[Congressional Bills 111th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H. Res. 1094 Engrossed in House (EH)] H. Res. 1094 In the House of Representatives, U. S., May 11, 2010. Whereas the late Cynthia DeLores Tucker dedicated her life to eliminating racial barriers by championing civil rights and rights of women in the United States; Whereas, having grown up in Philadelphia during the Great Depression, C. DeLores Tucker overcame a childhood marked by economic hardship and segregation; Whereas, having personally experienced the effects of racism, C. DeLores Tucker first became active in the postwar civil rights movement when she worked to register African-American voters during the 1950 Philadelphia mayoral campaign; Whereas C. DeLores Tucker became active in local politics, developed her skills as an accomplished fund raiser and public speaker, and quickly became the first African-American and first woman to serve on the Philadelphia Zoning Board; Whereas in 1965, in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, C. DeLores Tucker participated in the White House Conference on Civil Rights and marched from Selma to Montgomery with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in support of the 1965 Voting Rights Bill, which was later signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson; Whereas in January 1971, while still primarily focused on efforts to gain equality for all, C. DeLores Tucker was named Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by then-Governor Milton Shapp, making her the first female African-American Secretary of a State in the Nation; Whereas, under the leadership of C. DeLores Tucker as Secretary of the Commonwealth, Pennsylvania became one of the first States to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, lower the voting age from 21 to 18, and institute voter registration through mail; Whereas, after leaving her position in Pennsylvania State government, C. DeLores Tucker became the first African-American to serve as president of the National Federation of Democratic Women; Whereas in 1984, C. DeLores Tucker founded the National Political Congress of Black Women, now known as the National Congress of Black Women, a non- profit organization dedicated to the educational, political, economic, and cultural development of African-American Women and their families; Whereas in 1983, C. DeLores Tucker founded the Philadelphia Martin Luther King Jr. Association for Non-Violence and, in 1986, the Bethune-DuBois Institute, both of which are dedicated to promoting the cultural and educational development of African-American youth and young professionals; Whereas C. DeLores Tucker served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the NAACP and numerous other boards, including the Points of Light Foundation and Delaware Valley College; Whereas, in the later phase of her life, C. DeLores Tucker publicly criticized gangster rap music, arguing that such music denigrated women and promoted violence and drug use; Whereas, as a student of history, C. DeLores Tucker led the successful campaign to have a bust of the pioneering activist and suffragist Sojourner Truth installed in the United States Capitol, along with other suffragette leaders; Whereas C. DeLores Tucker received more than 400 honors and awards during her lifetime, including the NAACP Thurgood Marshall Award, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Distinguished Service Award, and the Philadelphia Urban League Whitney Young Award, and honorary Doctor of Law degrees from Morris College and Villa Maria College; and Whereas the work of C. DeLores Tucker as crusader for civil rights and rights of women, through grace, dignity, and purpose has helped transform the perception of race and gender in the United States: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives-- (1) commemorates the life of the late Cynthia DeLores Tucker; (2) salutes the lasting legacy of the achievements of C. DeLores Tucker; and (3) encourages the continued pursuit of the vision of C. DeLores Tucker to eliminate racial and gender prejudice from all corners of our society. Attest: Clerk.