Today marks a milestone in the lives of those who remember a great GIANT among men, The Honorable Ted Kennedy. We mourn his death and send our prayers to the entire beloved Kennedy Family. I am reminded that it was Senator Kennedy who always smiled and said good morning in the early 1970′s as I walked the halls of the U.S. Senate young and scared as a new page, intern and professional Senate staffer from 1970 – 1989. One day, Senator Kennedy got on the elevator with my dear friend, Martin King, III and asked, “What state are from?” I smiled and said, “I am from the great state of Louisiana and I will become Louisiana’s Barbara Jordan one day. He smiled and said, “Young lady, I look forward to becoming your colleague one day, keep the dream alive!” To this day, I hold that memory near and dear and when times get tough I often think of his words as encouragement to me to carry on no matter how tough things may be. He was an extraordinary leader and humanitarian with a great legacy.

Today also reminds us of the time three years ago in New Orleans, Louisiana when many of us looked in disbelief at our country’s most severe natural disaster.. Hurricane Katrina. We still can remember those images of innocent people struggling to survive while we watched in horror of this in America…the Land of the Free. It is an irony that these two events are merged together by time and sacrifice this week with many feeling a sense of loss and hope all wrapped up into one week.

Today, I pay honor to those who lost their lives fighting for freedom fairness and justice in The Big Easy, my home state and what I hope we will never forget…the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. To the many families who left their lives and homes in search of a kinder, gentler place of peace and tranquility…An America in search of itself.

So, today, we honor and remember Senator Ted Kennedy and The Families of Hurricane Katrina. We promise to never forget you or your legacy.

REST IN PEACE!