Remembering Maxine Smith

Dear Friend,

Memphis lost a Civil Rights pioneer when Maxine Smith passed away this morning. Maxine Smith was the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement in Memphis, having served on the National Board of the NAACP and as the Executive Secretary of the Memphis Branch of the NAACP.

Remembering Maxine Smith
National Civil Rights Museum Funding
All In With Chris Hayes
Fred Smith and FedEx
New Obama Drug Policy
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Hamilton High School Students in D.C.
Memphis Flyboys Meet President Obama
Memphis In May
Defense Employer Support Freedom Award
Earth Day
EnergySmart Memphis
Grant Announcements

Remembering Maxine Smith

Maxine Smith passed away this morning in Memphis. Maxine Smith was the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement in Memphis, having served on the National Board of the NAACP and as the Executive Secretary of the Memphis Branch of the NAACP where she coordinated the desegregation of everything in Memphis from schools to lunch counters to theater seating, and libraries, as well as public accommodations and facilities.


Maxine Smith was an unstoppable force during the Civil Rights Movement, not only in Memphis but across America and she should be honored, emulated and revered alongside our nation’s most influential leaders. On a personal level, she guided me as a mentor and a friend and I am humbled by her belief in me, which has given me strength for many years. Maxine Smith embodied Dr. King’s dream as she, too, could see over the Mountaintop. Please join me in remembering the powerful and important life Maxine Smith lived and keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Click here to see me talk about Maxine Smith on the House floor.

National Civil Rights Museum Funding
On Wednesday I announced that the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded the National Civil Rights Museum $2 Million for renovation. The National Civil Rights Museum is a national gem, immersing visitors in the history of the Civil Rights Movement in America. The Museum is currently undergoing necessary renovations and these new federal funds will be used to continue the Museum’s important work well into the future. I was proud to support legislation that made this funding possible.

All In With Chris Hayes

This past Monday night I was on MSNBC’s “All In With Chris Hayes” to discuss the bombing at the Boston Marathon and comprehensive immigration reform. Click here to see the MSNBC interviews.

Fred Smith and FedEx

On Wednesday I introduced FedEx CEO Fred Smith at a Congressional Freight Panel. He told the special panel looking at the future of freight transportation that Congress needs to move forward with satellite-based air traffic control and new airport runways. And last week I congratulated FedEx and Fred Smith on being in business for 40 great years, with Memphis serving as the company’s headquarters. The flow of cargo is so important to our country’s economy, and that effect is multiplied in Memphis as FedEx is our area’s largest employer. It was once said that “what’s good for General Motors is good for the nation;” but now, “what’s good for FedEx is good for the nation.” Click here to see my introduction of Fred Smith. My remarks begin at the 4:42 mark.

New Obama Drug Policy
I applaud the Obama Administration for recently unveiling a new drug policy strategy, particularly its approach to marijuana use and possession. The War on Drugs has been a failure since day one and I spoke to the President at the Democratic retreat in Leesburg, Virginia in February about ending the unsuccessful War on Drugs. I commend President Obama for beginning to take a new, more sensible approach to our country’s drug policy. The emphasis of our drug policy should be on heroin, meth, crack, cocaine and unauthorized use of prescription drugs – not marijuana possession. I also appreciate his recognition of the unnecessary barriers that some people with drug convictions face. I hope he will support my call for a National Commission on Federal Marijuana Policy, which would study these and related issues.

National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Again this week, I spoke on the House floor about the importance of funding the National Institutes of Health (NIH), our country’s foremost medical research center which has helped millions across the country suffering from heart disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS, Diabetes, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other diseases. Unfortunately, Republicans are cutting more than $1.6 billion from the NIH’s budget through sequestration.

I strongly oppose these cuts because disease is the enemy and we must do everything in our power to conquer it. Everyone’s family either has been or will be touched by disease and federal scientists must have essential funding to make medical advances which will protect our citizens. Funding for the NIH should be increased -- not slashed -- because the research conducted by the NIH preserves health and saves lives. Click here to see my remarks.

Hamilton High School Students

This week students from Hamilton High School visited me as a part of their trip to Washington, D.C. While with them for a photograph on the Capitol steps we crossed paths with my good friend and colleague Civil Rights icon Congressman John Lewis, who thrilled the students by stepping into the photo. During the time I spent with the students, I spoke about the importance of pursuing a higher education.

As a State Senator, I fought for nearly twenty years to establish the Tennessee Lottery to give Tennessee students an opportunity to receive a college education without having to incur huge student loan debt and/or spend precious study time working to pay their way through school. It is gratifying that tens of thousands of students have benefited from my efforts to provide Tennesseans with access to affordable, quality, post-secondary education. Learn more about the lottery scholarship program here: https://www.tn.gov/collegepays/mon_college/scholarships.htm

Memphis Flyboys Meet President Obama

This week President Barack Obama met with Darius Hooker, 19, and Wesley Carter, 18, both from Memphis, who took part in Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC). President Obama hosted the White House Science Fair in the State Dining Room of the White House to celebrate the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. Click here to learn more.

Memphis In May
Memphis in May hosts the city’s largest events like the Beale Street Music Festival, the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest and the Sunset Symphony which draw people from around the world to Memphis for the month of May. Memphis in May also produces extensive education, international, and economic programs for the city. Memphis in May International Festival is more than its events. It’s also a 501-C(3) not-for-profit, community-based organization that contributes to the economic growth of the community, fosters civic pride, promotes awareness of Memphis heritage and builds international relationships. Click here to learn more.

Defense Employer Support Freedom Award
Three Tennessee employers have been selected as semifinalists for the 2013 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, including the City of Memphis Waste Water Treatment Plant. The award is the U.S. Department of Defense’s highest honor for employers that provide extraordinary support to their Guard and Reserve employees. Employers selected as semifinalists assist Guard and Reserve employees through formal and informal initiatives, including setting veteran hiring goals, providing childcare for deployed employees, arranging care package drives, and granting additional leave for military employees and family members before and after deployments. I’d like to add my congratulations for such excellent effort that recognizes and supports those who stand at the ready to defend America. Click here to learn more.

Earth Day
On Monday this week we marked Earth Day. For more than four decades, Earth Day has brought Americans together to highlight our moral responsibility to preserve our planet, protect our environment, and address the pressing challenge of climate change. Across the country, families and students spent this day serving their communities, cleaning up their neighborhoods, promoting conservation, and participating in the effort to ensure clean air, clean water, and a cleaner planet.

Earth Day is a reminder that we must build upon our efforts to invest in clean energy jobs, to strengthen industries of innovation, to decrease harmful emissions, to cut energy costs for consumers, and to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. It’s important that we work to create a future of sustainability for our children and grandchildren, prosperity and opportunity for our families and communities, security and energy independence for generations to come.

EnergySmart Memphis
EnergySmart Memphis is a year-long energy education and home improvement initiative designed to help Memphians save money on their energy costs. EnergySmart Memphis is a partnership between MLGW, City and County government agencies, Community Development Corporations and non-profit organizations, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Through EnergySmart Memphis, an estimated 3,000 MLGW customers will receive in-depth energy conservation training; eligible customers will have weatherization improvements made to their home through this initiative; and a series of Energy Education Workshops will be conducted city and county-wide at area libraries. The initiative includes weatherization kits for qualified homeowners to receive minor and major home repairs. Click here to learn more.

Grant Announcements
I regularly release a list of grant announcements from federal agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation, and others. These federal funding opportunities are available to faith-based and neighborhood associations, nonprofits and other community organizations in the 9th district. The announcements are updated regularly on my website.

Wishing you a happy and safe weekend, and Go Grizzlies!

As always, I remain,

Most sincerely,

Steve Cohen
Member of Congress