Political Quotes

“I am pleased to add my voice to the chorus of colleagues who are singing the praises of Kweisi Mfume. We both were elected to serve the people of Maryland during the 100th Congress. I have enjoyed his friendship, and I have appreciated his courage and determination to fight for those Americans whose voices are often not heard in the halls of Congress. Kweisi Mfume grew up on the streets of west Baltimore where he was known as Frizzel Grey. The people who still live there are proud of Kweisi, proud that he made something of himself. The old neighborhood is deteriorating and impoverished, but Kweisi keeps going back there-- to his roots. He believes that the work he has been doing in Washington can only be relevant if it has an impact on his old neighborhood. Although he has been an outspoken advocate of equitable and excellent education for women and minorities, scholarship wasn't always high on Kweisi's agenda. He was a high school dropout who hung out on Baltimore's streets drinking and swapping stories. He turned his life around during the 1970's when he changed his name and worked toward a high school equivalency degree. Then it was on to Morgan State and Johns Hopkins University. His name is pronounced ``Kwah-EE-see Oom-FOO-may,'' and it hasn't hampered him one bit. He adopted the name during the 1970's because he wanted to embrace his African heritage.”