[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 15 (Wednesday, February 16, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E163-E164]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CARTER G. WOODSON HOME NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE STUDY ACT OF 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. MIKE McINTYRE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 15, 2000

  Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, thank you for allowing me to be with you 
today.
  As we gather here on this special occasion, we owe thanks for the 
opportunity to celebrate Black History Month, and most importantly, for 
the study of Black History, to Dr. Carter G. Woodson.
  Born to parents who were former slaves, Dr. Woodson spent his 
childhood working in the Kentucky coal mines and enrolled in high 
school at the age of 20. He graduated within two years and later went 
on to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard.
  Woodson, always one to act on his actions, decided to take on the 
challenge of ensuring the story of Black Americans was told in our 
nation's history. He established the Association for the Study of Negro 
Life and History in 1915, and later founded the widely respected 
Journal of Negro History. In 1926, he launched Negro History Week as an 
initiative to bring national attention to the contributions of black 
people throughout American history.
  Understanding and appreciating the African-American experience not 
only enriches our national life, but it also reminds all Americans of 
their ethnic roots and the uniqueness of the great American experience: 
the nurturing of mutual respect for different traditions and 
backgrounds.
  Woodson choose the second week of February for Negro History Week 
because it marks the birthdays of two men who greatly impacted the 
American Black population, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.
  It was Douglass who said, ``We are one, our cause is one, and we must 
help each other; if we are to succeed.''
  And it was Lincoln who said at that famous address at Gettysburg, 
``we are highly resolved that these dead shall not have died in vain--
that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and 
that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not 
perish from the earth.
  The theme of this year's Black History Month is ``Heritage and 
Horizons: The African-American Legacy and the Challenges of the 21st 
Century.''
  Through the triumph of many obstacles and perseverance of the human 
spirit, African-Americans have and will continue to make valuable 
contributions to our everyday life. As we move forward in this new 
century, let's ensure that we honor those who have stood for equal 
justice and better human relations, and that we look to make the future 
brighter.
  We can do this by remembering our heritage, recognizing our heroes, 
and reaching toward our future horizons.


               First, it's about remembering our heritage

  Each of us is here today because we want to build a heritage that 
makes us proud to be Americans. That heritage must ensure that we are 
united. As many of you so well know, unity has not always been the 
case. If we are ever to be united in the true sense of the word, we 
must ensure that all individuals, regardless of race, share the same 
rights and are granted equal protection under the law.
  Our religious heritage requires us to love God and our neighbor as 
ourselves. This is the heritage that we want to provide for all!
  As I mentioned earlier, Dr. Woodson chose February for Black History 
Month because of the birthdays of Douglass and Lincoln. However, 
February has much more than this to show for its significance in Black 
history heritage.
  For example:
  On February 1, 1960, four courageous young men--freshmen at North
  On February 12, 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of 
Colored People (NAACP) formed by a group of concerned black and white 
citizens in New York City.
  On February 22, 1956, the black community of Montgomery, Alabama 
launched a bus boycott, which would last for more than a year, until 
the buses were desegregated.
  On February 25, 1870, the first black U.S. Senator took his oath of 
office.
  My very first job while in college was as a delivery boy for a black-
owned business, Wesley's Florist, in Lumberton. Not only did I need 
that job, but also I found that being the only white employee required 
a special partnership between his family and me--a partnership that had 
pre-existed my employment because my father and the owner had worked 
together as young men for another florist!
  When I was a president of the student body at Lumberton Senior High 
School, I worked in partnership to help the first female be elected as 
president of the student body as my successor.
  I have had the honor to coach black boys and girls on local youth 
sports teams and to work with children of all races as a volunteer in 
the schools for the last 18 years.
  The first person I hired on my congressional staff was an African-
American woman. Why? Because she was the most experienced caseworker on 
Capitol Hill that I knew, and she deserved it!
  Each of these important actions and events reminds us of our 
heritage, and inspires us to continue moving forward.


               Second, it's about recognizing our heroes

  Behind each action of Black heritage is a true American hero. These 
are heroes that inspire us, heroes that put others first, heroes that 
risked their lives so we would all be united!
  Sidney Hook once said, ``The hero finds a fork in the historical 
road, but he also helps to create it. He increases the odds of success 
for the alternative he chooses by virtue of the extraordinary qualities 
he brings to bear to realize it.''
  Those four freshmen at NC A&T--Ezell Blair, Jr., Franklin McCain, 
Joseph McNeill, and David Richmond--galvanized the conscience of 
America. Their extraordinary bravery set in motion a series of student 
sit-ins at more than fifty cities and nine states. Faced with physical 
violence, arrest, and taunting, thousands of white and black students 
set out to end segregation peacefully in movie theaters, restaurants, 
and public transportation. These were ordinary Americans that are 
heroes.
  On the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birthday, sixty 
prominent black and white citizens issued a call for a national 
conference in New York City to renew the struggle for civil and 
political liberty. Principal among those were W.E.B. Dubois, Ida Wells-
Barnett, Henry Moscowitz, Mary White Ovington, Oswald Garrison Willard, 
and William English Walling. These were people who were committed to 
the abolition of forced segregation, promotion of equal education and 
civil rights under the protection of the law, and an end to race 
violence. Ordinary Americans that are heroes!
  When jailed in Birmingham, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. composed a 
letter in the margins of a newspaper and continued writing on scraps of 
paper some of the most powerful words ever written. In responding to 
criticism from fellow clergymen, he eloquently described many 
injustices suffered by so many African Americans. Near the end of that 
letter, he noted that, ``one day the South will recognize its real 
heroes.'' One of those heroes was a 72-year-old black woman who with 
quiet dignity refused to give up her seat on the bus in Birmingham, 
Alabama. This single brave act reverberated
  The first African-American Senator, Hiram Rhoades Revels, is 
especially significant to us today. First, he committed his life to God 
and proclaiming the truth of the Christian Gospel. Second, he was born 
in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It is remarkable that his adult life 
spanned the Civil War, Reconstruction, and ended in 1901 during the 
Progressive Era. He

[[Page E164]]

was a true pioneer of American political life. Ordinary Americans that 
are heroes.
  Among the other African-American heroes that we should also remember 
are:
  Lillian Fishburne--the first African-American woman to be promoted to 
the rank of Admiral in the U.S. Navy.
  Dr. Meredith Charles Gourdine--a man who pioneered research and 
inventions so that energy can be converted to practical applications.
  Roger Arliner Young--the first African-American woman to earn a 
doctorate degree in zoology from the University of Pennsylvania in 
1940. A native of southern Virginia, she later taught at NC College for 
Negroes and Shaw University.
  Josh Gibson--playing for the Pittsburgh Crawfords in the Negro 
Baseball League, Josh hit 85 home runs in one season and is the only 
player--black or white--ever to hit a fair ball over the triple deck 
stands and out of the old Yankee Stadium.
  Little Rock Nine--I was pleased that they were recently awarded the 
Congressional Gold Medal for their efforts in breaking down the color 
barriers in our nation's school system, and I enjoyed meeting them in 
Washington this past year.
  Wilma Rudolph--a woman who overcame scarlet fever, polio, and 
pnuemonia to become the first person to win 3 Gold Medals in a single 
Olympiad. I support efforts to award her the Congressional Gold Medal.
  These are ordinary Americans that are heroes.


             THIRD, IT'S ABOUT REACHING TOWARD OUR HORIZONS

  When we remember our heritage and recognize our heroes, we can reach 
toward our horizons. Our nation's great purpose will never be realized 
unless we work together to build a better America--an America with 
horizons that ensure quality education for all, an America with 
horizons that ensure accessible, affordable, and available health care, 
and an America with horizons that ensure our neighborhoods, businesses, 
and schools are safe from crime.
  To get to those bright horizons, we must act in partnership. God has 
given the people of this nation a mission to prove to men and women 
throughout this world that people of different races and ethnic 
backgrounds can not only work together, but also can enrich and enable 
both ourselves and our common heritage.
  If Dr. King were here today, he would be pleased with the progress 
that has been made. But he would also tell us to roll up our sleeves; 
the horizons have not been met. The cause is not yet finished. Work 
remains to be done.
  In the Seventh Congressional District, we have the great opportunity 
to bring into partnership all the different peoples who live here: 
African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans, and 
whites. Together--and there are over 600,000 citizens in this 
district--we can make a real difference in America's horizon.


                               CONCLUSION

  With a strong heritage, inspiring heroes, and an eye on the horizon, 
we can create better schools, better jobs, and better health care for 
everyone.
  I challenge you to leave here today, not motivated by the fear of 
failure, but motivated by the destiny that guides you toward a brighter 
future for this country and its future.
  Will you join me in remembering our heritage?
  Will you join me in respecting our heroes?
  Will you join me in reaching toward our horizons?
  In doing so let's remember the last words of Dr. King's letter from 
the Birmingham jail:

       Let us hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will 
     soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be 
     lifted from our fear drenched communities, and in some not 
     too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and 
     brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their 
     scintillating beauty.

     

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