[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 48 (Thursday, March 25, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E588]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. HENRY A. WAXMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 24, 1999

  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congresswoman Lee for 
organizing a Special Order during Women's History Month to recognize 
the achievements of women of color. I am pleased to take this 
opportunity to honor a few of the women of color who made important 
contributions to the entertainment industry earlier this century: 
Marian Anderson, Ella Fitzgerald, Bessie Smith, and Hattie McDaniel. 
These incredibly talented women overcame great obstacles to earn 
international acclaim and forge a path for the women who followed.
  The legendary contralto Marian Anderson never took no for an answer. 
From her early days as a choir member, to her historical concert at the 
Lincoln Memorial, Ms. Anderson struggled against racism and ignorance 
to become one of the world's premiere opera stars. In the years after 
her legendary performance, she was awarded the Congressional Medal of 
Honor by President Carter and went on to serve as a delegate to the 
United Nations.
  Ella Fitzgerald was the first woman presented with the Los Angeles 
Urban League's Whitney M. Young, Jr. Award, which honors those who 
build bridges among races and generations. Ella Fitzgerald was a major 
force in the music world and contributed to the evolution of jazz and 
the business of entertainment during her long, distinguished career. 
Named the ``First Lady of Song,'' she was a pioneer in her field and 
went on to win ten Grammys.
  Although she did not live to see her fortieth birthday, Bessie Smith 
had a tremendous influence on entertainment. From her modest beginnings 
as a vaudeville performer, Ms. Smith grew to be the nation's highest 
paid African American performer of the early 1920's. Her vibrance and 
creativity altered the music business and gave blues a more prominent 
role in American music and culture.
  Hattie McDaniel was a woman of many firsts: the first African 
American woman to sing on network radio in the United States, the first 
African American to win an Academy Award and the first African American 
to star in a title role on a television sitcom. Also from humble 
beginnings, Ms. McDaniel moved from the quiet nights of her home in 
Kansas to the bright lights of Hollywood. Beating out Eleanor 
Roosevelt's maid, Elizabeth McDuffie, for the role of Mammy in ``Gone 
With the Wind,'' Ms. McDaniel took a small role and created a character 
so memorable that she conquered the hearts of audiences world-wide.
  These women are just a small sample of the many women of color who 
have contributed to the arts and helped shape our nation's culture. 
There is no question that they needed more than their tremendous talent 
to triumph during a time of institutionalized discrimination. They were 
models of courage, ingenuity, persistence, and character.

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