Norton Statement on the Passing of Former Representative Major Owens

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) made the following statement on the passing of former Representative Major Owens.

"I join my colleagues in remembering former Representative Major Owns, with whom I was privileged to serve. Major Owens, who was professionally a librarian, understood education as a lifelong process. He brought his passion for learning to his work on education and other issues in the Congress. I remember Major as a sophisticated and principled member, committed to universal human rights and economic justice. He was a worthy successor to Shirley Chisholm, whose Brooklyn district he won after she retired, nurturing many of the same progressive values. However, Major Owens made the Brooklyn district his own, working ardently for his constituents while leaving his imprimatur on national legislation."

Published: October 23, 2013