(Washington, DC) -

Statement from the House Floor

by Rep. Cynthia McKinney

Rep. McKinney: "Will all members and guests please join me in saying the pledge of allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Speaker Pro Tempore: "Without objection, the gentlewoman from Georgia is recognized for one minute."

Rep. McKinney: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Kenneth Samuel is a godly man, and I thank him for being here today. Born in Darlington, South Carolina, receiving his B.A. from Wesleyan University, his Masters of Divinity from Emory University and his Doctorate of Ministry from the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, Dr. Samuel was licensed as a minister and ordained in Ebenezer Baptist church in Atlanta, Georgia, the church of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Reverend Samuel believes the church must be all around us and is not just reflected in a building. Toward that end he has taken his ministry of social justice to the community at large. Reverend Samuel currently serves as the president of the DeKalb County NAACP. He has also served as president of the DeKalb County Council on Adult Literacy, volunteering as a chaplain at the DeKalb County Jail. He served on the Board of Leadership DeKalb and the chaplained the southern region of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He's organized the Victory for the World Church, an independent Baptist church of the United Church of Christ. 

"Reverend Samuel's church serves the total person, providing spiritual development, educational enhancement, and physical fitness. The church school Victory Christian Academy, Victory Annex, and the Kenneth L. Samuel Community Life Center, defined Victory as a church that serves its members and the larger community. Reverend Samuel is a wonderful leader in our community, a strong man, unafraid to take a stand and I' am proud to have him lead us in prayer today in our community, the United States Congress."