HONORING THE LIFE OF HELEN RUCKER

On 2025-11-20, Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19) delivered a floor speech titled "HONORING THE LIFE OF HELEN RUCKER" in the House.

HONORING THE LIFE OF HELEN RUCKER

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 196 (Thursday, November 20, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 196 (Thursday, November 20, 2025)] [House] [Page H4828] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE LIFE OF HELEN RUCKER (Mr. Panetta of California was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, although my heart hangs low, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Ms. Helen Rucker. This week, she passed at the young age of 93. Now, despite the challenges that Helen faced throughout her life, Helen Rucker worked very hard to become the somebody who was a sustainer of Seaside, California, the educator of our community, and the epitome of our democracy. Helen faced blatant racial discrimination in her formative years. As a child in Louisiana, she was turned away from the local public library to being a college graduate and experiencing some of the same type of bigotry when she applied for her first job as a librarian. Rather than being despondent, she was driven to make a difference with education not just in her life, but in our lives. She worked for decades as a teacher and a librarian. She served as a Seaside city councilmember, a school board member, and a trustee with our local school district. Outside of her job, she delved deeper into our community by volunteering on such important and challenging issues as civil rights, prison education, HIV prevention, police reform, affordable housing, and so much more. Helen Rucker was an influencer well before the internet was around. She wasn't about clicks or likes. Instead, she was about organizing and galvanizing people. She wasn't about dividing people, but Helen Rucker was all about bridging our divides. Even with all of that service and all of that activism, what she came to realize early on was that the key to change was our democratic process. She realized that it wasn't about yelling and screaming. She understood that it is all about working, sweating, and ensuring everybody has the opportunity to do what every American should do, and that is vote and get out the vote. Rather than agonize, she organized--voting, voter education, voter registration--and she founded Seaside's Voter Education Center. Just like we saw in our recent elections, Helen understood that voting is how we make change. That is how we protect our community, and that is how we move our country forward. No doubt that Helen Rucker faced so many challenges throughout her life, but rather than capitulate, she campaigned. Rather than demonize or disparage her opponents, she always chose civility and upheld the values of our democracy. As we enter into this next election year, let us be reminded, let us reflect, and let us be reinvigorated by the impactful life of Helen Rucker. More importantly, though, let her rest peacefully as all of us strive to live up to her legacy by always voting in our democracy. ____________________