Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of George Dean, a pillar of our Arizona community, who passed away last week at the age of 88. George led the Greater Phoenix Urban League for more than three decades, serving as its…
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of George Dean, a pillar of our Arizona community, who passed away last week at the age of 88.
George led the Greater Phoenix Urban League for more than three decades, serving as its president and CEO. He worked tirelessly to make a real difference in the lives of Arizonans, creating pathways to jobs, to education, and to homeownership. He did it all while remaining a steadfast voice for civil rights and economic opportunity.
Now, I had the proud honor of working with George, seeing his great work firsthand for many years. When I served as mayor of Phoenix, I worked with George to help low-income families get assistance with their energy bills. George was passionate to make sure that Arizonans got our fair share of LIHEAP resources.
I saw his passion for affordable housing so people in need can live with dignity. No one worked harder to create summer job opportunities for local teenagers. I saw how deeply he cared about lifting up every member of our community. To his last day, George worked to support the people of our community.
George Dean's impact will be felt across Arizona for generations to come, and he is owed a tremendous debt of gratitude for his decades of selfless sacrifice and service.
My thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the entire Greater Phoenix Urban League community.
Remembering Balbir Singh Sodhi
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark 25 years since the tragic attacks of September 11 and to remember a life tragically taken in their aftermath in my own district.
Twenty-five years ago today, Balbir Singh Sodhi was murdered at his Mesa gas station while planting flowers outside. He was the very first victim of a hate crime after 9/11. He was murdered because of the color of his skin and the turban he wore in keeping with his Sikh faith.
It was a senseless act of hatred, but in the years since, Arizona's Sikh community has transformed that tragedy into something greater: a call for peace, for understanding, for unity, and for forgiveness, a call for this country to live up to its founding values.
Every year, we gather at the place where Balbir's life was taken to honor his memory and to remind our community that hate has no place here. His brother, Rana, and his extended family have carried that message with remarkable grace.
To honor Balbir, we must keep building a community and a country that welcomes everyone, that reaffirms that diversity, unity, and acceptance are at the heart of our founding values.
My heart remains with his family and with Arizona's Sikh community, who have shown us that love can and must prevail.
