South End State Representative Byron Rushing took a brief break from gun regulation debate on the floor of the State House Wednesday evening to acknowledge plaudits of a large group assembled to honor him at Darryl's Corner Bar & Kitchen, on Columbus Avenue. PACE, the Political Action for Candidate Election committee of the Massachusetts chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, had selected Rep. Rushing as its first annual award recipient, in recognition of his thirty-two years of public service fighting for social justice and equal rights for all people.

Rep. Rushing returned the admiration, describing social workers as the people who do that work on a daily basis to promote social justice on a real-life level.

The diverse crowd at Darryl's learned much about Rep. Rushing's story. Helen Cox, a long-time voting member of Boston's Ward 5 Committee, told how thirty-two years ago Boston icon and South End resident Rep. Mel King had asked Rushing to take the mantel of representing King's district in the State House. When Rushing spoke, he commented that he never intended to hold the position for so long, but that it turned out he truly enjoyed the chance it gave him to improve the world.

Jennifer Coplon, co-chair of the event along with Pat Vinter, both South End social workers, brought murmurs from the gathering as she read off some of Rep. Rushing's achievements. "Representative Rushing has always been someone that NASW has counted on to support progressive legislation. He was an original sponsor of the gay rights bill and the chief sponsor of the law to end discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in public schools. He is a spokesperson against the restoration of the death penalty in Massachusetts. He led the Commonwealth's anti-apartheid efforts. He was the co-author and chief sponsor of the Massachusetts Burma Law that prohibited companies from doing business with Myanmar because of that country's human rights violations (a law subsequently annulled by the U.S. Supreme Court). Representative Rushing was also chief sponsor of the health reform law ending pre-existing condition refusals by insurance companies. He was chief sponsor of legislation for needle exchange programs and over-the-counter sale of sterile needles."

Coplon went on to point out, "Representative Rushing has been a steadfast advocate for civil rights; for access to housing, health care, and voter registration; for use of the state pension fund to launch community development investment in poor communities; and for the constructive re-entry of ex-offenders and CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) reform."

Mary Grams, of Shawmut Avenue, who had come to see and hear Byron Rushing, noted, that he "inspires his listeners to be positive and to try to do something good.  He doesn't make us feel sad or angry about the community's problems, but encourages listeners to embrace our community problems with joy, courage, and optimism. This attribute is sorely lacking in today's politics."

Grams was particularly moved that "he talked about wealth disparity - when someone gets richer, it's at the expense of someone getting poorer. That's such a problem in our country today as the gap between rich and poor continues to widen."

South End activist Jovita Fontanez, also a Rushing admirer, noted that she is "especially grateful for Byron's attention to affordable housing and his support of Villa Victoria."

Social worker Enid Shapiro came to hear Rep. Rushing from her home in Brookline, because "he has represented the people of Massachusetts and in particular the disenfranchised with integrity as well as a thoughtful  analysis of every issue that has come before the General Court."

By the end of the evening, event co-chair Pat Vinter reflected, "Rep. Rushing brought a positive energy to the room as he articulated the important message of working to change the world."

Byron Rushing closed the evening with a personal story about his daughter who was ready to quit her first job after six months. Rushing started to share his wisdom that perhaps that wouldn't be such a good idea, but finally he asked her why she wanted to do that. She explained, "This isn't a job where I can change the world." Of course, in the end Rushing supported his daughter's decision.