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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E383]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING THE LIFE OF BISHOP Z.L. GRADY
______
HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN
of south carolina
in the house of representatives
Thursday, April 23, 2020
Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to
the life and legacy of a great leader in the African Methodist
Episcopal (AME) Church, Bishop Zedekiah LaZett (Z.L.) Grady who
transitioned on Sunday, April 19th. Bishop Grady was one of my
spiritual and political mentors and--like many others--I will always
cherish his memory.
Z.L. Grady was born the son of Walter and Sylvira Bynum Grady in
Loughman, Florida. Education was extremely important to him, and he was
a life-long learner. He was educated in Sanford, Florida public schools
and graduated from Crooms Academy. He attended Florida's Edward Waters
College and the B.F. Lee Theological Seminary, where he earned A.A. and
B.Th. degrees before earning a B.A. degree from Allen University, in
Columbia, South Carolina, and a M.Div. degree from Dickerson
Theological Seminary. He continued his theological studies at the Union
Theological Seminary in New York and the Urban Training Center in
Chicago, Illinois. Bishop Grady was awarded honorary doctorate degrees
from Kittrell College, Allen University and Edward Waters College.
While Bishop Grady was a highly respected AME church leader, his
influence spread far beyond the church walls. He was a pastor and an
astute administrator who excelled and had many great successes in both
roles. He also wore the mantle of civic organizer, social reformer, and
teacher. These roles enabled him to make indelible marks on many
communities.
I met Bishop Grady when I was a young public-school teacher in
Charleston, South Carolina. Although I was born and had grown up in a
Church of God parsonage, and my wife, Emily, had been born and grew up
in a United Methodist Church family, we were drawn to and often
attended Morris Brown AME Church where Z.L. Grady was pastoring at the
time. It was under his influence and tutelage that we became AMEs.
He demonstrated to us what the Bible means by ``faith without works
is dead.'' Not only did he preach the Word on Sundays, he often played
instrumental roles in civic and community activities throughout the
week. His role in the infamous 1969 Charleston Hospital Workers strike
was pivotal. He joined with ministers at Emanuel and Ebenezer AME
churches to build affordable housing on Johns Island, a sea island near
Charleston. He instituted a daycare center and kindergarten at Morris
Brown and our first-born began her formal education in that
kindergarten. He began a radio broadcast of the church services.
During his time in South Carolina, he served as Chairman and Vice
Chairman of the South Carolina Juvenile Parole Board, Chairman of the
Charleston Community Race Relations Committee, Member of the Charleston
Housing Authority, and a Board Member of C&S National Bank and
NationsBank. And he served as an advisor to elected officials on the
municipal, state and federal levels.
As he rose in church and civic leadership, Bishop Grady's work took
him outside South Carolina to share his talents with the world. He was
elected the 111th Bishop of the AME Church in 1992, and served in the
16th, 9th and 1st Episcopal Districts.
One of my most memorable experiences was arriving at the AME
University in Monrovia, Liberia with the Speaker of the United States
House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and us being greeted by Bishop
Grady. He wanted it to be a surprise and it was.
Bishop Grady retired from his official role at the AME General
Conference. His civic memberships included being a life member of the
Beta Mu Sigma Chapter of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and a life
member of the NAACP.
Bishop Grady leaves to cherish his memory his wife Carrie Etta
Robertson Grady, a native of Winnsboro, South Carolina, who served
admirably at his side throughout their leadership journey with the AME
Church. The two were parents of four children and five grandchildren,
one of whom Carey has followed him into the ministry and was my first
Congressional Intern.
Madam Speaker, l ask you and my colleagues to join me in honoring the
life of this religious and community leader and recognizing the
tremendous positive impact Bishop Z.L. Grady made in South Carolina and
around the world. Although he will be sorely missed, we are all better
for his service among us.
____________________