Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 116 Part 3.djvu/163

 PUBLIC LAW 107-271—OCT. 30, 2002 116 STAT. 1755 Public Law 107-271 107th Congress An Act To redesignate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 265 Oct. 30, 2002 South Western Avenue, Los Angeles, California, as the "Nat King Cole Post Office". [jj jj 4797] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. FINDINGS. Congress finds the following: (1) Nat Edng Cole was born Nathaniel Adams Coles in Montgomery, Alabama, during the difficult period of segregation in the United States, and was raised in the ghettos of the south side of Chicago, Illinois, where he endured the harshness of poverty. (2) Nat King Cole was often confronted with racism during his career, including being attacked by members of a white supremacist group while he was on stage in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1956. (3) Nat King Cole allowed neither poverty nor racism to prevent him from sharing his music with people worldwide and from leaving a lasting impression on American culture. (4) Nat King Cole established himself as the best selling African-American recording artist of his generation. (5) Nat King Cole and his family became the first African- American family to integrate the community of Hancock Park in Los Angeles when, despite threats and protests from local residents, they purchased their English Tudor mansion in 1948. (6) "The Nat King Cole Show", primarily broadcast from Burbank, California, aired nationally for more than a year beginning in 1956 and was the first television show to be hosted by an African-American artist. (7) Nat King Cole graced southern California with his music during the formative years of his music career and formed the successful "King Cole Trio" in Los Angeles, California. (8) Nat King Cole's recording of "Route 66" serenaded generations of eager California immigrants. (9) Nat King Cole's recorded rendition of "The Christmas Song" symbolizes the family warmth of the yuletide season. (10) Nat King Cole's disarming delivery teaches people the meaning of "Unforgettable". (11) Although Nat King Cole died from lung cancer on February 15, 1965, the music and embracing baritone voice of Nat King Cole are lasting legacies that continue to be enjoyed by people worldwide.

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