In Recognition of Richie Perez

IN RECOGNITION OF RICHIE PEREZ -- (Extensions of Remarks - March 29, 2004)

SPEECH OF
HON. NYDIA M. VELÁZQUEZ
OF NEW YORK
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2004

Ms. VELÁZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to pay tribute to the life of Richie Perez-a longtime community activist who lived in Brooklyn.

Richie Perez was a fighter. He fought for the rights of all people, and he fought against the devastating inequities that plague our society. He fought for the poor, the disenfranchised, the downtrodden-and gave them a voice.
His passion for activism began in the 1960s as a former member of the community-based organization for Puerto Rican empowerment called the Young Lords Party. He most recently founded the National Congress for Puerto Rican rights, acting as the co-chair of its Justice Committee, which works with families of victims of racial discrimination and police brutality.

He was a mentor to many and a hero to even more. He imparted his ideas and philosophies onto others by teaching classes on the Puerto Rican experience in New York, mass media and social policy at New York City's Hunter College. Not only was he an activist and a teacher, but he was an author as well, publishing several groundbreaking written works.

Richie Perez was a truth-seeker. Wherever he went, he spoke the truth, lived by the truth, and inspired the truth in others. He embodied the meaning of righteousness and what is good and real in our local communities. He believed in giving people a second chance, and in fighting back against the injustices that had imperiled them.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Richie Perez, and join with my colleagues in the House of Representatives to recognize his extraordinary life.