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Floor Speech

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Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a loving wife, dedicated mother, pioneering educator, committed community activist, ardent community servant, faithful woman of God and friend of longstanding, Ms. Lenore DeVaughn Golden Shackelford.

Sadly, Mrs. Shackelford passed from labor to reward on Thursday, March 14, 2024. A homegoing service to celebrate her remarkable life will be held on Saturday, March 30, 2024, at the Beulah Missionary Baptist Church in Quitman, Georgia.

The Genesis of the life of Mrs. Lenore Shackelford began on April 17, 1929, as she was born to the union of the late Corine Golden and A.Z. Graddick. She was a proud product of the Brooks County School System, graduating from Brooks County High School in 1945.

A love of family permeated the life of Mrs. Shackelford, and she united in Holy Matrimony to Herbert Duane Shackelford and to this blessed union a son was born, the late Herbert Duane Shackelford II.

A lifelong and avid learner, Mrs. Shackelford attended and graduated from Savannah State College (now university) with a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1950. She also received a Master of Education, Guidance and Counseling from Florida A&M University in 1959. Mrs. Shackelford also attended Tennessee A&I, Valdosta State, and the University of Georgia.

Her long and storied career in education began in 1950 as a Social Studies Teacher at Morven Rosenwald High School. She was also an elementary school teacher at Empress Elementary School from 1954 to 59. Subsequently, she became a guidance counselor in 1959 at Washington Street High School in Quitman. Mrs. Shackelford continued her counseling career at Brooks County Junior High in 1970 and completed her fulfilling career at Brooks County High, retiring in 1989. It has been said that ``Education is the passport to the future, it belongs to those who prepare for it today.'' Mrs. Shackelford did an extraordinary job in preparing countless young people for their futures. Because of her dedication and stellar commitment to our young people, she received many awards and commendations. She also helped many young people receive scholarships that helped advance their educational dreams.

Mrs. Shackelford dedicated her life to the betterment of her beloved Brooks County. Always the community activist, she was instrumental in making Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday a holiday for Brooks County Schools in 1988. Continuing that activism, she was pivotal in getting the longest street in Quitman, (the former Washington Street) named after Dr. King. Mrs. Shackelford truly believed in these words: ``Activism is standing up for what you believe in, even when it is not the popular opinion.'' Mrs. Shackelford was not concerned about what was popular, she was concerned about what was right and just.

Shirley Chisholm once said that ``Service is the rent that we pay for the space that we occupy here on this earth.'' Mrs. Shackelford paid her rent, and she paid it well. Mrs. Shackelford gave her time, treasure, and talent to many organizations over the course of her life, to include: Order of the Eastern Star, Love Joy Chapter No. 426, where she was Worthy Matron. She also held two Grand Lodge offices, Grand Adah and Grand Lecturer. She was a member of Scott Azalea Assembly No. 289, Order of the Golden Circle of Valdosta, Georgia, where she received the ``Golden Lady of the Orient'' award, which was the highest honor that any Loyal Lady can receive in the State. She was a Charter member and past Commandress of Ossipe Court No. 186. She was also a member of the esteemed Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Always concerned about her professional development, she was a member of the National Teachers Organization; Georgia Association of Educators; Brooks County Association of Educators; Brooks County Retired Educators Association (serving as president for many years); the Georgia Retired Educators Association; Georgia School Counselors Association and Georgia Association of School Counselors.

Mrs. Shackelford loved her family and her community, but most of all she loved her God. At an early age, she joined the Beulah Missionary Baptist Church in Quitman, Georgia where she was a member of the trustee board, church clerk, secretary, choir member and served as a chairperson of several committees and programs, working closely with many of Beulah's pastors over the years. The Scripture tells us that ``She was full of good works and acts of charity.'' Mrs. Shackelford used her love of God to magnify His kingdom through her good works.

Mrs. Shackelford accomplished much in her life but none of it would have been possible without the grace of God and the love and support of her late husband, Herbert Duane Shackelford I, her late son, Herbert Duane Shackelford II, and her grandchildren, Herbert Duane Shackelford III, and Brianna Shackelford, along with a host of other loved ones and special friends.

On a personal note, Mrs. Shackelford was my longtime friend and supporter. Many of her closest friends, and I, endearingly referred to her as ``Miz Shack''. Over the years she blessed me with wise counsel and sage advice. She never told me just what I wanted to hear; she always told me just what I needed to hear. I will be forever grateful for the fidelity of her friendship over more than three decades.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join my wife, Vivian, and me, along with the people of Georgia's 2nd Congressional District, the State of Georgia and beyond in celebrating the life and legacy of Mrs. Lenore DeVaughn Golden Shackelford. Moreover, we extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends and all who mourn her loss. May we all be consoled and comforted by an abiding faith and the Holy Spirit in the days, weeks and months ahead.

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