Speeches & Testimony

Madam Speaker:

I rise today to join so many others in honoring the life and legacy of U.S. Congresswoman Patsy Takemoto Mink and the 50th Anniversary of her signature stamp on our nation, Title IX.

Born in Paia, Hawai‘i, Congresswoman Mink was a true pioneer in so many areas: the first female elected class president at Maui High School, the first Japanese-American woman admitted to the Hawai‘i bar in 1953, and the first woman of color ever elected to this body.

She experienced many firsts throughout her life, but spent her career ensuring that she would not be the last. She is best remembered as the principal author of Title IX, where she fought successfully to end the gender discrimination in academics and athletics in federally funded education that she and so many others had endured.

A half century later, we see the results of her labor with nearly three million young women participating in high school sports across the country and 1.1 million female college graduates every year. For this, we owe her an immense amount of gratitude.

But it would be a true mistake to remember her only for this one singular accomplishment, for over her long and productive career she fought endlessly on so many fronts to end poverty, discrimination and injustice, advance the inherent right of all peoples and realize a more perfect union. And, as a true keiki o ka ‘āina, child of the land, she always stayed true to her roots and her Hawai’i home.

Mahalo nui loa, or thank you very much, on behalf of a grateful nation and home.

I yield back.

###

You can view Case's extension of remarks in the Congressional Record online here.