[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 26 (Thursday, February 29, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E263]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   COMMEMORATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

                                 ______


                               speech of

                       HON. BARBARA-ROSE COLLINS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 28, 1996

  Miss COLLINS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, we, as African-American 
citizens are on the verge of having our civil and economic rights 
readjusted to a degree that will seriously test our faith--both in 
ourselves as a people and in our American Government. Not since the 
19th century--in the wake of reconstruction--has the U.S. Government 
been so determined to renege on every last pledge and promise that it 
made in the name of equality for all Americans.
  After 300 years of so-called emancipation, America has failed to live 
up to its founding creed that ``All men are created equal.'' Although 
significant strides were made during the civil rights era, some Members 
of Congress are determined to devise new laws and customs in order to 
maintain the status quo. As in the past, in order, for us to combat 
this rising tide, we must never yield to their oppressive tactics. We 
must never forget that the African-American spirit can never be broken.
  Black history month is always a special time to honor the 
contributions and achievements of African-American men and woman. This 
year, however, I want to specially focus on the extraordinary examples 
of courage displayed by dynamic African-American women throughout our 
history.
  The courage and conviction of African-American woman such as 
Sojourner Truth will never be forgotten. As a fierce opponent of 
slavery, Sojourner Truth, spoke before huge crowds deep in the Ante-
bellum South, preaching against white supremacy--all the while, 
Sojourner Truth never even knew if she would live to complete the 
speech.
  Another great example is Harriet Tubman, who not only escaped from 
slavery herself, but ventured back into the slave States over 20 times 
to free more than 300 of our brothers and sisters.
  It was Mary McLeon Bethune, who blazed the trail for future black 
appointees to high-level government positions by becoming the first 
black woman to be a White House appointee.
  There was also Ida B. Wells, who at great personal risk, let the 
crusade against lynchings in Tennessee and cofounded the NAACP.
  Daisy Gibson Bates is another example of African-American courage. As 
a newspaper editor, Ms. Bates fought throughout her career against 
racial injustice. However, it was her leadership in the 1955 struggle 
for Arkansas school integration that gave her national prominence. As 
president for the Arkansas chapter of the NAACP, she led the way in 
publicly criticizing the State Governor for his refusal to admit nine 
African-American students to all all-white high school.
  As a direct consequence, her life became a legendary nightmare of 
arrest, abuse, and intimidation. In addition to forcing her newspaper 
out of business, racist whites routinely vandalized her home and burned 
crosses on her lawn. Yet, this remarkable black woman never yielded to 
the oppression.
  Fannie Lou Hamer is another outstanding example. As the founder and 
chairwoman of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, Ms. Hamer 
created an alternative to the all white Democratic Party. Ms. Hamer's 
struggle against the racist white establishment in Mississippi was 
nothing short of heroic. For her efforts, she was made the object of 
assassination attempts, unlawful arrests, and torture. Despite these 
incredible odds, Ms. Hamer persisted--and in 1964, she became the first 
African-American woman to run for Congress from Mississippi. By 1968, 
she was formally seated at the National Democratic Convention in 
Chicago. All because she was sick and tired of being sick and tired. 
Her famous statement is still used today to verbalize frustration with 
the system.

  Coretta Scott King is an example of a courageous African-American 
woman. After her husband was slain, she made a swift transition from 
dedicated wife and parent to a dynamic civil rights and peace crusader 
in her own right. She was a leading figure in the American 
antiapartheid movement and founded the Martin Luther King, Jr., Center 
for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, GA.
  Another example of African-American determination is C. Dolores 
Tucker, the first African-American Secretary of State for the 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Long active in civil rights, Ms. Tucker 
participated in the 1965 White House Conference on Civil Rights. She 
was a founding member of the National Women's Caucus, a cofounder of 
the National Black Women's Political Caucus. During her time as 
Pennsylvania's Secretary of State, from 1971 to 1977, she was the 
highest ranking African-American in State government in the country.
  Another example is the Honorable Shirley Chisolm, the first African-
American woman elected to the U.S. Congress. Congresswoman Chisolm was 
also the first African-American woman to make a serious bid for 
President of the United States.
  Another dynamic African-American pioneer is Dorothy Height, whose 
legendary leadership skills created many powerful organizations in the 
service of equal rights and justice. As president and executive board 
member of Delta Sigma Theta, Ms. Height succeeded in making the 
sorority more a global organization. Dorothy Height's work with the 
Young Women's Christian Association [YWCA] led to its integration. As 
president of the National Council for Negro Women, Ms. Height has 
vastly expanded its reach and influence to include over 240 local 
groups and 31 national organizations--all striving toward the universal 
equality of women of color.
  As we celebrate black history month, it is imperative that we 
continue the strides of the remarkable African-Americans who have gone 
before us. In so doing, we must especially remember those sisters who 
have shaped history. We are great descendants of great people who had 
the courage, the wisdom, and the fortitude, to face unsurmountable 
challenges. We come from the world's prime stock. So impressive is our 
true heritage that massive efforts have been made in the attempt to 
destroy all knowledge of our history. That is why each and every day, 
we must continue the struggle and guard against any attempts to 
dismantle our strong foundation.

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