Floor SpeechCeremonial2024-12-19

TRIBUTE TO SENATOR KAY PATTERSON

TaxesForeign PolicyEducationVeteransInfrastructureCivil Rights

Context

On 2024-12-19, Representative James E. Clyburn (D-SC-6) delivered a floor speech titled "TRIBUTE TO SENATOR KAY PATTERSON" in the House. The speech addressed taxes and also covered foreign policy, education.

Full Text

TRIBUTE TO SENATOR KAY PATTERSON

Congressional Record, Volume 170 Issue 189 (Thursday, December 19, 2024) [Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 189 (Thursday, December 19, 2024)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E1312] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] TRIBUTE TO SENATOR KAY PATTERSON ______ HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN of south carolina in the house of representatives Thursday, December 19, 2024 Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a trusted leader, a tireless champion for civil rights, and a treasured friend. South Carolina State Senator Kay Patterson transitioned on December 13, 2024. His integrity, courage, and wisdom will leave an indelible mark on the State of South Carolina for years to come. Mr. Patterson was born in Darlington, South Carolina in 1931 and grew up in our shared hometown of Sumter. After graduating from Lincoln High School in 1949 and attending Claflin University, Kay joined the Marine Corps. After his discharge from the Corps, he returned to Claflin and later Allen University through the GI Bill. As a student at Allen, Kay cleaned offices at the South Carolina Statehouse where Black people were forbidden from entering in any official capacity. Kay graduated from Allen in 1956 and began a public-school teaching career at W.A. Perry Middle School in Columbia where he taught for 14 years. When Columbia schools were integrated in 1970, Kay joined the South Carolina Education Association, where he worked for 15 years, in 1974, Kay was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives from House District 73 representing North Columbia. For the next 32 years, Kay served in the building where he was once forbidden from entering except to clean the offices. As a Representative, Kay was singularly focused on being a voice for the voiceless. His background as a teacher made him a tireless advocate for public education and South Carolina's children. Eventually, he was selected as a member of the influential House Budget Committee. Kay was excited about this new opportunity, but that excitement vanished when I, among others, urged him to run for the State Senate in 1984. Reluctantly, Kay eventually agreed to my appeal, and he went on to serve in the State Senate for 24 years, becoming just the second Black member to be elected to the chamber since the Reconstruction and Jim Crow eras. In the Senate, Kay became known for his sharp wit and oratory skills. Though Kay didn't speak on the floor of the Senate often, when he did, everyone listened. He wasn't afraid to discuss difficult topics like race and always believed in speaking up for what he believed in. His courage and wisdom made him a natural leader among his colleagues, who elected him to Chair the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus and the Richland County Legislative Delegation, and to membership on the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees--the first Black man to serve on the board in the modern era. Kay's proudest legislative achievement was his advocacy for removing the Confederate flag from the South Carolina Statehouse Dome. He introduced his first bill calling for the flag's removal in 1983 and eventually helped negotiate a compromise that saw the flag removed from the top of the dome to the statehouse grounds in 2000. When the flag was fully removed in 2015, it was, in no small part, due to Kay's decades of advocacy. After his retirement from the South Carolina General Assembly in 2008, Kay continued to serve his community. Kay believed that true leadership involved being an example to those who are destined to follow. Many elected officials in South Carolina have sought his mentorship and many have been inspired to enter public service through his example. A civil rights icon and champion for the poor, Kay was an advocate for all who couldn't advocate for themselves. He was an extraordinary public servant not only for his community, but for the entire state of South Carolina. I wrote in the Introduction of my Memoirs that, ``All of my experiences have not been pleasant, but I have considered all of them to be blessings.'' I count my experiences with Kay as some of my life's greatest blessings, and he was a blessing to all who knew him. Kay will be sorely missed and may he rest in peace. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and our colleagues join me in celebrating the life and legacy of Senator Kay Patterson. ____________________

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TRIBUTE TO SENATOR KAY PATTERSON Congressional Record, Volume 170 Issue 189 (Thursday, December 19, 2024) [Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 189 (Thursday, December 19, 2024)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E1312] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] TRIBUTE TO SENATOR KAY PATTERSON ______ HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN of south carolina in the house of representatives Thursday, December 19, 2024 Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a trusted leader, a tireless champion for civil rights, and a treasured friend. South Carolina State Senator Kay Patterson transitioned on December 13, 2024. His integrity, courage, and wisdom will leave an indelible mark on the State of South Carolina for years to come. Mr. Patterson was born in Darlington, South Carolina in 1931 and grew up in our shared hometown of Sumter. After graduating from Lincoln High School in 1949 and attending Claflin University, Kay joined the Marine Corps. After his discharge from the Corps, he returned to Claflin and later Allen University through the GI Bill. As a student at Allen, Kay cleaned offices at the South Carolina Statehouse where Black people were forbidden from entering in any official capacity. Kay graduated from Allen in 1956 and began a public-school teaching career at W.A. Perry Middle School in Columbia where he taught for 14 years. When Columbia schools were integrated in 1970, Kay joined the South Carolina Education Association, where he worked for 15 years, in 1974, Kay was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives from House District 73 representing North Columbia. For the next 32 years, Kay served in the building where he was once forbidden from entering except to clean the offices. As a Representative, Kay was singularly focused on being a voice for the voiceless. His background as a teacher made him a tireless advocate for public education and South Carolina's children. Eventually, he was selected as a member of the influential House Budget Committee. Kay was excited about this new opportunity, but that excitement vanished when I, among others, urged him to run for the State Senate in 1984. Reluctantly, Kay eventually agreed to my appeal, and he went on to serve in the State Senate for 24 years, becoming just the second Black member to be elected to the chamber since the Reconstruction and Jim Crow eras. In the Senate, Kay became known for his sharp wit and oratory skills. Though Kay didn't speak on the floor of the Senate often, when he did, everyone listened. He wasn't afraid to discuss difficult topics like race and always believed in speaking up for what he believed in. His courage and wisdom made him a natural leader among his colleagues, who elected him to Chair the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus and the Richland County Legislative Delegation, and to membership on the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees--the first Black man to serve on the board in the modern era. Kay's proudest legislative achievement was his advocacy for removing the Confederate flag from the South Carolina Statehouse Dome. He introduced his first bill calling for the flag's removal in 1983 and eventually helped negotiate a compromise that saw the flag removed from the top of the dome to the statehouse grounds in 2000. When the flag was fully removed in 2015, it was, in no small part, due to Kay's decades of advocacy. After his retirement from the South Carolina General Assembly in 2008, Kay continued to serve his community. Kay believed that true leadership involved being an example to those who are destined to follow. Many elected officials in South Carolina have sought his mentorship and many have been inspired to enter public service through his example. A civil rights icon and champion for the poor, Kay was an advocate for all who couldn't advocate for themselves. He was an extraordinary public servant not only for his community, but for the entire state of South Carolina. I wrote in the Introduction of my Memoirs that, ``All of my experiences have not been pleasant, but I have considered all of them to be blessings.'' I count my experiences with Kay as some of my life's greatest blessings, and he was a blessing to all who knew him. Kay will be sorely missed and may he rest in peace. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and our colleagues join me in celebrating the life and legacy of Senator Kay Patterson. ____________________