Stand Up! for Democracy in DC (Free DC) Mourns the Passing of Ron Dellums
Washington, DC—Members of Stand Up! for Democracy in DC (Free DC) recognize the great loss to the social justice community caused by the passing of Representative Ronald Dellums (D-Calif.). His life was that of courageous commitment to, and belief in, the right for people to live free and equal without fear of oppression and the threat of a society dominated by armed conflict.
During his nearly 28-year service in the United States House of Representatives, Congressman Dellums consistently fought the military industrial complex in the United States, as well as the deadly Apartheid reign in South Africa.
Rep. Dellums also took a page from the Civil Rights Movement and introduced the first DC statehood bill. Dellums passionately proclaimed that “there should be no colonies in a democracy, and the District of Columbia continues to be a colony,” placing on the House calendar in 1971, a bill that preceded the DC statehood legislation introduced in 1985 by Senators Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Paul Simon (D-Ill.).
Keith Silver, a Stand Up! Board Member and a close friend of Dellums, said simply “when I needed someone I could rely on to step up to a challenge, be it big or small, I knew I could always count on Ron Dellums.”
On behalf of Stand Up! / Free DC, Executive Director Anise Jenkins sends her deepest condolences to the Dellums family, his friends and colleagues.
STAND UP! FOR DEMOCRACY IN DC (FREE DC)
Stand Up! for Democracy in DC (Free DC) was founded in 1997 to help the 700,000 residents of our nation’s capital achieve full and equal citizenship rights by agitating, educating, organizing and mobilizing to achieve DC statehood. For more information, visit: http://standupfordemocracy.net/dc/
FREE DC – Statehood NOW!
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Contacts: Anise Jenkins, (202) 361-9739 - cell, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and Keith Silver, (202) 704-7389 - cell, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.