Cohen Introduces Resolution to Honor the Life and Accomplishments of Dr. Benjamin Hooks

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN-9) today introduced a House Resolution to honor the life and accomplishments of Dr. Benjamin Hooks – a Memphis native and legendary Civil Rights leader. To view the Congressman’s comments, please click here.

“Dr. Benjamin Hooks was a hero and a leader,” said Congressman Cohen. “His work and accomplishments paved the way for so many who followed in his footsteps. We thank God for bringing him into our lives and will always cherish, admire and respect him for providing the leadership our country needed over the years.”

Dr. Hooks was a World War II Army veteran and joined Rev. Martin Luther King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1956. He was the first African-American criminal court judge in Tennessee and the first African-American appointed to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Dr. Hooks also served as Executive Director and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the highest award a civilian can receive – in 2007.

Congressman John Conyers Jr. (D-MI) is also a sponsor of the Resolution honoring the life and achievements of Dr. Hooks.