George Latimer: “I want to salute the work of Dr. Olo-run-toba Ah-du-yem'-ee LaCrown, who is president of the African American…”

“I want to salute the work of Dr. Olo-run-toba Ah-du-yem'-ee LaCrown, who is president of the African American Association of Co-Op City, and the members of that organization as they prepare to celebrate The Dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., this coming Monday, January 19, at the Church of New Vision, Einstein Loop North of Co-op City in the Bronx. We all know him as 'Toba,' and he and his organization have sponsored important cultural events that unite the African-American population in shared moments of pride. Aside from honoring the legacy of Dr. King this weekend, the organization held a recent December celebration of Kwanzaa that drew a crowd to the Bartow meeting hall. Toba's leadership has been on display in many forms: as a United States Air Force veteran who served in Afghanistan and, later, headed The American Legion Post in Co-op City; as a former NYPD police officer and, later, as leader of the 47th Precinct Community Council; active in Bronx Community Board 12 and the Wakefield Taxpayers Alliance. The legacy of Dr. King is carried down to this day by Toba and all those who gather this weekend who, in the words of Dr. King, are judged and appreciated not merely by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. Mr. Speaker, from the floor of the House of Representatives, I salute Toba LaCrown and the African American Association of Co-op City.”