Brooklyn, N.Y. – Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement on the passing of Julian Bond, a founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center and former Chairman of the NAACP:

“Julian Bond was a man of courage and moral vision who insisted on his right and the right of all African Americans to participate in the politics of this nation. When he was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives at twenty-five years-of-age, his colleagues refused to admit him because of his work as a civil rights activist. But he was soon vindicated by a unanimous Supreme Court decision, and became a distinguished member of the legislature, where he established the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus. Involved in the establishment of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, he was on the front lines of protests that led to the nation’s landmark civil rights laws as we know and continue to fight for to this very day. His activism continues to inspire generations of activists dedicated to social justice. His contributions to the Southern Poverty Law Center and the NAACP remain invaluable to protecting the civil rights of every American. Julian Bond was a man of history whose legacy will continue in our work to secure for all people the full blessings of American life.”

Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke is a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce in the House of Representatives, a member of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, as well as the Committee on Ethics and the Committee of Small Business. She represents many neighborhoods in central and southern Brooklyn, NY which include Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Gerritsen Beach, Madison, Midwood, parts of Park Slope and Flatlands, Prospect Heights, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Sheepshead Bay, and Windsor Terrace.