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WISHING FLORENCE CLARKE A HAPPY 80TH BIRTHDAY
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HON. JOE COURTNEY
of connecticut
in the house of representatives
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Mr. COURTNEY. Madam Speaker, it is with great distinction that I rise today to observe and celebrate the 80th birthday of Reverend Florence Dorothy Jeffries Gilliard Clarke. Florence is the epitome of an altruistic American. A teacher, devout pastor, and community advocate who has dedicated her life to enriching the lives of those within our eastern Connecticut community.
Florence's life began down south in Charleston, SC on February 21, 1941. Guided by a strong spirit and support from loved ones, Florence overcame the tragic loss of her parents at a young age. An astute student, Florence won a scholarship to attend SC State College to pursue a degree in Business Administration. It was during her time at SC State that Florence began to lend her voice to decry mass injustices across our nation marching alongside our colleague U.S. House Representative Jim Clyburn to desegregate American public schools. Sixty years ago, Florence and Jim and 185 others were arrested at a peaceful protest in front of the state house in Columbia, South Carolina. Despite its peaceful nature, they were convicted of breach of peace and locked up for three days. They appealed this injustice all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and the court ruled in their favor in a landmark first amendment case, Edwards V. South Carolina.
Florence remained in South Carolina after college and began her career as a teacher. Drawing from her life experiences, Florence was a beacon of wisdom for her students and taught not only with energy and positivity, but with care and kindness. Eventually, Florence and her husband, who served in the U.S. NAVY, moved to Connecticut where he was stationed at the Subase New London. After the untimely passing of her husband, Florence chose to remain in Connecticut. Shifting her career focus, Florence took a position with General Dynamics-Electric Boat--
contributing to building our nation's dominant fleet of submarines. Florence, now a true Nutmegger, stayed at Electric Boat for more than 25 years before retiring to return to her passion of teaching. She joined the East Lyme, Waterford, Montville and New London school systems as a substitute teacher and became such a renowned figure in the eastern Connecticut school system that in 2002 she was selected as the commencement speaker for Waterford High School's graduating class.
However, Florence's service to the community went far beyond confines of our schools. The church was another vessel for which she inspired the action of others. In 1975, guided by a deep-rooted mission to serve, Florence became an active member of Walls Temple A.M.E. Zion Church in New London. Her involvement with the church continued to grow and took a pivotal tum in 1997 when she became an ordained pastor and organized Clarke Memorial A.M.E Zion--at that time the first new congregation admitted in the annual conference in twenty years. Her journey within the ministry came full circle in 2014 when the congregations of Walls Temple and Clarke Memorial merged to become Walls Clarke Temple A.M.E. Zion. With a humble spirit, Florence celebrated 40 years of service in Christian ministry in 2015 and retired from 20 years of pastoral ministry in June 2017.
Florence is unabated in her fight against racial oppression and strives to empower those within her community. I am honored to have marched on State Street with Florence in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, witnessed her advocacy for children through the establishment of National Children's Day, and stood in solidarity with her as we tried to reconcile the tragic acts of June 17, 2015, at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Florence's legacy will forever be ingrained in the fabric of Eastern Connecticut--influencing generation after generation.
Madam Speaker, Fellow Colleagues--I ask you to please join me in wishing Florence a happy 80th birthday and aid me in showing appreciation to this outstanding citizen. Florence, we wish you a joyous celebration on your special day and many more years of happiness.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 31
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