Elizabeth Furse: “You know, as a former South African, I have seen great history made, history made by people who refuse to bow down to…”

“You know, as a former South African, I have seen great history made, history made by people who refuse to bow down to the horrors of apartheid, and with many of my colleagues in 1994 in Pretoria, South Africa, we saw the wonder of President Mandela taking the oath of office of President of South Africa; finally, a just South Africa. Mr. Speaker, history is made by people, by individual people, black history is made by black people, black individuals, and I want to speak today of one of those individuals who makes history every day in my community. Her name is Ruby Haughton. Ruby was the first African-American to be named vice president of a large bank in Oregon, the U.S. Bank. This position would be consuming enough to fill any life, but for Ruby it is just a start. She is a national figure in the fight against diabetes. Her passion for a cure and better treatment for this devastating disease is fueled by her love and admiration for her mother who suffers from diabetes. I understand that passion, as my beloved daughter Amanda suffers with diabetes. Ruby Haughton has been named to the prestigious National Institutes of Health, the board that oversees grants for diabetes research. She chairs the cultural diversity committee of the American Diabetes Association. Ruby is a member of the Urban League of Portland, the NAACP Portland branch and serves on the United Negro College Fund advisory board of directors. Ruby Haughton is a role model.”