WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) yesterday delivered a speech on the Senate floor honoring James H. Gilliam, Sr., who passed away Wednesday, September 10th at the age of 95. Mr. Gilliam was a decorated soldier and a civil rights leader in the Wilmington community.
Senator Coons’ full remarks:
“Mr. President,
“It is with a heavy heart that today I rise today to honor a friend and a true force for good in my home state of Delaware who recently passed away, but whose impact will be felt for many years to come.
“He was first and foremost a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He was married to his wife, Louise, for 68 years, and had always been the ‘rock of his family.’ He was incredibly proud of the many accomplishments of his son, Jim Jr., and his daughter, Dr. Patrice Gilliam-Johnson, after instilling in them his own passion of service to others.
“This man stood as a great leader in the First State -- he was a veteran, a trailblazer, a mentor, and to so many of us, a trusted advisor and friend.
“Mr. President, it was Mr. James H. Gilliam, Sr., or "Mr. G." as he was known to so many of us, who left our world early Wednesday morning, September 10th. But before he left us, he made a profound impact on thousands of Delawareans from every walk of life, as a teacher, as a mentor, and a leader. His 95 years on this Earth marked a life well lived.
“Whether he was helping communities to heal and to grow together or helping to establish local and national organizations committed to social justice and equity, advising governors, members of Congress, or even the Vice President, he never wasted an opportunity to make the case for our community.
“Jim Gilliam though actually didn’t grow up in Delaware, originally he was raised in Baltimore, and originally earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Morgan State and a master’s degree in social work from Howard University. From 1944 to 1948, he served his country with honor, as a member of the Army’s 92nd Infantry Division – the famed Buffalo Soldiers – where he became a decorated soldier during the Second World War and beyond. He was actually recalled to duty as a captain during the Korean War, and for all his service, he received many awards, including two Bronze Star medals and the Combat Infantryman Badge. I’ll never forget the opportunity I had last year when I was able to help him retrieve a number of his missing, or in several cases, never awarded medals and to reissue them to him in a public ceremony. Hundreds of Delawareans from across our community came together at that event, hundreds whose lives he touched -- I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house.
“Jim Gilliam didn’t come to Wilmington for good until 1965 when he was hired as director of neighborhood and housing services for the Greater Wilmington Development Council, and shortly after, in 1968, he was one of the few trusted to walk the Wilmington streets promoting reconciliation during the riots in our city and the National Guard occupation that lasted too long after the assassination of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.
“Mr. G. went on to hold positions of leadership with private sector and public sector entities, including vice-president of development company Leon Weiner & Associates working to build affordable, low-income housing, or as the director of New Castle County’s Department of Community Development and Housing where he served for many years. Or in 1970, when Governor Peterson asked him to overhaul a then failing Delaware Family Court, he touched many, many lives through many institutions.
“And his constant involvement in the community led to a many honors and accolades, but through it all, he never rested on his laurels or slowed down in his efforts to serve others. In 1999, at an age when most others would have been beginning retirement, he spent nine months raising a million dollars and securing hundreds of political, business, and community supporters to found the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League. The Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League quickly rose in prominence and four years later received the National Urban League’s highest honor. Since that time, as MWUL Chairman, Jim led countless efforts in educational opportunity, economic development, supplier diversity, fighting racial profiling and promoting equity in the arts.
“I was honored to be able to call him a mentor and advisor. Whether working with him fifteen years ago when I was a newly elected countywide official or in recent years as a U. S. senator, I called on Mr. G. time and time again when making tough decisions. His counsel wasn’t always easy to receive -- he pulled no punches -- but he always gave advice keeping the best interests of our community in mind. I consider myself hugely blessed for the many opportunities when he shared his knowledge and his perspective of what we needed to do. But I am far from the only person who long relied upon his advice. Mr. G. counseled countless young men and women from throughout the state and throughout his life, and truly fostered an entire generation of civic and community leaders.
“One of them is Paul Calistro, for decades the executive director of West End Neighborhood House, whose organization has supported thousands of youth and families in our city. A sentiment he recently related to me was that Mr. G. was a man who could command the entire room, but could also speak to you as if you were the only one in the room.
“Another whose career he helped launch was Jae Street, now a county councilman and for decades the executive director of Hilltop Lutheran, another important youth-serving organization in a tough neighborhood in our city. But who was hired at the age of 22, some 40 years ago, by Mr. G. to help in preparation for school desegregation. Jae told recently commented, quote, “he did not tell me it was a job for life, but he helped me to do it, to stay on the battlefield for justice these many years.”
“Any elected official or civic or community leader who ever sat down with Mr. G also knew that he meant business. He wasn’t shy about telling you what you needed to do, what you needed to do better, what you needed to do to make an impact. Whether it was fighting crime or investing in education or growing opportunity. He was better than anyone I have ever known at delivering hard and pointed messages with a smile but with an intensity that made you listen and made you want to be a better man.
“The News Journal, our home paper in Wilmington, recently said, quote, "Mr. Gilliam’s fight for racial justice, his efforts to correct the many wrongs of our society and his willingness to mentor countless others, sent forth thousands of ripples of hope that have benefited us in the past and will serve us well in the future." And I think that’s exactly right.
“No problem was too small or insignificant for him to embrace and to attend to and to set right. He was Wilmington’s Pied Piper, leading all kinds of people into a better place. He was a natural leader. And everyone who knew him is better off for it.
“My good friend Dr. Tony Allen counted Mr. G. as his best friend. And Tony put it this way: “[He] was the conscience of our community. He often said to me that the great challenges of life are in the moments when it is our turn. When there’s an opportunity for us speak up or to be quiet, to rise up or to lie down, to take arms or to take cover. Most of us take the path of least resistance and miss the moment to make a difference in our own lives and in the lives of others.”
“He taught everyone to never, ever miss their moment. To act. To do the right thing. To make the world a better place.
“For 95 years, Mr. G. never missed the moments that required him to act and to lead. He acted, he led, and his legacy lives on not only in his family, but among so many other people and institutions throughout our state that he touched.
“As for me, I will always remember Jim Gilliam as a man who challenged me to be better. He viewed himself as a servant to our community, but he knew his service alone wasn’t enough. That’s why his lasting legacy will be in those whom he’s inspired, and who he challenged to continue his work, to follow his example, to take our turn, and our moment to fight for justice.
“Thank you Mr. President.”