John Sarbanes: “it is appropriate that, on the eve of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, I rise today to pay tribute to a great…”

“it is appropriate that, on the eve of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, I rise today to pay tribute to a great Marylander and civil rights leader in his own right, former Baltimore Mayor Clarence ``Du'' Burns. From humble beginnings in East Baltimore, Du Burns began a lifetime of public service and great accomplishments, eventually becoming the first African-American mayor of Baltimore. Born on September 13, 1918, in East Baltimore, Du attended Frederick Douglas High School and the Larry London School of Music, where he developed a love of jazz that would stay with him through his lifetime. At the age of 21, he married Edith Phillips, and soon thereafter joined the United States Army Air Corps. Du served in the Air Corps for 3 years before returning to Baltimore and embarking on a long career of service to the city. For 20 years, Du Burns worked at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School as a recreational and youth hygiene counselor. In 1971, he first entered the political arena, serving as 2nd district councilman from 1971 until 1982, and later became both Vice President and the first African-American President of the city council. Then, on January 26, 1987, Du was sworn in to complete the term of Governor William Donald Schaefer, becoming the 45th mayor of Baltimore and the first African-American mayor in the history of the city. This simple list of Du's career positions does not come close to expressing all he accomplished and all he meant to Baltimore.”