The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING THE LIFE & ACHIEVEMENTS OF REV. H.D. DARBY
______
HON. BRADLEY SCOTT SCHNEIDER
of illinois
in the house of representatives
Monday, March 7, 2022
Mr. SCHNEIDER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the selfless leadership and advocacy of Waukegan resident Reverend Henderson
``H.D.'' Darby, who was instrumental in securing the right to vote for Black people in the Jim Crow South.
Rev. Darby first tried to cast his vote in Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi in the early 1950s. As NAACP records show, before he could register he was required to pass an oral examination where he was asked obscure questions about the Mississippi and Federal constitutions. Although Rev. Darby answered these unfair questions to the best of his ability, but was simply told, ``You did not qualify.''
Rev. Darby did not give up. Instead, he sued the county circuit clerk, James Daniel, for access to the ballot box in the 1958 case, Darby v. Daniel. His case was among the first federal court attempts to secure voting rights for Black voters. During the suit he was called
``extremely radical. if not dangerous'' and ``bitter for trying to exercise his constitutional right. With help from lawyers from the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund--including future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall--Rev. Darby prevailed with his case.
Rev. Darby's landmark win granted all African Americans the right to vote without obstruction, such as having to take an oral examination. His lawsuit is estimated to have helped secure voting rights for approximately 1,300 African American voters in Jefferson Davis County, according to Jet Magazine. Thanks to the fearlessness of civil rights leaders like Rev. Darby, millions of African Americans have the right to vote today.
At a time when voting rights are once again under attack across the country, we are all served well by learning the stories and honoring the sacrifices of civil rights figures like Rev. Darby. The legacy of these great American heroes, such as Rep. John Lewis, Fannie Lou Hamer, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and so many others must be protected with unwavering commitment to protecting the right to vote.
Rev. Darby's pioneering activism made him a leader before his time. I am honored that he came to call Waukegan, Illinois his adopted home later in life. He lived in our community until he passed away in 1993.
Today, his legacy lives on through his loved ones, including his grandson, Christopher ``Brotha'' Blanks, who is known in Waukegan for his moving poetry, social activism and advocacy, and the work he does through his nonprofit, Black Abolition Movement for the Mind.
It is my privilege to recognize Rev. Henderson ``H.D.'' Darby for his fearlessness, strength and patriotism. I know that his legacy will continue to live on through his family, friends and all those who learn and are inspired by his shining example.
____________________
SOURCE: ACHIEVEMENTS OF REV. H.D. DARBY
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