Political Quotes

“I rise today to pay tribute to Congressman John Conyers, Jr., a civil rights icon, lifelong public servant, lover of jazz, and champion for his beloved hometown of Detroit. Congressman Conyers was born in Detroit on May 16, 1929, and spent the next 90 years fighting for his city, our State, our Nation, and the equality of all people. He deeply understood the challenges Detroit families face. In the words of Kary Moss, executive director of ACLU of Michigan: ``He was of Detroit and for Detroit.'' He knew what it was like to wake up and head to the factory; after graduating from Northwestern High School, he worked as a welder at a Lincoln plant before earning bachelor's and law degrees from Wayne State University. He knew what it was like to serve this Nation in uniform; he enlisted in the Army and served a tour of duty during the Korean war. He knew what it was like to fight for equality; he marched alongside Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in Selma, AL; cofounded the Congressional Black Caucus; and even hired civil rights icon Rosa Parks as a secretary and receptionist in his office. He knew what it was like to devote his life to public service, spending 53 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and rising to lead the Judiciary Committee. He fought to make Dr.…”