WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), spoke on the House Floor shortly prior to entering Nipsey Hussle’s contributions to South Los Angeles into the Congressional Record.
Transcript of her remarks:
“Madame Speaker, I rise today on the Floor of the House of Representatives to formally recognize and honor the legacy of Ermias Asghedom, known to his community and the neighborhoods of South Los Angeles and beyond, as Nipsey Hussle.
“As noted in the record I will be submitting shortly, Nipsey Hussle used the platform he created with his music to lift our community as he climbed. His business ventures, his investments, his philanthropy, his community engagement – every step of the way, he had a sole purpose of bettering the community he came from.
“A humble visionary, he saw the overlooked and welcomed the dismissed. He reminded our community that the power we hold is the power of where we come from and that the awareness of that power can never be taken from us.
“He will be remembered by South Los Angeles as a protector, as an inspiration, as a father, as a brother and as an unabashed son of South Los Angeles.
“For all he was given, he gave back. And for that legacy, South Los Angeles has been changed forever.
“I will now be submitting this record honoring his legacy.
“Thank you Madam Speaker, I yield back.”
Excerpts from the Congressional Record:
“Madam Speaker, may this entry serve as enduring recognition of the legacy lived and left by Ermias Joseph Asghedom, known to his community and the neighborhoods of South Los Angeles and beyond, as Nipsey Hussle.”
…
“Marathon Clothing is a technologically ground-breaking store that could have been opened anywhere. Nipsey Hussle opened it on Slauson and Crenshaw.”
…
“Throughout his projects, Nipsey Hussle brought the neighborhood with him. In working to ensure that the community was knowledgeable about their economic power, Nipsey Hussle made sure to give jobs to residents in the neighborhood who were struggling, some of which were homeless and formerly incarcerated. He once provided a pair of shoes to every student at 59th Street Elementary School and also donated to renovate the school’s playground and basketball courts.”
…
“He saw the overlooked and welcomed the dismissed.”
…
“He taught and reminded our community that the power we hold is the power we come from and that awareness of our power is something no one can take from us. Nipsey Hussle will be remembered as a visionary, as a protector, as an inspiration, as a philanthropist, as a father, as a brother and as an unabashed son of South Los Angeles. For all he was given, he gave back. And for that legacy, South Los Angeles has been changed forever.”
Read the entire entry here.
