[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 19 (Thursday, February 28, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1344-S1346]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH

  Mr. LEVIN. Madam President, today, I join the many Americans who this 
month reflect on the rich and extraordinary achievements of African 
Americans. We do so in keeping with the spirit and the vision of Dr. 
Carter G. Woodson, son of a former slave, who in 1926, proposed such a 
recognition as a way of preserving the history of the Negro. Each year, 
during the month of February, we celebrate African American History 
Month.
  Dr. Woodson was, himself, an extraordinary individual and I would 
like to pay tribute to him, as well as several courageous and 
accomplished individuals claimed by my state of Michigan, all of whom 
have earned a unique place in African American history.
  Dr. Woodson overcame seemingly insurmountable challenges in his rise 
from the coal mines of West Virginia to one of the highest levels of 
academic achievement of his time. Author Lerone Bennett, writes of the 
struggles and successes of Carter G. Woodson, who was an untutored coal 
miner at the age of 17; and at the age of 19, after teaching himself 
the fundamentals of English and arithmetic, entered high school and 
mastered the four-year curriculum in less than two years. At 22, after 
two-thirds of a year at Berea College in Kentucky, Woodson returned to 
the coal mines and studied Latin and Greek between trips to the mine 
shafts. He then went on to the University of Chicago, where he received 
bachelor's and master's degrees, and Harvard University, where be 
became the second African American to receive a doctorate in history. 
The rest, of course, is history.
  Dr. Benjamin Solomon Carson, Sr., who was born and raised in Detroit, 
had a childhood dream of becoming a physician. In his books, Gifted 
Hands. THINK BIG, and The Big Picture he reveals how growing up in dire 
poverty with horrible grades and being called ``dummy'' as well as 
having a horrible temper, and low self-esteem,'' appeared to preclude 
the realization of that dream. He writes about an inspiring mother, 
with a third grade education, who worked two and sometimes three jobs 
as a domestic to care for her two sons, determined that they would 
succeed. Carson remembers, ``we had to read two books a week from the 
Detroit Public Library, and submit to her written book reports, which 
she could not read, but we didn't know that . . . my mother was one of 
twenty four children, went through the foster care system and married 
at the age of 13--a marriage that rapidly deteriorated.''
  Today, despite all of the odds stacked against her and him, Sonya 
Carson's son is one of the world's most gifted surgeons, performing 
over 500 critical operations on children in dire need each year, over 
triple the average neurosurgeon's caseload. Dr. Ben Carson is Director 
of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, a 
position he had held since 1984 when he was 32 years old, then the 
youngest surgeon in the nation to hold this distinguished title. He is 
also a professor of neurosurgery, oncology, plastic surgery, and 
pediatrics. On the occasion of its 200th anniversary the Library of 
Congress named him one of the 89 ``Living Legends.'' In 2001, he was 
chosen by CNN and Time Magazine as one of America's top 20 physicians 
and scientists. After graduating with honors from high school, Ben 
Carson was accepted to Yale University on a scholarship. He received 
his M.D. from the University of Michigan.
  In 1987, he gained worldwide recognition as the principal surgeon in 
the 22-hour separation of the Binder Siamese twins from Germany. This 
was the first time occipital craniopagus twins had been separated with 
both surviving. In 1997, Dr. Carson was the primary surgeon in the team 
of South African and Zambian surgeons that separated type-2 vertical 
carniopagus twins (joined at the top of the head) in a 28-hour 
operation. It represents the first time such complexly joined siamese 
twins have been separated with both remaining neurologically normal. He 
is noted for his use of cerebral hemispherectomy to control intractable 
seizures as well as for his work in craniofacial reconstructive 
surgery, achondroplasia (human dwarfism), and pediatric neuro-oncology 
(brain tumors).
  Dr. Carson is the president and co-founder of the Carson's Scholars 
Fund, which recognizes young people of all backgrounds for exceptional 
academic and humanitarian accomplishments, which he hopes will 
positively change the perception of high academic achievers among their 
peers across our nation.
  Madam President, I would also like to pay tribute to two women who 
played a pivotal role in addressing American injustice and inequality. 
They are Sojourner Truth, who helped lead our country out of the dark 
days of slavery, and Rosa Parks, whose dignified leadership sparked the 
Montgomery Bus Boycott and the start of the Civil Rights movement.
  Sojourner Truth, though unable to read or write, was considered one 
of the most eloquent and noted spokespersons of her day, on the 
inhumanity and immorality of slavery. She was a leader in the 
abolitionist movement, and a ground breaking speaker on behalf of 
quality for women. Michigan honored her several years ago with the 
dedication of the Sojourner Truth Memorial Monument, which was unveiled 
in Battle Creek, Michigan on September 25, 1999.
  Sojourner Truth had an extraordinary life. She was born Isabella 
Baumfree in 1797, served as a slave under several different masters, 
and was eventually freed in 1828 when New York state outlawed slavery. 
In 1851, Sojourner Truth delivered her famous ``Ain't I a Woman?'' 
speech at the Women's Convention in Akron, Ohio. In the speech, Truth 
attacked both racism and sexism. Truth made her case for equality in 
plain-spoken English when she said, ``Then that little man in black 
there, he says women can't have as much rights as men, cause Christ 
wasn't a woman? Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ 
come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him''

  By the mid-1850s, Truth had settled in Battle Creek, Michigan. She 
continued to travel and speak out for equality. During the Civil War, 
Truth traveled throughout Michigan, gathering food and clothing for 
Negro volunteer regiments. Truth's travels during the war eventually 
led her to a meeting with President Abraham Lincoln in 1864, at which 
she presented her ideas on assisting freed slaves. Truth remained in 
Washington, DC for several years, helping slaves who had fled from the 
South and appearing at women's suffrage gatherings. Due to bad health, 
Sojourner Truth returned to Battle Creek in 1875, and remained there 
until her death in 1883. Sojourner Truth spoke from her heart about the 
most troubling issues of her time. A testament to Truth's convictions 
is that her words continue to speak to us today.
  On May 4, 1999 legislation was enacted which authorized the President 
of the United States to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Rosa 
Parks. The Congressional Gold Medal was presented to Rosa Parks on June 
15, 1999 during an elaborate ceremony in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. I 
was pleased to cosponsor this fitting tribute to Rosa Parks--the gentle 
warrior who decided that she would no longer tolerate the humiliation 
and demoralization of racial segregation on a bus. Her personal

[[Page S1345]]

bravery and self-sacrifice are remembered with reverence and respect by 
us all.
  Forty six years ago in Montgomery, Alabama the modern civil rights 
movement began when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat and move to 
the back of the bus. The strength and spirit of this courageous woman 
captured the consciousness of not only the American people, but the 
entire world. My home state of Michigan proudly claims Rosa Parks as 
one of our own. Rosa Parks and her husband made the journey to Michigan 
in 1957. Unceasing threats on their lives and persistent harassment by 
phone prompted the move to Detroit where Rosa Parks' brother resided.
  Rosa Parks' arrest for violating the city's segregation laws was the 
catalyst for the Montgomery bus boycott. Her stand on that December day 
in 1955 was not an isolated incident but part of a lifetime of struggle 
for equality and justice. For instance, twelve years earlier, in 1943, 
Rosa Parks had been arrested for violating another one of the city's 
bus related segregation laws, which required African Americans to pay 
their fares at the front of the bus then get off of the bus and re-
board from the rear of the bus. The driver of that bus was the same 
driver with whom Rosa Parks would have her confrontation 12 years 
later.
  The rest is history. The boycott which Rosa Parks began was the 
beginning of an American revolution that elevated the status of African 
Americans nationwide and introduced to the world a young leader who 
would one day have a national holiday declared in his honor, the 
Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.
  Mr. CLELAND. Madam President, Thomas Carlyle once said, ``a mystic 
bond of brotherhood makes all men one.'' In light of the events of 
September 11, this statement has never rung truer. To see the 
firefighters, police, and rescue teams working side by side in the 
recovery effort at the World Trade Center, seeking peace for their 
fallen comrades whether black, white, Hispanic or Asian reminds us just 
how far we have come in only a few short decades.
  And yet there is still a great distance to travel. This month, as we 
celebrate Black History and the contributions made by members of the 
African American community, we must remember that work still remains to 
be done. Senior leadership at Fortune 500 companies and even our own 
Congress fails to reflect America's racial demographics. But we are 
certainly moving in the right direction.
  Less than 50 years ago, it was unthinkable that a black man or woman 
be an elected official, or university president, or hold any number of 
other prestigious positions across our Nation. That started to change, 
though, with the bravery of men like Doctors Martin Luther King, Jr. 
and Benjamin E. Mays.
  While most everyone has heard of the former, Dr. Mays' name is not as 
easily recognized by most Americans, but he is every bit as important 
in the annals of history. Born in South Carolina in 1895, Benjamin Mays 
distinguished himself as a dean at Howard University and president of 
Morehouse College. Throughout his life, he served his community, 
speaking early and often against segregation and on behalf of 
education.
  Mays urged his students to strive for academic excellence, fight for 
racial justice, and introduced his students to Gandhi's philosophy of 
non-violence. Years after graduating from Morehouse College, Dr. Martin 
Luther King, Jr. called Mays his most important ``spiritual and 
intellectual mentor.''
  Dr. Mays was Martin Luther King, Jr.'s teacher, inspiration, and 
friend. He stood beside Dr. King as during the struggle for racial 
equality, and walked behind his casket during one of the darkest times 
in our Nation's history.
  The son of former slaves, Dr. Mays had to fight every day of his life 
for many of the advantages Americans today take for granted. Mays was a 
civil and human rights leader, noted theologian, educator, and the 
recipient of 56 honorary degrees.
  It was with great pleasure that I submitted, and witnessed the 
passage of a resolution encouraging President Bush to award the 
Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor the U.S. government 
can bestow upon a civilian, posthumously to Dr. Mays. It is an honor 
that is well overdue, and rightfully deserved.
  Benjamin Mays understood disappointment and pain, and dealt with both 
during his long life of public service, but he never lost site of his 
ultimate goals. He explained why when he said, ``The tragedy in life 
doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no 
goal to reach. It isn't a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but 
it is a calamity not to dream. . . . It is not a disgrace not to reach 
the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for. Not 
failure, but low aim, is sin.''
  It is with those words in mind that we must continue to fight for 
more equity in our society. Certainly we have come a long way in a 
relatively short period of time, but let us not lose site of how far 
away the horizon still lies.
  Mr. REED. Madam President, as we conclude Black History Month, I rise 
to join in the celebration of the achievements of African Americans 
throughout our Nation's history, and especially in my home State of 
Rhode Island. Indeed, African Americans have contributed a great deal 
to my State, and I am honored to be able to acknowledge two such 
individuals today, the late Reverend Mahlon Van Horne of Newport, and 
the late John Hope of Brown University.
  Reverend Van Horne was one of Newport's most prominent African 
Americans in the late 1800's. He was an avid civil rights activist, a 
three term State representative, and was also one of the Nations first 
black diplomats. Reverend Van Horne came to Newport, RI, in 1868 after 
being ordained, and graduating from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. 
He began his ministry in Rhode Island as the Acting Pastor of the 
Colored Union Congregational Church of Newport. Despite the times in 
which he lived, due to his charismatic leadership and scholarly 
sermons, his congregation was made up of both black and white Rhode 
Islanders, and the many black professionals from New York, Washington, 
D.C., and Philadelphia who would come to Newport during the summer 
months. By 1871, his congregation had grown to the point where they had 
to tear down the old church to make way for a larger building which was 
renamed the Union Congregational Church. Despite his success as a 
minister, Reverend Van Horne did not stop there, in 1871 he was able to 
successfully draw votes from both blacks and whites to win election to 
the Newport School Committee, the first African American ever to serve 
in this capacity. As a member of the school committee, he used his 
position to continue his civil rights movement and pressed for 
integration and better education for Newport's black children. In 1885, 
he was elected to the Rhode Island General Assembly, becoming the first 
African American to ever serve in the State legislature. He was re-
elected in 1886, and 1887, and after his last term he continued in his 
role as pastor of the Union Congregational Church. His service did not 
end there. In 1896, President William McKinley appointed Reverend Van 
Horne as the United States Counsel to the Danish West Indies, in where 
he served his Nation honorably for 12 more years.
  Another great Rhode Islander that I would like to bring attention to 
was a champion of education; John Hope. Mr. Hope first came to Rhode 
Island in 1890 when he enrolled as a freshmen at Brown. While in school 
he became very involved in the African-American community, and later 
joined the Second Free Will Baptist Church in Providence. While a 
member of the Church, he started a literary club with the help of other 
prominent African Americans in the community. In honor of his work in 
Providence, in 1944, the community center on Burgess street was renamed 
the John Hope Settlement House and continues to be a vital resource for 
many of the residents of Providence today. In addition to his community 
involvement and dedication to the education of blacks in Providence, 
John Hope was a founding editorial board member of the Daily Herald and 
a campus correspondent for the New York Tribune, and wrote many 
articles for the Providence Journal and the Chicago Tribune. After his 
graduation from Brown, John Hope continued his mission of improving 
educational opportunities for blacks by taking a position teaching 
Greek and Latin at the

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Roger Williams University in Nashville, Tennessee an all black 
institution. From there, he moved on to become the President of one of 
the most prestigious historically black institutions of higher 
education Morehouse College, from 1906 to 1929. He culminated his 
career in education as the President of Atlanta University, which was 
the only black graduate school in the Nation at the time, where he 
served until his death in 1936. John Hope's vision that education is 
the key to improving the quality of life for not only African 
Americans, but for all Americans, is one I share.
  It is truly my honor and privilege to acknowledge such great Rhode 
Islander's during Black History Month, and it is my hope that these and 
other African American leaders from both past and present will continue 
to inspire our Nation's youth.

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