Tribute to Reverend Jesse Langston Boyd, Jr.

TRIBUTE TO THE REVEREND JESSE LANGSTON BOYD, JR. -- (Extensions of Remarks - September 08, 2004)

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the exceptional accomplishments and extraordinary life of the Reverend Jesse Langston Boyd. This remarkable gentleman merits both our recognition and esteem as his impressive record of leadership and his invaluable service has done much to improve the lives of our people.

Reverend Boyd's standing within our community is rivaled by few others. He was a dynamic preacher whose counsel was infused with a spiritual fire that moved all of us to do what was right. He lived his life on the front lines of progress and proved to be a powerful champion of economic and social justice. His indomitable spirit carried him through many of life's challenges and molded a life of genuine accomplishment.

Jesse Boyd began his life in St. Louis, Missouri and settled in Los Angeles during the height of the civil rights movement. He joined the Reverend Jesse Jackson's Operation Breadbasket and organized the city's Operation PUSH. In the early 1970's, he spent two years as a missionary in Zambia building schools and houses. He later studied at the Center for the Study of Religions in Jerusalem and earned a degree in divinity from Harvard University.

Reverend Boyd came to our community in 1978 and was pastor of Shorter African Methodist Episcopal Church for over twenty-six years. As a spiritual leader, he advanced the social and educational development of our youth and burnished a reputation as a powerful advocate for civil liberties, inclusion and expanding opportunities for all people. Under Reverend Boyd's leadership, Shorter A.M.E. became a beacon of hope and remains a positive force in the spiritual and civic life of our community.

He served as President of the Black Ministerial Alliance and in the mid-1980's, he helped create People Against Racism at Coors after William Coors, board chairman, was quoted in the Rocky Mountain News as saying that blacks lacked "intellectual capacity." The newspaper later retracted the story and a suit filed by Coors against the newspaper was also retracted. His civic accomplishments included building a fifty-unit housing development and establishing a park near Shorter A.M.E. Church.

Reverend Boyd was no stranger to political and community activism. He served as director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and chaired the boards of directors of Denver Metro PUSH and the Rainbow Coalition. Former Governor Roy Romer appointed him to the Colorado Wildlife Commission and he co-chaired the state campaigns for the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Gary Hart and Michael Dukakis.

It comes as no surprise that the Muscular Dystrophy Association honored Reverend Boyd with the 2004 Personal Achievement Award for his extensive religious, social and political contributions. Recently, Mayor John Hickenlooper proclaimed June 24th, 2004, as "The Reverend Jesse Langston Boyd Day."

We are indeed grateful for the life of Reverend Boyd and for his inestimable contribution to the spiritual life of our community and to the causes that elevate the human condition. He was a fervent defender of the civil liberties which have deep roots in our republic and we are all diminished by the passing of the remarkable gentleman. His contemporaries, including the Reverend James Peters, the Reverend Paul Martin and the Reverend Gil Caldwell recently noted that Reverend Boyd "was a spiritual giant in our community" who "helped us blaze the trail" and "dared challenge America to become a land 'with liberty and justice for all'." I would simply add that I believe Reverend Boyd's message to us would be that we must be ever vigilant and continue to affirm the values of equality, inclusion and tolerance-the values which define us as Americans. Please join me in paying tribute to the life of Reverend Jesse Langston Boyd, a distinguished spiritual and civic leader. His service, accomplishments and leadership command our respect and serve to build a better future for all Americans.