[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 204 (Tuesday, December 19, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2400-E2401]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN TO SERVE IN HOUSE OF 
                            REPRESENTATIVES

                                 ______


                               speech of

                       HON. BARBARA-ROSE COLLINS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 12, 1995

  Miss COLLINS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to commemorate 
the 125th anniversary of the election to Congress of the first African-
American Member. Clearly, the highest honor we could bestow on the 
Honorable Joseph Hayne Rainey is to assure him that the 

[[Page E2401]]
struggle he began in this Congress 125 years ago, is being carried on 
today by some of us who still recognize that racial inequality and 
discrimination--two of the issues Congressman Rainey struggle valiantly 
against--continue to impact important policy decisions of this body. We 
saw it in our consideration of the sentencing guidelines relating to 
crack cocaine. We see it in the ongoing emphasis of the majority to put 
more of our citizens in prison, as opposed to investing in education 
and jobs. It is visible in the efforts by some to reduce the liability 
for white collar crime and securities fraud. We see it this week in the 
foreign operations appropriations measure which provides billions of 
foreign aid to some individual countries, while completely annihilating 
aid to the entire region of the sub-Saharan African countries. Another 
example is the announced effort in the coming session to eliminate 
affirmative action programs, without taking other effective steps to 
correct racial discrimination in that all important area of meaningful 
employment.
  I believe that all of these important issues and others like them 
would be of great concern to Congressman Joseph Hayne Rainey, if he 
were here today. And I want him to know that partly due to the 
inspiration of his efforts and memory--many of us are still here 
working in support of his cause. Thank you Congressman Rainey. We will 
continue the fight.

                          ____________________