hooks was the first African American to serve on the Federal Communications Commission, where he spoke out against biased reporting in the media and called for minority ownership of TV and radio stations. In 1977, he was unanimously elected as President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the NAACP--a position he would hold with distinction until his retirement in 1993 and which would come to define his career. Throughout those tumultuous years, Benjamin Hooks was at the forefront of the nonviolent struggle for civil rights.…”