[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 106 (Tuesday, September 12, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H7455-H7457]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE BIRMINGHAM PLEDGE

  Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
joint resolution (H.J. Res. 102) recognizing that the Birmingham Pledge 
has made a significant contribution in fostering racial harmony and 
reconciliation in the United States and around the world, and for other 
purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                             H.J. Res. 102

       Whereas Birmingham, Alabama, is an international symbol of 
     the racial strife in the United States in the 1950's and 
     1960's;
       Whereas out of the crucible of Birmingham's role in the 
     civil rights movement of the 1950's and 1960's, a present-day 
     grassroots movement, embodied in the Birmingham Pledge, has 
     arisen to continue the effort to eliminate racial and ethnic 
     divisions in the United States and around the world;
       Whereas the Birmingham Pledge, authored by Birmingham 
     attorney James E. Rotch, sponsored by the Community Affairs 
     Committee of Operation New Birmingham, and promoted by a 
     broad cross-section of the community, increases racial 
     harmony by helping individuals communicate in a positive way 
     concerning the Nation's diversity and by encouraging people 
     to make a commitment to racial harmony;
       Whereas the Birmingham Pledge, signed by individuals as 
     evidence of their commitment to its message, reads as 
     follows:
       ``I believe that every person has worth as an individual.
       ``I believe that every person is entitled to dignity and 
     respect, regardless of race or color.
       ``I believe that every thought and every act of racial 
     prejudice is harmful; if it is in my thought or act, then it 
     is harmful to me as well as to others.
       ``Therefore, from this day forward I will strive daily to 
     eliminate racial prejudice from my thoughts and actions.
       ``I will discourage racial prejudice by others at every 
     opportunity.
       ``I will treat all people with dignity and respect; and I 
     will strive to honor this pledge, knowing that the world will 
     be a better place because of my effort.'';
       Whereas more than 70,000 people have signed the Birmingham 
     Pledge, including the President, Members of the Congress, 
     State Governors, State legislators, mayors, county 
     commissioners, city council members, and other people around 
     the world;
       Whereas the Birmingham Pledge has achieved national and 
     international recognition;
       Whereas efforts to obtain signatories to the Birmingham 
     Pledge are being organized and conducted in communities 
     around the world;
       Whereas every Birmingham Pledge signed and returned to 
     Birmingham is recorded at the Birmingham Civil Rights 
     Institute as a permanent testament to racial reconciliation, 
     peace, and harmony; and
       Whereas the Birmingham Pledge, the motto for which is 
     ``Sign It, Live It'', is a powerful tool to facilitate 
     dialogue on the Nation's diversity and the need for people to 
     take personal steps to achieve racial harmony and tolerance 
     in communities: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That--
       (1) the Congress--
       (A) recognizes that the pledge popularly known as the 
     Birmingham Pledge has made

[[Page H7456]]

     a significant contribution in fostering racial harmony and 
     reconciliation in the United States and around the world; and
       (B) commends the people involved with the creation of the 
     Birmingham Pledge and signatories to the pledge for the steps 
     they are taking to make the Nation and the world a better 
     place for all people; and
       (2) it is the sense of the Congress that a National 
     Birmingham Pledge Week should be established.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Bachus) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus).


                             General Leave

  Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 102.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Alabama?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this week Birmingham, Alabama, is hosting an MSNBC and 
Newsweek Magazine National Conference on Race Relations. One of the 
highlights of this conference is the Birmingham Pledge movement.
  The Birmingham Pledge is a personal commitment to work to eliminate 
racial division in America and around the world. Those who sign the 
Pledge make a personal promise to treat all individuals with dignity 
and respect. More than 70,000 people from every inhabited continent on 
the globe have signed the Birmingham Pledge. Every signed Pledge is 
returned to Birmingham and recorded at the Civil Rights Institute as a 
permanent testament to racial reconciliation, peace and harmony.
  Mr. Speaker, along with my colleague, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. 
Hilliard), both of us being natives of Birmingham, Alabama, we 
introduced this resolution on June 14, 2000. This resolution has the 
support of 107 cosponsors, a bipartisan group of Members of the House.
  The resolution recognizes that personal efforts, the efforts of 
individuals, do matter, and do make a difference in addressing racial 
intolerance and do contribute significantly in fostering racial 
harmony.

                              {time}  2100

  As we speak, MSNBC is conducting a televised live town hall meeting 
on race relations from the historic 16th Street Baptist Church in 
Birmingham. Newsweek Magazine this week printed a special issue on 
diversity in America to coincide with the Birmingham Summit.
  The resolution before us recognizes that the Birmingham Pledge is 
making a significant contribution in fostering racial harmony. It 
commends those involved with the creation of the pledge, including Jim 
Rotch, who authored the pledge, and those who have signed it. It 
expresses the sense of Congress that a National Birmingham Pledge Week 
should be established.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, first of all, I think it is appropriate to commend the 
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Hilliard), with whom I have worked very 
closely in the Congressional Black Caucus, and the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Bachus), with whom I have worked very closely on the House 
Committee on the Judiciary on a number of measures.
  This is a unique, ingenious way that continues the ability of America 
to help recognize that racial prejudice is something that we still can 
deal with in many creative, small ways. So House Joint Resolution 102 
recognized that this ingenious notion, the Birmingham Pledge, can make 
an important contribution in fostering and promoting racial equality. 
It is a symbol of how far we have come and how far we have to go in the 
struggle for civil rights equality for all Americans.
  Because Birmingham, Alabama, occupies a unique and important place in 
the history of civil rights in America, for these two Members from the 
State of Alabama to come forward where we have had in the past the 
images of police dogs, fire hoses, racial strife, Dr. King's letter 
from a Birmingham jail, all makes it so important that from Alabama and 
now from around the Nation, signatures are pouring in. I understand 
that more than 60,000 have taken place already, and that President 
Clinton and the First Lady have all been signatories.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I think it is important as I conclude that if we 
pledge our belief today that every thought and every act of racial 
prejudice is harmful, then we should let our actions speak louder than 
our words and pass a hate crimes legislation bill that has come from 
the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time, and I ask unanimous 
consent that the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Hilliard) be the manager 
of this bill from this point forward.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Isakson). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HILLIARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to call upon Congress to pass this resolution 
recognizing the Birmingham Pledge. The Birmingham Pledge is an effort 
of the Birmingham community to recognize the dignity and worth of every 
individual and to share with the world our community's commitment to 
eliminate racial prejudice in the lives of all people. It is a personal 
daily commitment to remove prejudice from our own lives as well as the 
lives of others and to treat all persons with respect.
  The gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus) and I proposed this 
resolution together, bringing to this Nation the rich heritage that we 
represent in Birmingham, Alabama. I would say it has been in the center 
of the struggle for American freedom. It was here that our citizens 
fought nonviolently the violent, racist, hate-mongering police 
commissioner Eugene ``Bull'' Connor and won. The remnants of that 
racism has impacted our society for far too long. Now is the time to 
change the social condition for all citizens and bring new life to the 
American dream.
  It was here in Birmingham, Alabama, 16 years later that Birmingham 
elected its first black mayor who recently retired after 20 years of 
leading our city from hate, racism, poverty, and unemployment into 
becoming one of the leading citizens in America in human relations. 
Birmingham has developed and sustained an economy which includes many 
more people than ever before. We have one of the lowest unemployment 
rates in the Nation. But it also has changed in terms of its human 
relations factors, and it is a positive one. It is one that we wish to 
share with all Americans.
  Even with our great history, people in Birmingham forget how we got 
where we are today; and because of that, the loss of our understanding 
of this exodus is destructive. We need to find out where we have been. 
We need to remember in order to realize where we must go.
  This pledge can renew our memories and renew our commitment to a 
world without the kind of hate which has, for so long, ripped out the 
heart of our city and our Nation. I cannot tell my colleagues how 
strongly I recommend this resolution to all of us to sign, and I call 
upon all of us to support it today, by our votes; but I also ask each 
one of my colleagues to seek signatures from their constituents and, 
most importantly, to live the pledge.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  In considering this resolution, we should all keep in mind one thing: 
we are not born with prejudice or bigotry. These are things that are 
learned. In fact, psychologists call it learned behavior. By word or by 
action, we teach our children daily. We teach them either to be 
tolerant or to be intolerant, to have prejudice or bias against people 
because of their race, or origin, or not to be. We teach them these 
things many times even before they are old enough to choose for 
themselves. We can teach our children to love, or we can teach our 
children to hate. Intolerance is learned. Therefore, it can be 
unlearned. The pledge can be a part of that process.
  This is the message we will send to Americans today about race 
relations. Each of us needs to take personal responsibility to conduct 
ourselves in a

[[Page H7457]]

way that will achieve greater racial harmony in our own communities. It 
has been said that events in Birmingham during the early 1960s, and my 
colleague referred to many of those, stirred the conscience of the 
Nation and influenced the course of civil rights around the world.
  I know of no city that has worked harder to overcome its missteps and 
its mistakes than my native city, Birmingham. The Birmingham that has 
emerged is one built upon a foundation of racial sensitivity and 
strength and diversity. Today's Birmingham is dedicated not only to 
preserving the history of its struggle, but, more importantly, to 
ending racial intolerance, bigotry and prejudice, not only in 
Birmingham, but around the world.
  Mr. Speaker, by passing House Resolution 102, the House will show its 
support for this commendable effort. In closing, I urge all of my 
colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HILLIARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I would like to recite the Birmingham Pledge:

       I believe that every person has worth as an individual.
       I believe that every person is entitled to dignity and our 
     respect, regardless of race or color.
       I believe that every thought and every act of racial 
     prejudice is harmful; if it is my thought or act, then it is 
     harmful to me as well as to others.
       Therefore, from this day forward I will strive daily to 
     eliminate racial prejudice from my thoughts and actions.
       I will discourage racial prejudice by others at every 
     opportunity.
       I will treat all people with dignity and respect; and I 
     will strive daily to honor this pledge, knowing that the 
     world will be a better place because of my effort.

  Mr. Speaker, this is the Birmingham Pledge. I urge my colleagues to 
sign it, to vote for it, and to live it.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleague from Birmingham in 
inviting all Members not only to support this resolution, but to 
support this pledge and to live this pledge on a daily basis.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the joint resolution, H.J. Res. 102.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the joint resolution was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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