[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 115 (Thursday, September 6, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H5451]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page H5451]]
                         RACISM IN SOUTH AFRICA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is interesting as I had the 
opportunity to share with the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall) on a 
very important legislative initiative, this comes to mind that a key 
word that everything we do in this country and this Congress is engage, 
engagement, to be engaged.
  I would be remiss if I did not take this time to join my colleagues, 
the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) and as well the gentlewoman 
from California (Ms. Watson), to speak to a situation, a conference, a 
series of events that are going on in South Africa that I think have 
been sorely misrepresented and misinterpreted, that is, the historic 
World Conference on Racism, the first conference like this in the past 
18 years.
  Of course, the first conference was in 1979. The second conference 
was in 1983 where the focus was on apartheid in South Africa. 
Gratefully, that conference was successful. Those who have not yet 
visited South Africa can see a country, with the opportunity to visit 
it, that seeks reconciliation, a country that is diverse, that 
struggles every day to ensure that no matter what one's color is, there 
is a seat at the table of empowerment.
  I was very proud to be a member of the United States delegation 
comprised of Members of Congress, particularly and, in addition, 
members of the Congressional Black Caucus, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Lantos), as well as members from the State Department.
  What I was most disappointed in is that the country that is the 
greatest democracy that the world knows, the United States of America, 
founded in the Declaration of Independence, that declares that we all 
are created equal, had the misguided interpretation that the best role 
for them would be to disengage and not to be engaged. That meant that 
they did not send, did not allow Secretary Colin Powell to be a part of 
this world conference.
  Mr. Speaker, I truly believe, having been intimately involved in the 
processes of this conference for a good number of days at the heart of 
the conference, that the leadership of the United States, the 
leadership of Secretary Powell, would have been immensely important in 
steering this conference to its rightful place in history. What is that 
place? The place of reconciliation.
  After I returned to the United States, it pained me to see Catholic 
school girls running the gauntlet of attempting to get to their schools 
as Protestants stood by and chanted and jeered and cast aspersions, but 
more importantly, perpetrated violent acts.
  This world is riveted by ethnic, religious, and racial divide. The 
conference that we were at was not one to cast doubt, to cast 
accusations, but frankly it was to bring about resolution.
  The bulk of the people there, unfortunately, not brought to the 
attention of the American people, but the bulk of the people there were 
of goodwill and good intentions. Clearly they wanted to seek to clear 
the air. Gypsies were there asking for the ability not to be 
discriminated against. The untouchables of India were there to ask not 
to be discriminated against. The countries of Africa that suffered so 
brutally in the trans-Atlantic slavery as well as colonization were 
there asking, not to accuse, but simply asking to create a better 
world.
  Those of us from the United States who were descendants of slaves 
were there asking that we provide a sense of healing, how can we move 
our Nation away from the divisiveness of race. Yet there was another 
issue, the tragedy of the Mideast, the PLO, and the Israelis. But there 
was a misguide there, a misdirect, a misconnect, and there was an 
attempt to write hateful language that should not have been present.
  On September 2, 2001, I stood in that conference and denounced that 
kind of language, that we should move away from hateful language 
accusing one nation of racism, Zionism is racism; and, frankly, we 
should be engaged in the Mideast process to bring about peace.
  An issue separate and apart from the racism conference, truly an 
issue for the United Nations and the United States, be engaged in 
peace, but do not bring down a conference of reconciliation, a 
conference that should be healing, a conference that should bring us 
together around the question of race.
  Mr. Speaker, I am sorry that the media has not told the story, the 
stories of meeting with heads of states, diverse heads of states, the 
President of Latvia, an Eastern European country, who wanted to be part 
of solving the question of race.
  Those stories, the Mexican delegation, the delegation from Israel, 
the Arabs who were interested in ensuring that the conference was 
successful.
  I am here to tell the story and say apologetically that the United 
States missed its opportunity of leadership, missed its opportunity to 
use the bully pulpit to stand before the world, 169 countries, denounce 
Zionism as being racist, and talk about peace and reconciliation, talk 
about bringing us together and healing the racial divide and making a 
difference.
  Mr. Speaker, this conference will be successful if the right people 
take charge, and I will continue to work for peace and reconciliation 
and ending the racial divide.

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