[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 29, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H522-H532]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             SPECIAL ORDERS
 HERITAGE AND HORIZONS: THE AFRICAN AMERICAN LEGACY AND THE CHALLENGES 
                          OF THE 21ST CENTURY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 6, 1999, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones) is recognized 
for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Madam Speaker, it is always a great opportunity 
for me to have opportunity to address the Congress in a special order, 
particularly when the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Emerson) is the 
Speaker pro tempore.
  Our theme today is Heritage and Horizons: The African American Legacy 
and the Challenges of the 21st Century. As we come to the close of the 
celebrated African American history month, it is a great opportunity 
for the Congressional Black Caucus to organize a special order to 
celebrate black history. I want to thank the gentleman from South 
Carolina (Chairman Clyburn) for designating me to organize this special 
order.
  I took up the mantle after my predecessor, the Congressman from the 
11th Congressional District of Ohio, Congressman Louis Stokes, who had 
this responsibility for his 30 years in Congress.
  The theme for this year's Black History Special Order is Heritage and 
Horizons: The African American Legacy and the Challenges of the 21st 
Century.
  As we embark upon a new millennium, I believe it painful and powerful 
that this theme allows us to pay tribute to our past and allows us to 
make plans for our future. The question is how do we plan for our 
future. One way is to plan for our future by giving tribute to our 
past, learning the lessons of our past and paying tribute to our 
successes as a people.
  I believe the past can serve as a blueprint for future generations on 
how to get things done.
  There are many events that have shaped and defined the African 
American experience in America today that never should be forgotten. 
What should never be forgotten is the sacrifice that others have made 
to ensure future generations' success.
  For that reason, I have chosen to highlight my predecessor, the 
former Representative, Congressman Louis Stokes. He retired from 
Congress on January 2, 1999. He currently serves as senior counsel at 
Squire, Sanders and Dempsey, a worldwide law firm based in Washington, 
D.C. He is also a member of the faculty at Case-Western Reserve 
University in Cleveland, Ohio, where he is a senior visiting scholar at 
the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences.
  On November 6, 1968, Louis Stokes was elected to the United States 
Congress on his first bid for public office.

[[Page H523]]

 By virtue of his election, he became the first African American Member 
of Congress from the State of Ohio. First sworn in at the 91st 
Congress, Congressman Stokes served 15 consecutive terms in the United 
States House of Representatives. When he retired at the end of the 
105th Congress, he became the first African American in the history of 
the United States Congress to retire having completed 30 years in 
office.
  In the 105th Congress, Representative Stokes was a member of the 
Committee on Appropriations where, by virtue of his seniority, he was 
the third-ranking minority member of the full committee and the ranking 
minority member of the Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent 
Agencies. In addition, he served as a member of the Subcommittee on 
Labor, Health and Human Services and Education.
  He was the ninth Ranking Democratic Member of Congress. By virtue of 
his seniority, Congressman Stokes also served as the Dean of the Ohio 
Congressional Delegation. He is also a founding member of 
the Congressional Black Caucus and chaired the CBC Health Braintrust.

  He was born February 23, 1925 in Cleveland, Ohio to the late Charles 
and Louise Stokes. His father died when he was a young boy and Louis 
and his brother, the late Ambassador Carl B. Stokes, were reared by 
their young widowed mother.
  Stokes was educated in the Cleveland public schools, graduating from 
Central High School. Following 3 years in the United States Army, from 
1943 to 1946, he returned to Cleveland and utilized the G.I. bill to 
attend Western Reserve University. He received his Doctor of Laws 
degree from Cleveland Marshall Law School in 1953.
  Prior to his election to the United States Congress, Congressman 
Stokes practiced law for 14 years in Cleveland. He was chief trial 
counsel for the firm of Stokes, Character, Terry, Perry, Whitehead, 
Young and Davidson. As a practicing lawyer, Representative Stokes 
participated in three cases in the United States Supreme Court, 
including the landmark ``stop and frisk'' case of Terry versus Ohio.
  Congressman Stokes' younger brother, the late Carl B. Stokes, made 
history in 1967 when he was elected mayor of Cleveland, serving with 
distinction as the first black mayor of a major American city. Carl 
Stokes also enjoyed a career as an award-winning broadcaster and 
municipal court judge. In 1994, he was appointed by President Bill 
Clinton as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Seychelles. Ambassador 
Stokes died in April 1996.
  Louise Stokes, a proud mother who always encouraged her sons to get 
an education, lived to witness many of her sons' historic achievements. 
Prior to her death in 1978, she was the recipient of numerous awards, 
including Cleveland's ``Woman of the Year'' award in 1968 and Ohio's 
``Mother of the Year'' award in 1969.
  Let us talk a little bit about Congressman Louis Stokes' 
congressional career. In his first term in public office, he served as 
a member of the Committee on Education and Labor in the House, 
Committee on un-American Activities, later renamed the House Committee 
on Internal Security.
  In his second term, he was appointed the first African American to 
sit on the Committee on Appropriations in the House. On February 8, 
1972, Louis Stokes was elected as the chairman of the Congressional 
Black Caucus. He served two consecutive terms.
  In addition to his seat on the powerful Committee on Appropriations, 
on February 5, 1975, he was elected by the Democratic Caucus to serve 
on the newly formed House Committee on Budget. He was re-elected to the 
Committee on Budget twice, serving a total of 6 years.
  On September 21, 1976, Representative Stokes was appointed by Speaker 
Carl Albert to serve on the House Select Committee on Assassinations. 
The committee had a mandate to conduct an investigation and study of 
the circumstances surrounding the deaths of President John F. Kennedy 
and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On March 8, 1977, Speaker Thomas P. 
O'Neill appointed Congressman Stokes as chairman of this committee. On 
December 31, 1978, Congressman Stokes completed these historic 
investigations and filed with the House of Representatives 27 volumes 
of hearings, a final report, and recommendations for administrative and 
legislative reform.
  In February of 1980, in the 96th Congress, Congressman Stokes was 
appointed by Speaker O'Neill to the House Committee on Standards of 
Official Conduct, also known as the Ethics Committee. In the 97th, 
98th, and 102nd Congresses, he was elected chairman of this committee. 
Also, in the 101st Congress, Representative Stokes was appointed by 
Speaker Wright to serve on the Ethics Task Force.
  In February of 1983, the 98th Congress, Representative Stokes was 
appointed by Speaker O'Neill to the House Permanent Select Committee on 
Intelligence. In the 99th Congress, Representative Stokes was elected 
chairman of the Subcommittee on Program and Budget Authorization for 
the committee. In January of 1987, the 100th Congress, House Speaker 
Jim Wright appointed Congressman Stokes as chairman of the Permanent 
Select Committee on Intelligence. In the 100th Congress, Representative 
Stokes was also appointed to serve on the House Select Committee to 
Investigate Covert Arms Transactions with Iran, and the Pepper 
Commission on Comprehensive Health Care.
  As a result of the 1990 census and the redistricting mandate in 1992, 
the 21st Congressional District of Ohio was redesignated as the 11th 
Congressional District. In the 103rd Congress, which commenced in 
January of 1993, Congressman Stokes was elected to chair the House 
Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent 
Agencies. He also served as a member of the Subcommittee on Labor, 
Health and Human Services and Education, and the Subcommittee on the 
District of Columbia.
  Congressman Stokes is married to Jeanette (Jay) Stokes. He has 
children: Shelley, Angela, Louis, and Lorene. Angela is an elected 
official in Cleveland in the Cleveland municipal court. Shelley and 
Louis C. are both involved in broadcasting, one in New York and the 
other in Michigan.
  He has several grandchildren. He is a graduate of the Cleveland 
public schools, Case-Western Reserve University, and Cleveland Marshall 
College of Law where he received his doctor of law.
  He has been given numerous designations and honors, among them, the 
100 Most Influential Black Americans/ Black Achievement Award. The 
Louis Stokes Bridge was named in his honor, which is a bridge over Lake 
Shore Boulevard over Euclid Creek; Louis Stokes Telecommunications 
Center/Cuyahoga Community College; the Central High School Hall of 
Fame; the Louis Stokes Community Center; the Louis Stokes Wing of the 
Cleveland Public Library. A street is called Stokes Boulevard in the 
city of Cleveland named after him and his brother. There is a Louis 
Stokes Health Sciences Center at Case-Western Reserve University. There 
is a Louis Stokes HUD Hall of Fame. He has been given the award by the 
National Minority Transplant Hall of Fame. There is a Louis Stokes Head 
Start Day Care Center. There is a Stokes Rapid Transit Station in 
Windermere. There is a Louis Stokes Health Sciences Library at Howard 
University. There is a Stokes Web site.
  There is a Stokes Family Library and Museum, which is housed at the 
Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority in the area where Congressman 
Stokes grew up as a boy. There is a Louis Stokes Cleveland Department 
of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. There is a Louis Stokes building at 
the National Institutes of Health.
  He has received more than 23 honorary degrees from colleges and 
universities across this country.
  I would like to particularly personally pay tribute to Congressman 
Louis Stokes. It is through his support and encouragement that I stand 
here on the floor of the House of Representatives today. I can only 
recall with great admiration all of the wonderful things that he did on 
my behalf and on behalf of the 11th Congressional District. For me to 
be able to stand, the daughter of a skycap for United Airlines and the 
daughter of a woman who worked in a factory, standing here as a Member 
of the House of Representatives, one of 39 African Americans who serve 
in the House of Representatives, and in fact the first African American 
woman to serve in the House of Representatives from the State of Ohio.

[[Page H524]]

  It gives me great pleasure to be able to recognize and give 
Congressman Stokes his roses while he can still smell them on this 
February 29, the year 2000, as the CBC honors Black History Month.

                    Former Congressman Louis Stokes

       Former Congressman Louis Stokes retired from Congress on 
     January 2, 1999. He is currently Senior Counsel at Squire, 
     Sanders and Dempsey L.L.P., a world-wide law firm based in 
     Washington, D.C. He is also a member of the faculty at Case-
     Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, where he is 
     Senior Visiting Scholar at the Mandel School of Applied 
     Social Sciences.
       On November 6, 1968, Louis Stokes was elected to the United 
     States Congress on his first bid for public office. By virtue 
     of his election, he became the first African American Member 
     of Congress from the State of Ohio. First sworn in at the 
     91st Congress, Representative Stokes served fifteen 
     consecutive terms in the United States House of 
     Representatives. When he retired at the end of the 105th 
     Congress, he became the first African American in the history 
     of the U.S. Congress to retire having completed 30 years in 
     office.
       In the 105th Congress, Representative Stokes was a member 
     of the Appropriations Committee where, by virtue of his 
     seniority, he was the third ranking minority member of the 
     full committee, and the ranking minority member of the 
     Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs-Housing and Urban 
     Development-Independent Agencies. In addition, he served as a 
     member of the Subcommittee on Labor-Health and Human 
     Services-Education. In the Congress, Representative Stokes 
     ranked eleventh overall in House seniority. He was the ninth 
     ranking Democratic Member of Congress. By virtue of his 
     seniority, Congressman Stokes also served as Dean of the Ohio 
     Congressional Delegation. He is also a founding member of the 
     Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and chaired the CBC Health 
     Braintrust.


                               Background

       Congressman Stokes was born on February 23, 1925, in 
     Cleveland, Ohio, to the late Charles and Louise Stokes. His 
     father died when he was a young boy and Louis and his 
     brother, the late Ambassador Carl B. Stokes, were reared by 
     their young widowed mother. Stokes was educated in the 
     Cleveland Public Schools, graduating from Central High 
     School. Following three years in the United States Army from 
     1943 to 1946, he returned to Cleveland and utilized the G.I. 
     Bill to attend Western Reserve University. He received his 
     Doctor of Laws Degree from Cleveland Marshall Law School in 
     1953.
       Prior to his election to the United States Congress, 
     Congressman Stokes practiced law for fourteen years in 
     Cleveland. He was chief trial counsel for the firm of Stokes, 
     Character, Terry, Perry, Whitehead, Young and Davidson. As a 
     practicing lawyer, Representative Stokes participated in 
     three cases in the United States Supreme Court, including the 
     landmark ``stop and frisk'' case of Terry v. Ohio.
       Congressman Stokes' younger brother, the late Carl B. 
     Stokes, made history in 1967 when he was elected Mayor of 
     Cleveland, serving with distinction as the first black mayor 
     of a major American city. Carl Stokes also enjoyed a career 
     as an award-winning broadcaster and municipal court judge. In 
     1994, he was appointed by President Bill Clinton as U.S. 
     Ambassador to the Republic of Seychelles. Ambassador Stokes 
     died in April 1996. Louise Stokes, a proud mother who always 
     encouraged her sons to get an education, lived to witness 
     many of her sons' historic achievements. Prior to her death 
     in 1978, she was the recipient of numerous awards including 
     Cleveland's ``Woman of the Year'' award in 1968 and Ohio's 
     ``Mother of the Year'' award in 1969.


                          congressional career

       During his first term in public office (91st Congress), 
     Congressman Stokes served as a member of the Education and 
     Labor Committee and the House Un-American Activities 
     Committee, later re-named the House Internal Security 
     Committee. In his second term in office (92nd Congress), he 
     was appointed the first black Member ever to sit on the 
     Appropriations Committee of the House. On February 8, 1972, 
     Louis Stokes was elected as Chairman of the Congressional 
     Black Caucus. He served two consecutive terms in this office. 
     In addition to his seat on the powerful Appropriations 
     Committee, on February 5, 1975, he was elected by the 
     Democratic Caucus to serve on the newly formed Budget 
     Committee of the House. He was re-elected to the Budget 
     Committee twice, serving a total of six years.
       On September 21, 1976 (94th Congress) Representative Stokes 
     was appointed by Speaker Carl Albert to serve on the House 
     Select Committee on Assassinations. The Committee had a 
     mandate to conduct an investigation and study of the 
     circumstances surrounding the deaths of President John F. 
     Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On March 8, 1977, 
     Speaker Thomas P. O'Neill appointed Congressman Stokes as 
     Chairman of this committee. On December 31, 1978, Congressman 
     Stokes completed these historic investigations and filed with 
     the House of Representatives 27 volumes of hearings, a Final 
     Report and Recommendations for Administrative and Legislative 
     Reform.
       In February of 1980 (96th Congress), Congress Stokes was 
     appointed by Speaker O'Neill to the House Committee on 
     Standards of Official Conduct (Ethics Committee). In the 
     97th, 98th, and 102nd Congresses, he was elected Chairman of 
     this committee. Also, in the 101st Congress, Representative 
     Stokes was appointed by Speaker Wright to serve on the Ethics 
     Task Force.
       In February of 1983 (98th Congress), Representative Stokes 
     was appointed by Speaker O'Neill to the House Permanent 
     Select Committee on Intelligence. In the 99th Congress, 
     Representative Stokes was elected Chairman of the 
     Subcommittee on Program and Budget Authorization for the 
     committee. In January of 1987 (100th Congress), House Speaker 
     Jim Wright appointed Congressman Stokes as Chairman of the 
     Intelligence Committee. In the 100th Congress, Representative 
     Stokes was also appointed to serve on the House Select 
     Committee to Investigate Covert Arms Transactions with Iran, 
     and the Pepper Commission on Comprehensive Health Care.
       As a result of the 1990 census and the redistricting 
     mandate, in 1992 the 21st Congressional District of Ohio was 
     re-designated as the 11th Congressional District. In the 
     103rd Congress, which commenced in January of 1993, 
     Congressman Stokes was elected to chair the House 
     Appropriations Subcommittee on VA-HUD-Independent Agencies. 
     He also served as a member of the Subcommittee on Labor-
     Health and Human Services-Education and the Subcommittee on 
     the District of Columbia.


                          personal information

       Birthdate: February 23, 1925.
       Wife: Jeanette (Jay) Stokes.
       Children: Shelley, Angela, Louis C. and Lorene.
       Grandchildren: Brett S., Eric S., and Grant W. Hammond; 
     Kelley C. and Kimberly L. Stokes; Alexandra F. and Nicolette 
     S. Thompson.
       Education: Cleveland Public Schools (Giddings and Central 
     High School), Western Reserve University, Cleveland Marshall 
     Law School (The Cleveland State University)--Doctor of 
     Jurisprudence.


                        designations and honors

       Throughout his tenure in the United States Congress, 
     Representatives Stokes has played a pivotal role in the quest 
     for civil rights, equality and social and economic justice. 
     He is the recipient of countless awards and honors which 
     recognize his strong leadership and commitment.
       100 Most Influential Black Americans/Black Achievement 
     Award. Each year since 1971, Congressman Stokes has been 
     named by Ebony Magazine as one of the ``100 Most Influential 
     Black Americans.'' In 1979, he was nominated by Ebony in 
     three categories for the Second Annual American Black 
     Achievement Awards. His nomination was based upon his 
     becoming the first African American to head a major 
     congressional investigation and to preside over nationally 
     televised hearings which revealed new facts on the 
     assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and President 
     John F. Kennedy.
       William Dawson Award. Congressman Stokes has twice received 
     the Congressional Black Caucus' William L. Dawson Award. In 
     1980, Congressman Stokes was presented the prestigious award 
     in recognition of his ``unique leadership in the development 
     of legislation.'' In 1994, he received the second Dawson 
     Award for ``significant research, organizational and 
     leadership contributions in the development of legislation 
     that addresses the needs of minorities in the United States.
       Louis Stokes Bridge. On June 24 1988, the Board of County 
     Commissioners Cuyahoga County dedicated the Lake Shore 
     Boulevard Bridge over Euclid Creek as the ``Louis Stokes 
     Bridge,'' in recognition of Congressman Stokes' leadership in 
     public service, and his support for federal funding to 
     support road and bridge improvement projects.
       Louis Stokes Telecommunications Center/Cuyahoga Community 
     College. On September 24, 1988, Cuyahoga Community College 
     designated the Louis Stokes Telecommunications Center in the 
     Unified Technologies Center in honor of Congressman Stokes.
       Central High School Hall of Fame. On March 30, 1990, 
     Congressman Stokes' alma mater, Central High School (now 
     Central Middle School) recognized his historic achievements 
     by presenting him with the school's Alumnus Award and 
     including him into the school's Hall of Fame. On that 
     occasion, the school also dedicated its auditorium as the 
     ``Louis Stokes Auditorium.''
       Louis Stokes Community Center. On September 5, 1992, in 
     recognition of the achievements of Ohio's first and only 
     African American to serve in the United States Congress, the 
     community center in Outhwaite Homes was renamed as the 
     ``Louis Stokes Community Center'' by the Cuyahoga 
     Metropolitan Housing Authority.
       Louis Stokes Wing/Cleveland Public Library. On January 19, 
     1994, the Cleveland Public Library Board of Trustees 
     unanimously adopted a resolution to name the new Cleveland 
     Public Library East Wing in honor of Congressman Stokes. The 
     resolution stated that his career ``has extended into areas 
     of law, civil rights, support for education and public 
     libraries, and congressional, national and local leadership 
     on a wide range of issues important to the Cleveland area and 
     the nation.''
       Stokes Boulevard--Cleveland, Ohio. To mark Congressman 
     Stokes' historic achievements in the United States Congress, 
     the City of Cleveland voted on June 6, 1994 to designate East 
     107th Street and portion of

[[Page H525]]

     Fairhill Road as ``Stokes Boulevard.'' Appropriate signs mark 
     this special salute to Congressman Stokes.
       Case Western Reserve University/Louis Stokes Health 
     Sciences Center. Case Western Reserve University honored 
     Congressman Stokes on June 24, 1994 with the dedication of 
     the ``Louis Stokes Health Science Center.'' Congressman 
     Stokes was lauded for his work ``to improve the lives of all 
     Americans and to ensure the full participation of members of 
     minority groups in the many initiatives in health, science, 
     education, and public welfare.''
       Louis Stokes HUD ``Hall of Fame.'' On April 5, 1995, the 
     U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development inducted 
     Congressman Stokes into the nation's first ``Public Housing 
     Hall of Fame.'' Located in HUD's Washington, D.C. 
     Headquarters, the Hall of Fame recognizes Congressman Stokes 
     as a strong advocate of safe and affordable housing for 
     America's families.
       National Minority Transplant Hall of Fame. On September 18, 
     1996, Congressman Stokes was chosen for inclusion in the 
     first National Minority Transplant Hall of Fame. The 
     designation recognizes Stokes' strong leadership in the area 
     of organ transplant education and awareness.
       Louis Stokes Head Start Day Care Center. Dedicated during 
     the weekend of June 20, 1997, the ``Louis Stokes Head Start 
     Center'' was built specifically to serve the needs of pre-
     school children in the Metropolitan Cleveland Area. The 
     Center was named for Congressman Stokes for his dedication in 
     fighting for the rights of Cleveland's disadvantaged.
       Stokes Rapid Transit Station/Windermere. On November 17, 
     1997, Cleveland's Regional Transit Authority designated the 
     Windermere Rapid Transit Station as the ``Louis Stokes 
     Station at Windermere'' in honor of Congressman Stokes for 
     his support for public transit.
       Louis Stokes Health Sciences Library/Howard University. 
     Howard University voted to recognize Congressman Stokes for 
     his strong leadership in the United States Congress. On 
     August 11, 1998, Howard University paid tribute to ``one of 
     our nation's most prolific Members of Congress'' by naming 
     their new health sciences library ``The Louis Stokes Health 
     Science Center.''
       Stokes Web Site. On August 11, 1998, top executives from 
     Cleveland's business community announced that a web site will 
     be set up in Congressman Stokes' name to inform young people 
     of internships, scholarships and job training opportunities. 
     The site will be called the ``Living Legacy Project: Aim 
     High.'' Stokes was known for autographing photos for young 
     students with the phrase ``Aim High!''
       The Stokes Family Library and Museum. Unveiled during 
     Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority's Louis Stokes Day 
     1998, on September 12, 1998, Congressman Stokes' boyhood home 
     in the Outhwaite housing projects will be transformed into 
     the ``Stokes Family Library and Museum.'' The Library will 
     serve as a home for many of the Congressman's awards and 
     memorabilia for organizations around the country.
       Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veteran Affairs 
     Medical Center. On October 6, 1998, on the floor of the 
     United States House of Representatives, Congressman Stokes 
     was honored with the naming of the Cleveland Department of 
     Veteran Affairs Medical Center in his honor. The designation 
     recognizes a lawmaker who worked tirelessly on behalf of the 
     nation's veterans and other citizens throughout his 30-year 
     career.
       Louis Stokes Building, National Institutes of Health. On 
     October 20, 1998, the House of Representatives voted for 
     passage of an Omnibus Appropriations Bill to fund the 
     Departments of Labor-Health and Human Services-Education. The 
     bill includes language designating Building #50, the 
     Consolidated Laboratories Building on the campus of the 
     National Institutes of Health, in honor of Congressman 
     Stokes. The renaming honors Congressman Stokes for his 
     staunch leadership on the health front.
       Honorary Degrees. Congressman Stokes is the recipient of 23 
     honorary Degrees from colleges and universities across the 
     nation. The degrees were conferred upon Congressman Stokes in 
     recognition of his national leadership and strong commitment 
     to public service.

  Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to yield to the gentlewoman 
from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton).
  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. 
Jones) for yielding to me. Even more so, I thank her for the leadership 
she is showing in making sure that the month of February does not go by 
without yet another black history celebration in the name of her 
predecessor, I must say who was always in charge of this particular 
feature on the House floor when he was here.

                              {time}  1445

  And you follow in his footsteps in many ways, I say to the 
gentlewoman from Ohio, and this is a wonderful one which both honors 
him and to make sure that the Congressional Black Caucus is once again 
heard on this floor for Black History Month and all that it stands for.
  If I may say to the gentlewoman, I would like to discuss two subjects 
this afternoon related to black history. One is some finished business 
that this House finished only this month, and the other is tragically 
unfinished.
  The finished business has to do with a bill that was passed on the 
floor on February 16 that will allow the home of Carter G. Woodson to 
become a national historic site under the National Park Service. The 
reason that this was so important is that Carter G. Woodson is the 
father of black history, the man who discovered black historiography, 
the second black person to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard in the early 
part of this century, and yet his house, which is a gorgeous Victorian 
house, stands closed, virtually boarded up.
  So here we are celebrating Black History Month every year and right 
there in the Shaw district, a historic part of the district which was 
the virtual seat of black America, is the home of the man who is 
responsible for what was, when I was a child called Negro History Week 
and has developed into Black History Month, closed. With the bill that 
the House passed just before we recessed, Carter G. Woodson's home will 
be open to the public the way Frederick Douglass' home is open to the 
public in this city and the way that Mary McLeod Bethune's home is open 
to the public, and will be kept open under the National Park Service, 
as it deserves.
  This man was of immense importance. Without uncovering black history 
we could never have gotten to the civil rights remedies, because the 
portrayals of African Americans were so pervasively stereotyped and 
negative after slavery, with Jim Crow and all that it stood for, that 
Carter G. Woodson's work looms much larger than life. He started the 
Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, which continues 
his work today. They would like to occupy this house when it is fully 
renovated. He used his house not only to live but to train researchers. 
It is a glorious history in and of itself.
  May I say to the gentlewoman, I would like to remark on some 
unfinished business having to do with African Americans. This is a 
majority black city. Historically it was the capital of black 
intellectual life because of Howard University and because freed and 
runaway slaves often found their way here. The Capitol where we now 
debate was built with the help of slave labor. A glorious kind of 
intellectual leadership emanated from this city. It always had a large 
black population, probably because it was so close to the South and, 
therefore, there was a large segment of freed slaves and a large 
segment of runaway slaves, one of whom was my great grandfather.
  This city has been the home of Benjamin Banneker, who of course 
helped design the city, and of many great African Americans; Charles 
Drew, who is responsible for the discovery of the blood bank and the 
use of stored blood; Duke Ellington, whose 100th birthday we celebrated 
last year; Frederick Douglass; Mary McLeod Bethune; Senator Edward 
Brooke, who graduated from the same high school I graduated from, 
Dunbar High School; and yet, Madam Speaker, this is the only part of 
the United States where black and white people do not enjoy the full 
privileges of citizenship.
  This used to be the place where people from the South came escaping 
the harshness of segregation and terrible discrimination. We who live 
in the District, particularly we who are native Washingtonians, have 
seen the whole of the South come into its own, with people able to 
vote, as models for self-government throughout the South, and yet in 
this town, where the majority of the population is African American, 
there is still not the same basic rights that blacks throughout the 
South have finally been able to win.

  I am the only representative of the District of Columbia. Although I 
won the right to vote on the House floor, that vote was taken from me 
when the majority assumed power. We do not have a full voting 
representative in this House. We have no voting representative in this 
House. Does this not sound like the Old South? This is the new capital. 
This is the capital of the United States I am talking about.
  There is rage in this town, particularly because more than 60 percent 
of the people are African Americans and have seen their folks down home 
come

[[Page H526]]

into full citizenship, while in this town we still exist without the 
basic rights that everybody else takes for granted. We saw the 
Congressional Black Caucus expanded by 50 percent, largely from people 
from the old Confederate States, sent here by whites and African 
Americans; and yet we cannot send a full voting Member to this House, 
even though we pay full Federal income tax.
  What we have done is to sue in court. And I say to my colleagues, 
every time an attempt is made to attach a rider to the appropriation of 
the District of Columbia, consisting of our money not these other 
Members, democracy is defamed in the United States. And that is why my 
colleagues will see me on this floor and will always see me on this 
floor as long as I am a Member of this House reminding my fellow 
colleagues of that defamation of democracy. The court suit we have 
brought intends to rectify this situation, since we have not been able 
to get it rectified in this body.
  Some have said that the reason the District has never had its full 
rights is because of its large African American population. I am not so 
sure of that. Until the 1970s, this city was majority white. The city, 
the Jim Crow-segregated city in which I grew up, the segregated schools 
that I went to, was in a majority white city, and this body was willing 
to deny those whites their full rights in the House, the Senate, and 
their full home rule as much as they are willing to deny it to blacks.
  And yet there may well be something to the notion that the city 
always had a large black population. If we look at the history books, 
that seems to have influenced the way the Congress looked at the 
District of Columbia. Well, the Congress needs to take that taint off 
of it. It needs to grant my white constituents and my black 
constituents the same rights that their white constituents, their 
Hispanic constituents, and their black constituents have.
  Until that happens, until that happens I will not, I will not let an 
appropriate opportunity go by to remind this body that we have not 
lived up to our stated ideals. One appropriate time to inject that 
reminder into the record is during Black History Month, in a largely 
black city where black citizens and white citizens and citizens of 
every background wait, no longer patiently, but wait for the same 
rights that many other Americans have.
  Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding to me.
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Madam Speaker, as part of our special hour I 
would now like to yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings).
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman for 
yielding to me, and I also want to thank the gentlewoman from 
Washington, D.C. for her words.
  There is absolutely no question that she is absolutely right, and we 
in the Congressional Black Caucus and many others in this great body 
stand with her and behind her. And I want to commend her for constantly 
keeping an issue that is so significant and very important, and one 
that shows the contradictions of this country and what we are doing in 
this Congress, shows it up so clearly. I want to thank her for all that 
she does every day to keep us aware of the situation that we find 
ourselves in in the very place where we write the laws. So I thank her.

  I want to go on to say, Madam Speaker, that this month, through a 
series of Dear Colleague Letters, I saluted several famous African 
American Marylanders, and today I rise again to recognize African 
Americans from my home district of Baltimore, Maryland, for their 
significant contributions to the American political and educational 
process, and for distinguishing themselves as the first African 
Americans to achieve in their chosen professions.
  The recognition of these individuals comes as we nationally observe 
Black History Month. This year's theme, Heritage and Horizons, the 
African American Legacy and the Challenges of the 21st Century, is most 
appropriate to these Baltimorians who, by accepting the challenges and 
overcoming the obstacles of their day, have prepared us to meet the 
challenges facing us in this new millennium.
  I cite Roberta B. Sheridan, the daughter of a life-long resident of 
Baltimore and educated as a teacher. She was dedicated to public 
education. Even though she was denied the opportunity to teach in the 
black public schools, because African Americans at that time were 
deemed unqualified, she persisted in her efforts. With the help of the 
African American community, a campaign was waged to allow African 
Americans to teach in black public schools. This campaign resulted in 
the appointment of Roberta Sheridan in 1888 as the first African 
American teacher in a Baltimore City public school. Indeed, in the 
State of Maryland.
  Her goal was to ensure that African Americans received a quality 
education, and she sought to end the educational inadequacies fostered 
by white teachers who dominated the education of blacks following the 
Civil War.
  I also cite Harry S. Cummings, no relation, from Baltimore's ward 11, 
one of the two first African American males to graduate from the 
University of Maryland School of Law in 1889. Mr. Cummings' career 
focused on the legal, educational, and political professions. He was 
known as the father of the Colored Polytechnic Institute because he 
introduced a measure for establishing this educational facility and 
other high schools for African Americans in this area.
  Politically he was successful in becoming the first African American 
to be elected to the Baltimore City Council in 1890. In 1904, he had 
the distinction of seconding the nomination of Theodore Roosevelt at 
the Republican National Convention in Chicago. He received acclaim for 
his speech. In 1907, he was again elected to a 4-year term to the 
Baltimore City Council, representing the 17th ward. He served two 
additional terms in 1911 and 1915. As a fellow University of Maryland 
graduate, I am pleased to honor him.
  I also cite Thurgood Marshall, lawyer and product of a Baltimore 
black middle class and the impetus for the Civil Rights movement in the 
United States. Beginning his career, he served as counsel to the 
Baltimore branch of the NAACP. He argued cases before the United States 
Supreme Court 32 times, winning 29 cases. He is probably most famous 
for Brown versus Board of Education, which we won in 1954.

                              {time}  1500

  With this success, doors were opened ending segregated schools and 
educational inequalities for African Americans. Using the legal 
process, Thurgood Marshall's legacy was to ensure that African 
Americans would no longer be excluded from participating in the 
American fabric because of discrimination.
  When asked for a definition of ``equal,'' Marshall stated, ``Equal 
means getting the same thing at the same time in the same place.''
  Thurgood Marshall's achievements culminated in his appointment as the 
Nation's first African American Supreme Court justice on August 30, 
1967. Because of his achievements, I have urged adoption of my 
resolution urging the United States Postal Service to issue a 
commemorative stamp in his honor because he is immediately deserving of 
this recognition.
  Finally, I cite Parren J. Mitchell, a native Baltimorean, who 
represents several firsts. He was the first African American to 
graduate from the University of Maryland Graduate School with a 
master's degree in sociology. Coming from a family involved in local 
politics and community affairs, he embarked upon an educational, human 
resources, and political career. He was Maryland's first black 
Representative to the United States House of Representatives from 
Baltimore's 7th Congressional District and one of my predecessors to 
this body.
  Elected to the 92d Congress beginning in 1971, he remained in the 
House for seven succeeding Congresses until 1987. He enjoyed a 
successful Congressional career, serving as chairman of the Committee 
on Small Business for the 97th, 98th, and 99th Congresses. He was 
instrumental in the formation of the House Black Caucus, now known as 
the Congressional Black Caucus, to bring to the attention of Congress 
and the President of the United States legislative concerns primarily 
affecting African Americans.
  I am honored to recognize these African Americans from my district of 
Baltimore who were the firsts, who dared to meet the challenges of 
their day, who paved the way and opened doors to ensure equal 
opportunities for African

[[Page H527]]

Americans and their succeeding generations. Indeed, they represent a 
legacy that gives us hope and confirmation that African Americans 
continue to succeed and contribute to this wonderful American 
structure.
  As we live today, as we look at our pasts, and as we look to our 
future, we can take pride in the rich heritage that these individuals 
have bequeathed to all of us as Americans.
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure at this 
time to yield to the gentleman from Chicago (Mr. Davis).
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman very 
much for yielding.
  Madam Speaker, I want to first of all thank the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Jones) for organizing this special order and certainly 
for giving me the opportunity to share in it with her and the 
gentlewoman from Washington, D.C. (Ms. Norton) and the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Cummings).
  Madam Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in paying tribute 
to the rich legacy and heritage that our ancestors have contributed to 
American life. I want to use the few minutes that I have to pay homage 
to the African American church.
  There are many outstanding religious institutions in the district 
that I live and represent, notwithstanding even the one that I hold 
membership in, the New Galilee Missionary Baptist Church, under the 
leadership of the Reverend Charlie Murray, where they let me serve as a 
member of the deacon board sometimes when I am there.
  But I really want to use the few minutes that I have to pay homage to 
two other churches, Quinn Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, 
under the leadership of Reverend Thomas Higgonbotham, and the First 
Baptist Congregational Church, under the leadership of Dr. Arthur 
Griffin, both located in the 7th Congressional District of Illinois.
  These two churches have followed the historical tradition of the 
black church as being the most stable, viable, and reliable entity in 
black life. Throughout slavery, segregation, black codes, and 
injustice, the church has served as the major instrument for hope and 
for change. It was the black church that produced some of our greatest 
leaders, educators, theologians, scientists, and administrators.
  Quinn Chapel was formed in 1847 under the leadership of the Reverend 
George Johnson. The church was named in honor of the renowned Bishop 
William Paul Quinn. Bishop Quinn was one of the most prolific circuit-
riding preachers in the 1800s who personally organized 97 AME churches, 
prayer bands, and temperance societies.
  It is interesting to note that Quinn Chapel's first community project 
focused on the abolition of slavery; and, ironically, Quinn Chapel 
became a stop on the Underground Railroad. For over 150 years during 
race riots, depressions, recessions, the great Chicago Fire of 1871, 
and a myriad of other natural disasters and human crises, African 
Americans came to Quinn Chapel for protection, information, support, 
and inspiration.
  Quinn Chapel was the birthplace of Provident Hospital of Chicago, 
organized by Dr. Daniel Hale Williams in 1891. Dr. Williams was the 
first surgeon to successfully operate on a human heart, and Provident 
was the first United States hospital where African American nurses 
could be trained and employed.
  In addition, it was Quinn Chapel who initiated in 1898 the first 
known retirement home for African Americans. Most recently, Quinn 
Chapel was one of the locations that hosted a regional Congressional 
Black Caucus hearing on law enforcement misconduct.
  Similarly, the First Baptist Congregational Church, formally known as 
the Union Park Congregational Church, was founded in 1851 under the 
leadership of Philo Carpenter. Philo Carpenter and a group of 48 
abolitionist members left the parent church, the Third Presbyterian, 
over the issue of slavery. The departing members felt that the General 
Assembly had not adopted a strong enough position against slavery. 
Ironically, the church also served as a stop along the Underground 
Railroad.
  Carpenter was Chicago's first druggist, opening a drugstore in a 
small log home on the bank of the river at the point that is now Lake 
Street. In addition to meeting the congregants' need for spirituality, 
the church was instrumental in forming several institutions of higher 
learning.
  Among the black colleges founded by this church include Dilliard 
University in Louisiana, Fisk University in Tennessee, LeMoyne-Owen 
College in Tennessee, Talladega College in Alabama, Tougaloo College in 
Mississippi, and Huston-Tillotson College in Texas.
  Obviously, these colleges represent some of the finest institutions 
of higher education. And so this church like Quinn Chapel has been 
instrumental in shaping the minds of some of our greatest thinkers and 
leaders.
  I attended a meeting just last week of another church at the Rock of 
Ages Missionary Baptist Church in Maywood, Illinois, where Reverend 
Marvin Wiley had more than a thousand residents come out to talk about 
community development.
  I also take this opportunity to highlight the work of Reverend Bill 
Winston at the Living Word Christian Center in Forest Park, Illinois.
  Madam Speaker, these churches have all helped to set the standards by 
which other institutions have learned to live. Even today, they 
continue to inspire through the three cornerstones of life: faith, 
hope, and love. Because of the contributions of Quinn Chapel AME and 
First Baptist Congregational, Chicago is indeed a better place in which 
to live. But more importantly, the United States of America and people 
throughout the world have benefited from the shining light that has 
emanated from these institutions.

  And so I thank my colleague for the opportunity to share this moment 
with her and again commend her for putting this special order together.
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Davis) and all my other colleagues for supporting me in 
this process.
  I am expecting a couple more of my colleagues, so I am going to 
proceed with a few more things that I have in front of me until they 
get here.
  It is appropriate today that I recognize or memorialize from the 11th 
Congressional District of Ohio a gentleman by the name of Gus Joiner. 
Mr. Joiner's funeral is today at the Second Tabernacle Baptist Church 
in Cleveland, Ohio. Unfortunately, I could not be there. But it would 
be appropriate at this time that I talk a little bit about Mr. Joiner 
right here on the floor of the Congress.
  ``Gus Joiner, a former union organizer,'' and this comes from the 
obituary section of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, ``who became chairman 
of the Legislative Committee of the Federation of Retired Workers in 
Cleveland, died Friday at Hospice of the Western Reserve.

       The 90-year-old Cleveland resident spent his life fighting 
     unfair labor practices, racism and injustice. He also 
     encouraged others to stand up for their rights.
       Mr. Joiner, who worked for the Euclid Road Machinery Co. 
     from the 1940s to the 1970s, once went to court to force the 
     independent union at the company to allow non-Caucasians into 
     its ranks. Later, he was instrumental in bringing his fellow 
     workers under the umbrella of the United Auto Workers as 
     Local 426.
       After retiring in 1976, he joined the Federation of Retired 
     Workers and spoke out on behalf of senior citizens throughout 
     Greater Cleveland. He showed up at Cleveland City Council 
     committee meetings to share his views on pending legislation 
     and attended hearings to protest the rising cost of 
     utilities.
       His most recent crusade was to preserve Madonna Hall, an 
     inner-city nursing home, as a charitable asset of the State 
     of Ohio. Mr. Joiner, chairman of the nursing home's board 
     until stepping down from the unpaid position in 1997, led the 
     trustees' battle against attempts by the home's landlords to 
     claim ownership and sell the nursing home.
       ``He was the crusader,'' said Mary Davis, the lawyer who 
     represented him in a lawsuit filed in conjunction with the 
     case. ``He had a sense of what was right and what was fair. 
     It's not that often you see somebody willing to risk 
     themselves for what's right or put themselves on the line for 
     what they believe in. He was a person of such extraordinary 
     faith that everything is going to work out OK. When you look 
     at the difficulty of his life, he turned to joy, thanksgiving 
     and celebration rather than bitterness.''
       Mr. Joiner, an Alabama native, was a teenager when he 
     started working at a coal company's coke yard in Virginia. He 
     moved on to Chicago to work in the stockyards, but was laid 
     off during the Depression. For a while, he hopped freight 
     trains and rode the rails in search of work.

[[Page H528]]

       In the 1930s, he joined relatives in West Virginia, where 
     he worked in the coal mines and organized labor unions under 
     volatile circumstances. As a local officer and organizer with 
     the United Mine Workers out of Fairmount, W. Va., he once 
     chaired the speakers' platform with legendary UMW President 
     John L. Lewis at a state convention. Mr. Joiner also worked 
     undercover to help organize unions in the western 
     Pennsylvania communities of Johnstown and Uniontown.
       During World War II, he worked in the Navy yard in Norfolk, 
     Va. By the mid-1940s, he was in Cleveland and working at 
     Euclid Road Machinery.
       Mr. Joiner considered voting not only a right, but a 
     responsibility. He voted in every primary and general 
     election for 66 years, including the general election of 
     November 1999.
       He had been church treasurer, Audit Committee chairman and 
     trustees secretary at the Second Tabernacle Baptist Church in 
     Cleveland, where he was a member for more than 50 years. In 
     1972, he was named the parish's Man of the Year. He also was 
     a trustee of the United Black Fund.
       When his children were younger, Mr. Joiner participated in 
     PTA activities at John Hay High School, where he complained 
     about the better resources given to the white West Side 
     schools.
       ``He was an advocate for us if we had any trouble or 
     problem at school,'' said his daughter, Margaret of 
     Cleveland. ``That same zeal he used to make sure the little 
     person wasn't trampled, he used to defend his children.''
       Mr. Joiner and his wife, Mildred, who died 15 years ago, 
     raised seven daughters and a son.
       In addition to Margaret, Mr. Joiner is survived by 
     daughters, Mary Heard, Betty Pittman, Barbara, Victoria and 
     Kathryn, all of Cleveland, and Carolyn Williams of Albany, 
     N.Y.; son, Franklin of Cleveland; 12 grandchildren; 14 great-
     grandchildren; and a sister.

  I stand here with pride, even on the day of the memorial services of 
Mr. Joiner, to talk about this wonderful 90-year-old man that I knew 
all the time that I grew up in the city of Cleveland, as well as part 
of my public life. I am glad that I had the opportunity to get to know 
him as well as to memorialize him in the Record of the United States 
Congress.

                              {time}  1515

  Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to yield to the gentlewoman 
from Indiana (Ms. Carson).
  Ms. CARSON. I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones) a member 
of this august body for whom I have the greatest admiration and the 
respect for in terms of her commitment to justice and equality for all 
people. I am very happy that my distinguished colleague has allowed me 
to be just a very brief part of this black history celebration in the 
month of February that was inspired by Carter G. Woodson many years 
ago, first as the Negro History Week, if you will, and later extended 
to a whole month.
  It is ironic, I believe, that it is in the shortest month of the 
year, that is, the month of February, given that we have so many 
virtues to extol of so many African Americans who have done a yeoman's 
job in building this great Nation in which we all enjoy freedom. Very 
briefly, let me pay a special tribute to a young man, a young man who 
at the age of 108 years old just last year made his transition, Dr. 
John Morton-Finney.
  At the time of his transition he was believed to be the oldest 
practicing attorney in the whole United States. But even more 
importantly, John Morton-Finney was the first teacher to join the staff 
of Crispus Attucks High School when it was opened in 1927, an African 
American school in my district for which I am a proud graduate that was 
built on the bedlam of racism but indeed produced some of the most 
outstanding scholars and noted sportsmen that this country has ever 
known.
  John Morton-Finney finally had the education center in Indianapolis 
named for him after a year of my insistence that began because John 
Morton-Finney's work, his life, his legacy is a hallmark in terms of 
the contributions of African Americans in my particular district; and 
it stands there as a beacon of hope, a beacon of testimony, a beacon of 
illustration of what people can be if they decide that that is what 
they want to be.
  John Morton-Finney had over 30 earned degrees. He headed up the 
language department. He was a quasi-scientist, quasi-inventor and just 
a noble, noble individual. I am so happy that our school board in 
Indianapolis finally got around to paying due where due was certainly 
earned because in the course of an ordinary life, many of us would 
leave some things undone, but in the life of John Morton-Finney it is a 
challenge to figure out what in the world it was that he did not do or 
what it was that he left unaccomplished and that is merely one of the 
qualities of his life so worth celebrating, especially in this month of 
African American history celebration for their contributions. I want to 
thank my colleagues that preceded me and thank the gentlewoman from 
Ohio specifically for bringing this to the floor of the United States 
Congress, to the ears and eyes of America and certainly for allowing 
little old me from Indianapolis, Indiana to have just an 
infinitesimally small part of this very vital process.
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. I would like to thank my colleague for being so 
modest but as she sits here she is the one who had the idea of awarding 
Rosa Parks the Gold Medal.
  Madam Speaker, I await the chairman of the CBC, and so I have a poem 
that I am going to attempt to do very quickly in his absence. The 
author is Gloria Wade-Gayles. The poem is entitled And The Women 
Gathered. I think it is appropriate that I do this poem right now 
because it talks about black history and then we are on the brink of 
the month of March, which happens to be Women's History Month as well.
  I want to give my best at doing this piece of poetry. I would also 
like to give appropriate credit to my former chief of staff, Marcia 
Fudge, the national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., who 
is now the mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio. It is as a result of 
her love of poetry that I even learned about this particular poem. I 
think Gloria Wade-Gayles does a fabulous job of writing. It is entitled 
And the Women Gathered.

                         And The Women Gathered

                        (By Gloria Wade-Gayles)

     And the women gathered.
     And the women gathered.
     And the women gathered.
     Thin women
     Stout women
     Short women
     Tall women
     Young women
     Not so young women
     Flat chested women
     Big bosomed women
     Women with blue eyes
     Green eyes
     Brown eyes
     Women with silky hair
     Curly hair
     Bleached hair
     Permed hair
     Graying hair
     And the women gathered.
     Coming by planes
     Buses
     Vans
     Cars
     Trains
     And strong feet never tired
     To gather for freedom
     Married women
     Divorced women
     Single women
     Widowed women
     The Women Gathered
     Cocoa
     Cream
     Nut brown
     Beige
     Caramel
     Fudge
     Blackberry black
     As different as the stars that grace the night
     The women gathered
     As one constellation.
     And the world took notice
     That women are warriors
     (Always have been even in the beginning)
     And so they gathered as women will
     In the very eye of the storm
     Pushing against its fury
     With their own
     And the world took notice
     That women birth babies
     And revolutions
     The women gathered
     Ten thousand Rosas inspired by one
     You saw them.
     You saw them.
     You saw them.
     You saw them.
     The world saw them.
     Montage from the movement: Headlines
     Montgomery, Alabama
     December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, a seamstress in Montgomery, 
           Alabama refused to surrender her seat to a white man 
           when ordered by a local bus driver. The Montgomery bus 
           boycott begins. Blacks walk, walk, and walk for freedom 
           and dignity.
     Women were there.
     Greensboro, North Carolina
     February 1, 1960. Students sit in at lunch counters and are 
           refused service. Return. Are arrested.
     A wave of sit-ins spreads to 15 cities in five southern 
           States.

[[Page H529]]

     Women were there
     May 4, 1961. The freedom rides begin. Blacks and whites ride 
           together on a chartered bus. Savage beatings, arson, 
           legal harassment.
     Women were there.
     Birmingham, April 3, 1963.
     Bull Connor turns on water hoses and unleashes ferocious 
           dogs. Physical violence. Mass arrests.
     Bombings.
     Women were there.
     Birmingham, September 15, 1963.
     Four young black girls are killed in church bombing. 
           Mississippi, summer of 1964
     Civil rights activists, blacks and whites invade the State, 
           registering voters establishing freedom Schools.
     The South.
     During the course of one year, 80 people were physically 
           assaulted, 30 buildings bombed, 1,000 arrested and five 
           murdered.
     Women were there.
     Throughout the movement,
     Women sang the songs passionately.
     ``We shall not. We shall not be moved.
     ``Woke up this morning with my mind stayed on freedom.
     ``Ain't gonna let nobody turn me round, turn me round.
     ``And before I'll be a slave, I'll be buried in my grave, and 
           go home to the Lord and be free.''
     And the women gathered.
     In need of empowerment for themselves but they gathered to 
           change the South.
     They gathered because women do not sleep through nightmares.
     We shall not call the roll.
     It is as long as the Nile
     Where civilization was born.
     We shall not call the roll.
     The women wore their courage
     And not their names.
     It is that way with women.
     And so we say.
     Women warriors
     Trailblazers
     Torchbearers
     Activists
     Thinkers
     Movers and shakers
     Dreamers
     Revolutionaries
     We salute you.
     And we promise
     That we will not
     Sleep through the nightmares
     Of homelessness, unemployment,
     Poverty, violence against children, women, men, Ignorance
     Oppression of all kinds.
     We promise that
     A new generation
     Of women
     Will gather.
     We are that generation.
  Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, as we celebrate Black History Month, there 
is much to celebrate. The economic climate is improving significantly. 
African American businesses are borrowing, investing, and building 
capital at record levels. For African Americans, median household 
income is up, the poverty rate is sharply down, and the unemployment 
rate is down to the lowest level on record (8.1 percent).
  However, despite our economic progress and electoral gains, we still 
have not achieved all we can. In addition to the disparity of income in 
our country, one important area we must address is environmental 
justice--a significant human rights issue for this century. The issue 
of environmental justice stems from the concern that impoverished 
communities, frequently comprised of people of color, suffer larger and 
disproportionate environmental risks compared to other Americans. The 
environmental justice movement also concerns inequality, including 
wealth and income disparities, inadequate schools, gaps in medical 
services, uneven economic opportunities and investment inequities.
  In recent years, America has significantly improved its air and water 
quality and reduced waste disposal and toxic chemicals. However, the 
improvements have been uneven and the benefits skewed. These factors 
cause troubling health problems and threaten all our other progress. 
The fight for a healthy environment has been led by many local 
grassroots leaders. In San Francisco, Linda Richardson has helped lead 
the fight to address these problems and achieve environmental justice. 
Mrs. Richardson founded Southeast Alliance for Environmental Justice, a 
San Francisco based environmental organization. She also is a member of 
the San Francisco Planning Commission and an expert on the impact of 
environmental pollutants on poor communities.
  Her work has demonstrated the importance of implementing safe, 
healthy, and equitable environmental policies to bring about 
environmental justice. Thanks to this grassroots work, Americans now 
realize that it is no longer tolerable for pollution and environmental 
toxins to prey heavily on our Nation's vulnerable population, including 
impoverished Americans; minorities; and our children.
  Despite this realization, too many still take our Nation's 
environmental health for granted. For example, each year, more than 2.2 
billion pounds of pesticides are used on crops, lawns, and public 
spaces. Consumers Union reports that many children are eating fruits 
and vegetables with unsafe levels of pesticide residues. This residue 
is dangerous and plagues our children at every meal. Our children are 
our most important resource.
  Mrs. Richardson is committed to ensuring that our civil rights 
include the right to live in a clean and healthy environment. I commend 
her work and believe that a nation that preserves its environmental 
health establishes the foundation for a healthy, stable, and prosperous 
society. To complement the work of grassroots leaders, my colleagues 
joined me to request an increased budget for the Environmental 
Protection Agency to employ trained staff with a civil rights 
background. Our vision cannot be achieved without the combined force of 
private and public sector work toward the same goals.
  To commemorate Black History Month, we should join together to 
organize, educate, and fight for better environmental, health, 
education, and economic outcomes for all Americans. While we work to 
adequately fund enforcement activities and implement safe environmental 
policies, we must also demand funding initiatives in infant mortality, 
heart disease, AIDS, immunizations, cancer screening and management to 
eliminate racial health disparities. Let's follow Linda's success and 
work to implement a more progressive vision that eliminates 
environmental injustice.
  Mr. BISHOP. Madam Speaker, first, I appreciate the opportunity to 
join my colleagues in recognizing Black History Month, and I thank 
Congresswoman, Jones for arranging this year's Special Order to 
remember the far-reaching role that black Americans have played through 
the centuries in making our country what she was, what she is, and what 
she will be.
  Our topic is, ``Heritage and Horizons: The African American Legacy 
and the Challenges of the 21st Century.''
  This is a big subject!
  The legacy is certainly big--as so is the challenge!
  Historian Benjamin Quarles has pointed out in his ground-breaking 
work on black history that, except for native American Indians, blacks 
are the country's oldest ethnic minority. In fact, the roots of black 
Americans sink deeper in the histories of the 13 original colonies than 
any other group from across the Atlantic.
  America was born in diversity, and many groups have played a part in 
the country's phenomenal growth and development. And the part played by 
Americans of African descent has been huge. We are just now beginning 
to understand the impact that black America has had on every period in 
the country's history.
  It's an historic fact that America could not have emerged as a great 
world industrial power as quickly or as forcefully as she did without 
the presence of a skilled black labor force, or without the 
contributions made by black Americans in every field, including the 
sciences, technology, exploration, business, religion, government and 
politics, the military, the arts, and in all aspects of our society.
  As I took the floor this evening, I found myself thinking of Henry 
Flipper.
  Some of you will recognize the name Henry Flipper--who was born in 
Thomasville, Georgia, which is located in an area of southwest Georgia 
that I have the privilege of representing--is remembered as the first 
black graduate of West Point, who went on to serve with distinction as 
a young military officer on the western frontier, and who was wrongly 
forced out of the service on the basis of false charges, even though he 
had been fully exonerated from those charges.
  When he died in Atlanta in 1940, he was a forgotten man, and was 
buried in an unmarked grave. But, in recent years, historians have dug 
more deeply into his life. And what they have found is truly 
remarkable.
  In spite of his bitter setback in the Army, historians have learned 
that he made enormous contributions to America's growth in the late 
1800's and early 1900's. He helped develop the railroad in the West. He 
had a pioneering role in developing the oil industry. As an engineer, 
inventor, surveyor, and, later in his career, as a top advisor to the 
U.S. Secretary of the Interior, he played a big part in the country's 
Westward expansion.
  Although born in servitude, he helped change the face of America.
  There are countless examples of African-Americans who have made a 
real impact on the country's history. Henry Flipper is just one of many 
great black leaders produced by my own state of Georgia. Dr. Martin 
Luther King, Jr. is another. As the leading figure in the Civil Rights 
Movement, he played a big role in the transformation that took place in 
our country in the middle of the 20th Century.
  Their stories all tell us that our country's unique diversity has 
been a great source of strength, and should be celebrated. In fact, 
America's heroes are not limited to any race, or creed, or gender or 
national background. We find examples of greatness among all people in 
this patchwork of cultures that has become the strongest, freest, and 
most productive nation the world has ever known.

[[Page H530]]

  By observing Black History Month, we learn more about our history; we 
celebrate our diversity; and we become inspired and motivated by 
Americans who have helped lead the way toward fulfilling the country's 
great promise of equality of opportunity and justice for all.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise to 
represent to citizens of the Thirtieth Congressional District to pay 
honor and tribute to scores of African-Americans who have paved the way 
for the realization of the American dream.
  African-American history is American history. Even before there was a 
United States, Crispus Attucks became the first American martyr when he 
was killed during the Boston Massacre of 1770, fighting against 
taxation without representation. Over 5,000 black soldiers and sailors 
fought in the American Revolution, only to be told that they were only 
three-fifths human when the Constitution was ratified.
  Africans transplanted to America endured centuries of oppression, 
beginning before they even set foot on the American shore. The middle 
passage was a terrible, often fatal voyage of slaves from Africa to the 
New World. Africans were herded like livestock into the lower decks of 
a ship, where they were shackled together in inhumane conditions, fed 
only substance portions, and thrown overboard in shark infested waters 
if they got sick, weak, or the weight of the ship was simply too heavy. 
Once here, they were subjected to every oppressive tactic known to man, 
from the spirit breaking submission demanded on the plantation, to the 
family breaking practice of slave breeding and trading, to the mind 
numbing laws forbidding slave education.
  Yet, even in the days when it seemed that ``hope unborn had died'', 
Africans in America reached amazing heights of achievement in all areas 
of endeavor, from science and medicine to politics and education, from 
Benjamin Banneker and Daniel Hale Williams to Shirley Chisholm and 
Martha Collins. Over stony roads, African-Americans have trod over the 
obstacles to success, each time redefining the American Dream as they 
fought on to victory.
  I would like to take this special opportunity to highlight the 
enormous contribution to African-American history, and thus, American 
history, by African-Americans from Texas, and, in many cases, from my 
district. Maynard Jackson, who went on to become the first and one of 
the most successful mayors of Atlanta, was born in Dallas in 1938. As 
mayor of Atlanta, he laid the foundation for the new South's 
centerpiece city by ensuring that all races were allowed to take part 
in Atlanta's economic opportunity.
  ``Blind'' Lemon Jefferson used Dallas as a base to launch an 
extraordinary blues career, during which he made over 100 recordings of 
his intricate melodic rhythms and influenced countless artists, 
including B.B. King. Before Rafer Johnson went on to be a gold medalist 
and a world decathlon record holder, he also lived in Dallas.
  Dallas native Bobby Seale went on to lead tens of thousands of 
African-Americans toward heightened political consciousness. Dallas 
served as a launching pad for James Farmer, the noted Congress of 
Racial Equality leader and winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 
And as the first black mayor of Dallas, Mayor Ron Kirk continues to 
lead the city into unprecedented economic success.
  North Dallas has produced extraordinary African-Americans. Dallas 
native Ernie Banks set records in baseball and was voted the ``Greatest 
Chicago Cubs Player of All Time''. Austin native Bill Picket was the 
first black working cowboy, and revolutionized the genre with his 
unique style of bulldogging. From my birthplace, Waco, TX native Monroe 
Majors became the first black to practice medicine west of the Rocky 
Mountains, and Jules Bledsoe changed the face of opera through his 
groundbreaking production, ``Showboat.''
  Madam Speaker, I have just scratched the surface of North Texas 
African-American contributions to the American fabric. From Al 
Lipscomb, who led the fight to make Dallas elected officials more 
representative of the populace, to Royce West and John Wiley Price, who 
led the fight for justice in Dallas today. As I look to the dawn of a 
new century, I am proud to be a part of America's esteemed legacy of 
African-American achievement.
  Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today on the last day of Black 
History Month to share with you a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, 
Jr. The remarks to follow were given by my good friend and esteemed 
colleague, Representative John Spratt from the Fifth Congressional 
District of South Carolina. Representative Spratt's remarks on the late 
Dr. King bring a very refreshing and much-needed view on the subject of 
America and where we ought to be heading as we enter the new 
Millennium. Our home State of South Carolina is involved in a national 
debate, as I've spoken about recently, regarding the confederate battle 
flag flying atop the Statehouse in Columbia. Were we all to read 
Representative Spratt's remarks and take them into close consideration, 
we might be one step closer to understanding the past and moving 
towards the future that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. envisioned for our 
nation.
  Madam Speaker, I submit for the Record the following remarks given by 
Representative John Spratt on January 17, 2000, at the Mt. Prospect 
Baptist Church in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.--Remarks of U.S. Representative 
 John Spratt, Mt. Prospect Baptist Church, Rock Hill, South Carolina, 
                            January 17, 2000

       Martin Luther King, Jr. was born January 15, 1929. He was 
     26, in the pulpit of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church less than 
     two years, when he was drafted to lead the Montgomery bus 
     boycott. He was 39 the night he told the sanitation workers 
     in Memphis that God had taken him up on the top of the 
     mountain and let him see the promised land. ``Mine eyes have 
     see the glory of the coming of the Lord,'' he said. ``I'm not 
     fearing any man.''
       He would have been 71 on Saturday, had he lived. But the 
     next day in Memphis, he stepped out onto the deck of the 
     Lorraine Motel, and a gunman, filled with the venom he had 
     tried all his life to pacify, fired a rifle bullet through 
     his jaw, and killed him instantly.
       American history is pock-mocked with violence, but it is 
     also marked by turning points where God gave us great leaders 
     who steered us in the right direction. George Washington was 
     one. Abraham Lincoln, another. Franklin Roosevelt lifted us 
     out of the Depression, assuring us we had ``nothing to fear 
     but fear itself.'' Martin Luther King, Jr. called us to 
     ``rise up and live out the true meaning of our creed, that 
     all men are created equal.''
       There were Americans then, and there are Americans now, who 
     have never understood that Dr. King was speaking to them when 
     he stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. But surely 
     everyone can be thankful for this: that when African-
     Americans demanded their rights, they did not rally behind a 
     leader filled with bitterness and belligerence; they turned 
     to this man who told his followers, ``The means we use must 
     be as pure as the ends we seek.''
       Langston Hughes wrote, ``We too sing America,'' but it was 
     Martin King, Jr. who showed how. He brought audiences to 
     their feet merely by reciting ``My Country `Tis of Thee.'' In 
     a voice that sounded like the trumpet of Gideon, he called on 
     America to let freedom ring, and all who heard it never 
     forgot it.
       At his funeral, they called him ``a warrier for peace.'' A 
     leader willing to die for his cause but not willing to kill. 
     A protester who was also a peacemaker. A black man, of an 
     oppressed people, who reached out to everyone, even his 
     enemies, because his objective was not to win but to 
     reconcile. He was a Nobel Prize winner who could have become 
     a messianic figure, and preached in pulpits all over the 
     country, but he chose to go to his death marching with the 
     garbagemen of Memphis.
       His greatest achievement was, in his words, ``a method of 
     struggle that made it possible to stand up against an unjust 
     system and fight it with all your might, yet never stoop to 
     violence and hatred in the process.'' He gave Gandhi credit 
     for helping him understand the philosophy of nonviolent 
     protest. But he believed that this spirit was rooted in the 
     black church, in three centuries of Christian stoicism when 
     African-Americans were gripped in bondage.
       In the dark days of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Martin 
     Luther King, Jr. told his congregation at Dexter Avenue 
     Baptist Church, ``You who protest courageously, yet with 
     dignity and Christian love, when the history books are 
     written in the future, the historian will have to say, `There 
     was a great people, a black people, who injected new meaning 
     and dignity into the veins of civilization.' ''
       This national holiday is not created out of magnanimity. It 
     is created out of respect for a people who have earned it, to 
     honor a man who belongs with the greatest American leaders.
       We honor only two other Americans with national holidays 
     bearing their names: George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. I 
     am proud to say I voted for law designating this day, but I 
     will be first to admit that all it does is make the third 
     Monday in January a legal holiday. This can become just 
     another ``day off'' unless we make it ``a day on,'' a time to 
     reach into our souls and ask what we can do to make the dream 
     a reality.
       Lyndon Johnson explained why this day matters long before 
     it was ever designated, thirty-five years ago. The week after 
     Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama, LBJ addressed the nation on 
     television. John Lewis had been beaten into the ground after 
     crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge, but he was watching, and 
     as LBJ spoke, his spirit soared. This, he says, was the 
     ``strongest civil rights speech any president ever made.''
       LBJ began by saying, ``At times history and fate meet at a 
     single place to shape a turning point in man's unending 
     search for freedom. So it was at Lexington and Concord. So it 
     was a century ago at Appomattox. So it was last week at 
     Selma, Alabama.''
       ``Rarely,'' he said, ``in any time does an issue lay bare 
     the heart of America itself . . . But the issue of equal 
     rights for American Negroes is such an issue. Should we 
     defeat every enemy, should we double our

[[Page H531]]

     wealth and conquer the stars, and still be unequal to this 
     issue, we will have failed as a people and as a nation.''
       After thirty-five years, LBJ's words still ring true. The 
     stakes are the same, and failure is not an option. That's why 
     this holiday and what it's about are vitally important, not 
     just to African-Americans but to all Americans.
       Last spring, I went with my colleague and friend, John 
     Lewis, on a pilgrimage to Selma, and to Birmingham and 
     Montgomery. We prayed in the church in Birmingham, where the 
     lives of four girls were cruelly cut short by dynamite, 
     exploded in the midst of a Sunday morning worship. We sat in 
     the pews at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, and listened to 
     Dr. King tell his congregation during the bus boycott: 
     ``The tension in this city is not between white people and 
     black people. The tension is, at bottom, between justice 
     and injustice, between the forces of light and the forces 
     of darkness.'' and on the anniversary of Bloody Sunday, we 
     marched, arm-in-arm, across the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
       On the way back, a reporter asked why I had made the trip, 
     and I told him I thought everyone should come to Birmingham 
     and Selma. Everyone should know the Edmund Pettus Bridge as 
     well as Concord Bridge in Massachusetts; and everyone should 
     know what happened in Kelly-Ingram Park as well as what 
     happened on Lexington Green.
       If you fast forward thirty-five years from LBJ's speech, 
     you have to say we have come a long way. Dr. King's mission 
     is far from finished; but that doesn't make the 
     accomplishments of the civil rights movement any less 
     momentous. We should not let ourselves or our children 
     diminish what was achieved in the 50's, 60's, and 70's, or 
     say that race relations are no better now than then. We grew 
     up in the segregated South. We know better.
       And besides, we have to remember how far we've come because 
     it inspires us to keep going. We should remember Philip 
     Randolph, telling the Judiciary Committee that ``when Negro 
     Americans travel the highways of this country, we are stalked 
     by humiliation.'' And remember how Rosa Parks, a seamstress 
     in Montgomery, helped put an end to that indignity. When we 
     think there is little we as ordinary citizens can do, 
     heroines like Rosa Parks remind us we are wrong.
       They remind us also that Martin Luther King, Jr. would have 
     accomplished little or nothing, but for those who stood 
     behind him and those who charged ahead, as shock troops of 
     the movement. They were ordinary Americans like Dub Massey 
     and Jim Wells and the Friendship Nine. But it was, in Dr. 
     King's words, ``their sublime courage, their willingness to 
     suffer, their amazing discipline in the midst of almost 
     inhuman provocation'' that gave us the Civil Rights Act of 
     1964.
       Among the early protesters was a young woman named Diane 
     Nash, an organizer of SNCC. At the time of the Rock Hill sit-
     ins, SNCC was in dire financial straits, and meeting to 
     discuss how they could keep going. One of the Friendship 
     protesters, Tom Gaither, used the single phone call allowed 
     him at the jail to call SNCC collect in Atlanta. Gaither 
     called to tell SNCC that the Friendship students didn't want 
     bail and wouldn't be asking SNCC for bond money. They were 
     going to serve out their thirty days in jail. This became a 
     precedent for the whole movement, and so inspired SNCC that 
     four of those at the meeting in Atlanta drove to Rock Hill, 
     sat-in at McCrory's, and joined the Friendship Nine in the 
     county jail.
       Diane Nash was among them, and today, she issues us a 
     caveat. She says that ``the movement made Martin rather than 
     Martin making the movement.'' She says this not to diminish 
     Dr. King, but so that ``young people will not think that this 
     was his movement, and say `I wish we had a Martin Luther King 
     today to lead us . . . If people know how the movement 
     started and why it succeeded,'' says Diane Nash, ``they will 
     be more likely to ask the right question, which is: `What can 
     I do?' ''
       Every community needs stories of sublime courage, 
     discipline, and principle like these. These are our epic 
     poems, and we should be telling them and teaching them 
     because they build respect; they show us we are stronger than 
     we think; they inspire our better selves.
       Those who want to keep the Confederate flag flying over our 
     Capitol claim it as their heritage. But Confederate veterans 
     served in the General Assembly from 1866 to the early 1920s, 
     and never resolved to raise their old battle flag over the 
     dome of the Capitol. If we want to preserve our heritage, 
     what about the motherlode of heritage in the civil rights 
     movement? In a country where there is too much violence in 
     the home, in the schools, on the streets, here is a rich 
     history of non-violence worth our study.
       Every school child in South Carolina should know stories 
     like these. They should know the story of those black 
     children in Clarendon County who walked miles to school every 
     day, as busses full of white children passed them by. They 
     should not study South Carolina history without learning the 
     name of Levi Briggs and those brave parents who put their 
     lives on the line to correct this inequity, and went on to 
     the Supreme Court with Briggs v. Elliott. They should know 
     the twisted road to school integration and the quiet heroes, 
     like Matthew Perry and Judge Waring, who helped clear the 
     way.
       We should teach character, teach it by telling the stories 
     of Rosa Parks and Levi Briggs, John Lewis, and the Friendship 
     Nine. And while we are at it, we should preach persistence, 
     to our children and ourselves. For one of our country's 
     virtues has been our capacity to struggle endlessly with our 
     problems, and never be completely satisfied with our 
     solutions. We have to keep seeking solutions; and even if we 
     never see closure, never give up in the search for a society 
     that matches our ideals and principles. In the realm of 
     racial justice and equality, progress has been slow, and it 
     has been uneven, but we have not just been spinning our 
     wheels in a rut of racism. We have made progress.
       Look, for instance, at the difference the Voting Rights Act 
     has made. Take the Congress. In 1965, John Lewis was 
     spearheading SNCC, in the streets protesting. Today he is in 
     the Congress, Chief Deputy Whip on the Democratic side. He 
     serves there alongside 38 other African-Americans, Jim 
     Clyburn among them, the first black elected to Congress from 
     South Carolina since 1896. Charlie Rangel of New York is 
     another; if Democrats gain control of the House in the next 
     election, Charlie will take the chair of the House Ways and 
     Means Committee, the most powerful committee in Congress.
       America is better for all Americans, but it is still not 
     what it ought to be; and old symbols, like the flag flying 
     over our Capitol, are too much to be dismissed as mere 
     ``vestiges of the past.'' We stand on the doorstep of 
     America's fourth century, three hundred years from the day 
     the first African slave set foot on this soil, and we cannot 
     say this is the country we want it to be.
       Dr. King liked to say that he wanted more than ``just 
     physical proximity with no spiritual affinity.'' He wanted a 
     country where ``not only elbows but hearts rub together.'' We 
     cannot say that we are such a society, nor can we say that we 
     will become one by laissez-faire policies, benign neglect, or 
     mere evolution. Martin Luther King, Jr. warned us years ago 
     from his cell in the Birmingham jail that ``human progress 
     never rolls in on wheels of inevitability. It comes from the 
     tireless, persistent efforts of men willing to be co-workers 
     with God.
       Now that we have reached certain goals, I think we need a 
     higher goal. Americans have always believed that we have, in 
     the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt, a rendezvous with 
     destiny. At a time when most people in the world lived barely 
     above the level of animals, Americans showed that government 
     of the people is the only government for the people. We 
     showed that when church and state are separated, both fare 
     better. We showed that when people from countries like 
     Ireland are liberated from strife and prejudice, they thrive 
     in a tolerant land. We showed that free education, made 
     available to all, is like a rising tide; it lifts all the 
     boats in a society. We showed that people can come from the 
     simplest backgrounds, like Martin Luther King, Jr., the 
     grandson of slaves and sharecroppers, and give birth to great 
     things.
       Now that the barriers that segregated us have been removed, 
     our challenge, and I think God's purpose for us, is to show 
     the world--from Belfast to Bosnia, from Cape Town to East 
     Timor, that different races and ethnic groups need not 
     cripple and debilitate a country; they can make a country 
     richer and stronger; that we can not only co-exist, but 
     thrive on our differences.
       This is our heritage, and it should be our mission, our 
     creed, our high calling. If as a people we can embrace this 
     goal, we can make our country that shining city on a hill 
     that the Puritans set out to build three hundred years ago. 
     We can make our country the country Martin Luther King, Jr. 
     dreamed of, ``where justice rolls down like waters and 
     righteousness like a mighty stream.''
       Our goal does not have to be a completely color-blind, 
     totally homogenized society. That's too utopian, and frankly, 
     I think, too bland. I think our richness as a people derives 
     from our differences. I think it is enough to strive for a 
     plural, multi-racial society, where the visible differences 
     of race, color, and culture no longer carry the stigma of 
     somehow not being a full-fledged American.
       If we make this our goal, we can put the flag flying over 
     our State Capitol in perspective. It's a wedge issue, and we 
     need to be rid of it, so that we can get on with far more 
     important tasks, because time is running short. Halfway 
     through this new century, our population is expected to hit 
     400 million. Fifty-three percent will be white. Twenty-five 
     percent will be Hispanic, 14 percent will be black, 9 percent 
     Asian, and one percent American Indian. Our existence as a 
     people is moving toward a level of complexity the world has 
     never seen before. In the 21st Century, the United States 
     will be the world's nation; the American canvass will be 
     painted with colors from every shade of the earth.
       Surely, we do not want this racially more diverse America 
     to be a racially more divided America.
       Surely, we want the world to look to America in this 
     century, as it did in the last, and see that future works, 
     see many races not only surviving but thriving, richer as a 
     culture and as a country because of our differences.
       Two years ago, I went to Bosnia to visit our troops in a 
     forlorn place, ripped asunder by ethnic warfare. When I 
     landed at Tuzla, I was met by Major General Morgan, an 
     African-American, who commanded our troops there. When I went 
     to Sarajevo, I was met by General Shinseki, a Japanese-
     American, who commanded the entire NATO mission. I doubt that 
     any racial message was intended by the assignment of these 
     two officers. But I have to tell you, I was proud to see my

[[Page H532]]

     country making that statement in that ethnic-torn part of the 
     world. And I believe that America can cast that beacon, that 
     sign of hope, that message of racial harmony, all over the 
     world.
       How do we plot the route to an interracial society over the 
     next fifty years? Well, there are lots of ways. But on the 
     map of racial progress, education is the name of almost every 
     road. Almost all studies come to one conclusion: education is 
     our best solution and our greatest challenge.
       For one thing, the public schools right now have a racial 
     or ethnic composition comparable to what the whole nation 
     will look like in 2020. The school age population is 66 
     percent white, 15 percent black, 14 percent Hispanic, and 4 
     percent Asian. The future of diversity in this country will 
     depend heavily on how well the schools work out the issues of 
     full and equal inclusion.
       In saying this, I am not shifting the burden onto teachers 
     and school administrators. I am speaking to all of us as 
     parents, to churches, to people, to the whole community. All 
     of us have to pitch in and make our public schools second to 
     none, up to the challenge of educating every child to the 
     limit of his potential.
       Which brings me to my last point. Americans need to realize 
     that though we came over here on different ships, we are all 
     in the same boat now. The burden of change should not rest on 
     African-Americans alone. The burden should rest on all of us 
     if we believe our creed.
       In that connection, let me commend the City of Rock Hill, 
     the Council, and Mayor Doug Echos, in particular, for 
     sponsoring ``No Room for Racism,'' and for your resolution on 
     the Flag.
       No Room for Racism may be mostly dialogue, but I believe it 
     is dialogue that we need I believe that efforts like this can 
     blossom, so that one day, ours is country where all sing 
     America. And I believe it is God's purpose, Dr. King's drean, 
     and our duty to make it just that.

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition 
of Black History Month. I thank my colleagues of the Congressional 
Black Caucus very much for their leadership on this very special order 
and tribute to black history and appreciate tremendously these members 
who have joined me on the floor of the House to acknowledge this very 
special month.
  I am thrilled to stand here on the House floor as an American and as 
an African-American Member of Congress. In the 211 years of 
congressional history there have been only 105 African-American Members 
of Congress. 101 African-Americans have been elected to the House of 
Representatives, and only 4 have been elected to the Senate. I am 
boldly able to stand here today, Madam Speaker, because other 
courageous and brave African-American pioneers stood valiantly before 
me. During Black History Week, but most importantly throughout the 
year, I am reminded of the legendary achievements that have paved the 
way for my colleagues and I.
  This year marks the first Black History Month celebration of the 21st 
Century. Appropriately, the Association for the Study of African 
American Life and History has labeled ``Heritage and Horizon--The 
African American Legacy and Contributions of the 21st Century'' as the 
theme for this year's celebration. I think you will agree, African-
Americans have played an integral part in the development and 
prosperity of our nation. Tonight, I would like my remarks to reflect 
the rich legacy of the African-American experience, and its 
relationship to American history.
  Seventy-four years ago, a bold and daring scholar had a vision to 
honor the Legacy of African-Americans. As you know, this legendary 
scholar, Carter G. Woodson founded what was then called ``Black History 
Week.'' Now, our nation celebrates the entire month of February as 
Black History Month. And if I might quote my 14-year-old son Jason Lee, 
``we should not be regulated even by a month, for African American 
history is a history of a people and the history of America.''
  So I would hope that as we take to the floor of the House on the last 
day of this month, my colleagues will join me in additional days in 
which we will spend talking about African American history, and I would 
hope that we would begin to explain to the American people how 
intimately woven this history is with America. As we recall African-
American history, we should not be afraid to say that it is American 
history, and we should not be afraid to recount it over and over again, 
not out of hatred or hatefulness, but out of the need to educate and to 
allow this country to move forward and to build upon the richness of 
its diversity and to solve some of the very problems that we confront 
today.
  African-American history is rightfully recounting the contributions 
of great Americans. Americans who dared to change not only their 
individual community, but also their surrounding nation. As I recall 
the legacy of African-Americans, I remember the brave and bold leaders 
of our past. There is no shortage of articulate, influential African-
American leaders in our nation's history. These individuals influenced 
both the African-American community and our society at large in 
powerful ways as they fought to win freedom, fair treatment, and better 
lives for all of America. For example, brave men like Nat Turner, 
Gabriel Prosser, and Denmark Vesey, who organized and led doomed but 
valiant slave rebellions against brutal slave owners. Abolitionists 
like Frederick Douglas and Sojourner Truth, who undermined the 
institution of slavery by speaking, writing, and lobbying against it--
at considerable personal risk. And brave individuals like Harriet 
Tubman, who risked her life and her hard-won freedom to return to 
slave-holding states to lead other African-Americans north to freedom 
along the Underground Railroad. And the Civil War, where over 200,000 
African-American men fought in the Union Army and Navy--to free their 
enslaved brethren, and prove that African-Americans too were committed 
to Democracy and the preservation of America.
  And in the early 1900s, African-Americans like Booker T. Washington, 
W.E.B. DuBois, and Mary Church Terrell shaped attitudes within the 
African-American community and won the respect of all Americans across 
the country. Also, Marcus Garvey led what was labeled the Black 
Nationalist movement and fought institutional racism in the United 
States.

  In the 1920s, '30s, and '40s, A. Philip Randolph worked to organize 
African-American workers and end the division of the labor movement 
along racial lines. He also worked diligently to end discrimination in 
the military and the government.
  And after World War II, African-American leaders like Charles 
Hamilton Houston, William Henry Hastie, A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr., 
Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., and 
Malcolm X made significant marks on American history--in our courts, 
our schools, our government, our politics, and in foreign affairs. 
African-American women like Fannie Lou Hamer, Shirley Chisholm, and 
Barbara Jordan, one of my personal heroes, broke old barriers and won 
the respect of millions of Americans for integrity, their intelligence, 
their dedication, and their professional accomplishments.
  This recitation of African-American leaders is by no means all-
inclusive! In fact, it touches upon only a few of the vast amount of 
African-American leaders who have shaped this country's history and 
added to the legacy of African-American accomplishments in America. I 
mention these names to merely observe the fact that African-Americans 
have always played an integral part in the history of the United 
States.
  As part of this annual observation of Black History Month, it is 
vital to remind America that in the face of racism, discrimination, and 
violence, many African-Americans have changed the very fabric of this 
nation. I would like to stress that all of America can draw great 
satisfaction and strength from this history. It is important, because 
as we embrace this history, it provides not only inspiration for 
African-Americans, but also all of America on the dawn of the 21st 
Century.
  Madam Speaker, I believe that we must speak about African-American 
history throughout the year, because there are still many barriers that 
America has yet to hurdle and face at the dawn of the 21st century. 
America has not accepted in a collective and collaborative fashion that 
African American history is a history of America. Issues that impact 
our communities such as increased funding for nutrition programs, 
affirmative action, the Voter's Rights Act, reparations for African-
Americans, racial profiling, equitable funding for Historically Black 
College and Universities, equitable training and funds to children for 
access to the Internet, and a multitude of other critical issues are 
concerns that Americans must join together and combat. If America 
embraces African American History as American History, we would go so 
much further in solving these problems and many other critical 
problems.
  In closing, I strongly feel that all Americans must have a better 
understanding of each other. Our rich diversity has been (at the same 
time) the reason for our continued struggles and progress. We must 
learn each other's history! African-American history must be the kind 
of history that is living; that is accepted; that is widespread; and 
that all people can understand. This great nation must embrace this 
rich history of the past and the present, and use it as a guide for 
reshaping America's future.
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues for this 
opportunity to present issues with regard to Black History Month this 
year. Our theme again was Heritage, Horizons, Accepting the Challenges 
of the 21st Century.

                          ____________________