[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 127 (Tuesday, September 16, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H8234-H8239]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REMEMBERING AND HONORING THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON OF AUGUST 18, 1963
Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 352) remembering and honoring the march on
Washington of August 28, 1963.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 352
Whereas the first call for a march on Washington was
initiated in 1941 by A. Philip Randolph, President of the
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, in response to the
blatant discrimination that had become a constant hardship in
the lives of African-American workers;
Whereas in the spring and summer of 1963, more than 20,000
United States citizens were arrested and detained while
nonviolently protesting the racial injustice that was
widespread throughout the southern United States at that
time;
Whereas Randolph told President Kennedy that the African-
American population was going to march peacefully on
Washington to demand their full and equal constitutional
rights in the face of severe civil rights violations and
harsh economic inequality;
Whereas in June of 1963 the ``Big Six'' civil rights
leaders--Martin Luther King, Jr., James Farmer, John Lewis,
Whitney Young, Roy Wilkins, and A. Philip Randolph--convened
to plan a mass protest that would begin at the Washington
Monument and end in front of the Lincoln Memorial;
Whereas the march was initially termed the ``March on
Washington for Jobs and Freedom'', and aimed to advance
support for a new Federal jobs program and a higher minimum
wage;
Whereas the Big Six expanded the focus of the march to
include civil rights injustices due to the disturbing events
that had occurred in the months prior to the march, such as
police dogs attacking peaceful demonstrators in Birmingham,
the assassination of Medgar Evers in Jackson, and the lack of
congressional support for President Kennedy's civil rights
bill;
Whereas Government officials were concerned about the
outbreak of violence, but many civil rights organizations
held orientation meetings before the march that taught and
stressed the intrinsic non-violent principles of the
movement;
Whereas on August 28, 1963, people from throughout the
country arrived in Washington by plane, bus, train, and foot
to express the urgent need for forceful and immediate action
on the issue of civil rights;
Whereas demonstrators pledged their commitment and
continued participation in the struggle for civil rights;
Whereas March leaders met with President Kennedy and
Members of Congress to discuss the importance and
consequential impact of the pending civil rights bill that
aimed to end discrimination of African-Americans in the work
place, voting booth, educational facilities, and all other
public domains;
Whereas the demonstrators peacefully marched through the
streets of the capital and, at the Lincoln Memorial, heard
empowering and inspiring words from the Big Six leaders, as
well as Walter Reuther, Rev. Eugene Blake Carson, Rabbi
Joachim Prinz, Matthem Ahmann, and Floyd McKissick;
Whereas police officers had their days of leave cancelled,
suburban forces were given special control training, and
15,000 paratroopers were put on alert, but no Marchers were
arrested or jailed and the march dispersed without incident;
Whereas the March was one of the first events to be
televised worldwide, and thus brought international attention
to the social and economic plight of African-Americans;
Whereas 15 Senators and 60 Representatives attended the
rally at the Lincoln Memorial and witnessed the commitment of
the demonstrators to the struggle for domestic and universal
human rights;
Whereas the March sparked the passage of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965;
Whereas the public display of humanity exhibited by the
March educated the public and helped to correct some of their
misconceptions, and demonstrated the possibility that an
entire country could be changed through non-violent protest;
and
Whereas the 1963 March on Washington was the largest
political demonstration in United States history and proved
to the nation that prejudice and discrimination against
African-Americans and other minorities could be successfully
fought by a collective force committed to the principles of
non-violence: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) honors the 1963 March on Washington as one of the
largest political demonstrations in United States history;
(2) recognizes the monumental importance of the 1963 March
on Washington in the on-going struggle for civil rights and
equal rights for all Americans; and
(3) extends its gratitude to the organizers and
participants of the 1963 March on Washington for their
dedication and commitment to equality and justice.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn).
General Leave
Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks on H. Res. 352, the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Tennessee?
There was no objection.
Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 352 introduced by my distinguished
colleague, the gentleman from the State of Georgia (Mr. Bishop),
remembers and honors the march on Washington of August 28, 1963.
Mr. Speaker, 40 years ago this summer almost a quarter of a million
people gathered here in Washington, D.C. to take a stand for freedom
and for equality.
They came to our Nation's capital to tell America that civil rights
could no longer be exclusive rights denied to millions of Americans
based on nothing more than the color of their skin.
Known as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the event was
[[Page H8235]]
originally planned to focus on economic concerns at a time when more
than 1\1/2\ million black Americans were searching for work. The march
expanded, becoming a massive rally in support of civil rights
legislation that had been recently introduced by President Kennedy.
On the morning of August 28, 1963, supporters arrived at the
Washington Monument. At about noon the marchers advanced as an
incredible mass to the Lincoln Memorial, a memorial that honors the
President who gave his presidency and his life in the name of liberty
for all people.
At the memorial the marchers heard speeches from the most influential
leader of the civil rights movement, including the NAACP's Roy Wilkins;
Whitney Young of the Urban League; my colleague, the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Lewis), then of the Student Non-violent Coordinating
Committee; and it was here that the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr., delivered a speech that has changed America, a speech that
captured the idea that is America, asking why our country was failing
to keep its promise to treat all men as equals.
The ``I Have A Dream'' speech, delivered at the Lincoln Memorial is
passionate, it is reasoned, and it has made a difference.
Mr. Speaker, the march on Washington was the largest political
demonstration in our Nation's history at the time. It was an awesome
display by thousands of people who loved and craved freedom, and above
all else, people who deserved freedom. The three major television
networks aired the speeches at the memorial and the event captivated
the world. Forty years later, it is appropriate that this House take
time to remember what a powerful day that late summer afternoon in
August 1963 was for Americans who wanted to end racism.
Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop) for
introducing such a worthwhile measure that remembers the march on
Washington in 1963. I urge all Members to support its adoption.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, the march on Washington, August 28, 1963 marks a
cornerstone in American history and especially in African American
history. It was a movement towards civil rights whose purpose was to
embrace freedom and justice for all.
The civil rights movement has had a long and difficult journey from
slavery to today. Part of this journey in history towards equal justice
is highlighted with Abraham Lincoln, our 16th President of the United
States. On January 1, 1863, he signed the Emancipation Proclamation
document that declared many slaves to be free, but it did not end
slavery. It took the 13th amendment to the United States Constitution
to end slavery on December 18, 1865. It took the 14th amendment to
establish Negroes as citizens of the United States on July 9, 1868, and
the 15th amendment to allow blacks to vote in this country on February
3, 1870.
Our citizenship and privileges were always questioned and in most
situations denied until the march on Washington led to passage of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964. This was 39 years ago that Jim Crow laws were
subjugating and denying blacks the right to vote in certain southern
States, the imposition of poll taxes, segregation of schools, housing,
bus and train transportation, restrooms and other public
accommodations.
The march on Washington of 1963 was originally initiated by A. Philip
Randolph, who was an activist and founder of the Brotherhood of
Sleeping Car Porters. He, 22 years earlier, had planned a march on
Washington in 1941 with the purpose to focus the attention of the
American public and the world that African Americans needed more jobs
and equal protection under the law.
This march was extremely close to occurring until just before the day
of it. Mr. Randolph met with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and he
agreed to issue an executive order declaring that ``there shall be no
discrimination in employment of the race, creed color or national
origin.''
Executive Order 8802 represented the United States Government's most
stringent civil rights action since the post-Civil War Reconstruction
era.
In return for this agreement with President Roosevelt, Mr. Randolph
called off the protest march.
Mr. Randolph and his colleague, Bayard Rustin, met with labor and
civil rights leaders to plan the march on Washington that included nine
demands. I think it is important that we remember those.
One, passage of a meaningful civil rights legislation at this session
of Congress with no filibustering.
Two, immediate elimination of all racial segregation in public
schools throughout the Nation.
Three, a big program of public works to provide jobs for all the
Nation's unemployed, including job training and a placement program.
Four, a Federal law prohibiting racial discrimination in hiring
workmen, either public or private.
Five, $2 an hour minimum wage across the board Nationwide.
Six, withholding of Federal funds from programs in which
discrimination exists.
Seven, enforcements of the 14th amendment, reducing congressional
representation of States where citizens are disenfranchised.
Eight, a broadened Fair Labor Standards Act to include currently
excluded employment areas.
Nine, authority for the Attorney General to substitute injunctive
suits when any constitutional right is violated.
{time} 1500
Mr. Speaker I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers at this time,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 5
minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop), the sponsor of this
resolution.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much
for yielding the time.
I rise today in support of H. Res. 352, a resolution remembering and
honoring the march on Washington of August 28, 1963. Let me first thank
the Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle who have worked
together in the best spirit of bipartisanship in order to bring this
important resolution to the floor of the House in short order: the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis), chairman; and the gentleman
from California (Mr. Waxman), the ranking member of the Committee on
Government Reform; the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), the
majority whip; the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the Democratic
whip; the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), Democratic leader;
and the gentleman from Illinois (Speaker Hastert).
I would also like to recognize from our staffs Howard Moon, Jerry
Hart, Kyle Nevins, Seth Webb, Rob Cogorno, Tania Shand, Keith Ausbrook
and Phil Barnett for their attention to this important resolution in
working together to move it through committee and to the floor
expeditiously.
Mr. Speaker, in the spring and the summer of 1963, 100 years after
the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the ``big six'' civil
rights leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., James Farmer, Whitney
Young, Roy Wilkins, A. Philip Randolph and our esteemed colleague, the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis), now a Member of Congress, convened
to plan a peaceful mass protest against the racial and civil rights
injustices that were widespread at that time. This historic event, the
largest U.S. demonstration ever assembled to that point, featured Dr.
King's famous and historic ``I Have a Dream'' speech, which challenged
Americans to answer the call of the United States Constitution: I have
a dream that one day this Nation will rise up and live out the true
meaning of its creed: that all men are created equal. These words
helped to spark and fuel the movement that transformed the state of
race relations and civil rights in America forever.
How did it all begin? In response to the blatant discrimination that
had become a constant hardship in the lives of African American
workers, A. Philip Randolph, president of the Brotherhood
[[Page H8236]]
of Sleeping Car Porters, was the first to call for a march on
Washington back in 1941. Twenty-plus years later, the event was planned
in direct response to the tragic events of the spring and summer of
1963 in which more than 20,000 U.S. citizens were arrested and detained
while nonviolently protesting notable injustices, including police dogs
attacking peaceful demonstrators in Birmingham, the tragic
assassinations of civil rights activists, the lack of congressional
support for President Kennedy's civil rights bill that aimed to end
discrimination against African Americans in the workplace, voting
booths and schools and all other public domains.
As a direct result of the march, Dr. King's historic speech and the
movement, they spawned the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting
Rights Act of 1965 came to fruition, effectively ending segregation and
ensuring voting rights for all Americans.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act outlawing discrimination in
employment, housing, public accommodations, interstate commerce, all of
these were expanded later as a result of the march to include
protections for women against discrimination and for the disabled.
So we come together today, 40 years later, to celebrate freedom, to
celebrate justice, to celebrate equality for all Americans for which
this historic march was indeed a catalyst. Some call it an accident.
Others call it fate. Some call it the human hand, some the hand of God.
Which it is I will not argue, but something strange, something
inexplicable, something mysterious, something almost miraculous
happened on that day when Dr. King was able to stand before thousands
and thousands and to articulate the aims and the aspirations of the
masses, not just in these United States, but all across the world in
their quest for freedom. Something happened and today we are grateful
because we all are the beneficiaries of what happened that fateful day.
Yes, some call it an accident. Others fate, some the hand of God,
others the hand of man. Which it is I will not argue, but I will say
that on this day, this Congress, in the form of this resolution, has an
opportunity to say thank you, thank you to Dr. King, thank you to James
Farmer, to Whitney Young, to Roy Wilkins, to A. Philip Randolph, and to
our good friend and colleague, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis)
and all who participated in this monumental and historic event for
blazing a trail of freedom and equal rights under the law that lives on
today and hopefully will live on even better tomorrow.
In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., ``Now is the time to
open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time
to lift our Nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid
rock of brotherhood.''
Thank God, Mr. Speaker, for that call to conscience, to morality and
to action for America and the world that we benefit from today. I urge
my colleagues to stand with me in support of this resolution.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 4
minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) who has been referred
to as one of the ``big six'' in 1963, but he is even bigger in 2003.
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend and
colleague the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for yielding the
time.
I also, Mr. Speaker, want to thank my good friend and colleague from
the State of Georgia (Mr. Bishop) for bringing this resolution to the
floor. I think it is so fitting and appropriate to pause and take note
of the march on Washington 40 years later.
250,000 Americans gathered on the Mall and listened to Martin Luther
King, Jr. say, I have a dream, a dream today that is deeply rooted in
the American dream. This speech, this march, created the climate to
make our Nation a better place. We have come a great distance since
that time.
Forty years ago, in much of the American South, racial segregation
was alive and well. Blacks could not attend the same schools as whites.
We could not eat at the same restaurants. We could see the signs that
divide our Nation: White men, Colored men. White women, Colored women.
White waiting, Colored waiting.
In the spring and summer of 1963, as the gentleman from Georgia (Mr.
Bishop) said, people were being beaten, jailed and even killed for
participating in nonviolent protest. Millions of Americans could not
register to vote because of the color of their skin. In Birmingham,
Alabama, the commissioner of police, Eugene Bull Connor, used attacks
dogs and fire hoses on peaceful, nonviolent protestors. In the State of
Mississippi, NAACP leader Medgar Evers was assassinated.
We had come to Washington to say to the President and Members of
Congress that America must change. We had to do something to dramatize
the sense of urgency. Mr. Speaker, I can never, and I will never,
forget that day as I stood and looked out on the Mall and saw a sea of
humanity. It was a feeling that America was going to change and change
forever.
Back in 1963 we did not have a fax machine, a Web site, a cellular
telephone. We did not even have a computer. We stood on the
Constitution, on the Bill of Rights. We used our feet, and we put our
bodies on the line. We live in a different country, in a much better
country because of the march on Washington.
I say today, 40 years later, we must recall the passion and spirit of
that march. We must recapture the spirit as a Nation and a people. We
must make this spirit part of our thoughts, our action and our lives.
If we do this, we can make Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream come
true. We can build what we call the Beloved Community, a true
interracial community, a community at peace with itself.
All of us, 40 years later, black and white, Hispanic, Asian and
Native American, must pull together for the common good. This was our
mission then. This is our mission, and this is our calling now.
If we reach the Beloved Community, where we are one Nation, one
people, one house and one family, we would come to the end of a march
that our Nation started some 40 years ago.
In closing, Mr. Speaker, there was so much hope, there was so much
optimism when we left Washington 40 years ago, but 18 days after the
march on Washington some of that hope, some of that optimism was
shattered. Forty years ago yesterday, September 15, 1963, was a
terrible bombing of a church in Birmingham where four little girls were
killed while attending Sunday school on Sunday morning.
We did not give up. We did not give in. We did not give out. We did
not become bitter. We did not get lost in a sea of despair. We kept
fighting, we kept pushing, and we kept pulling to make our democracy
better, to open up our democracy and let all of our people come in.
I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 5
minutes to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton),
another person who was at that march and has been marching since.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I very much appreciate the leadership of the
gentleman from Illinois and his counterpart on the other side of the
aisle for her leadership in bringing forward this important resolution.
I want to recognize the leadership of two gentlemen from Georgia, of
the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop) who is the sponsor of this
resolution for stepping forward with a resolution that belongs on the
floor, and, of course, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) who has
just spoken, who led a commemoration in Statuary Hall for the 40th
anniversary of the march before recess, and who is the last remaining
living leader of the civil rights march on Washington. He led us, who
were then members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, as
a very young, the younger leader then, and he continues in that role as
one of America's preeminent civil rights leaders today.
I do not think this is an occasion for doing what people around the
country have been doing all through August, were you there. Of course,
we were there, and people really think about being there in a way they
ask where were you when John F. Kennedy was killed. They remember where
they were then or where were you on September 11. The march on
Washington is like that for millions of Americans, where were you, and
people like to say
[[Page H8237]]
I was there, and of course, people are very proud of having been there
because it was the first civil rights march for equality in the history
of the United States here in Washington.
I was there as a law student, a staff member of the march on
Washington. Frankly, this is not a time for nostalgia. I think that
grand occasions like this, when we commemorate a change-making event
like a march on Washington, are occasions for taking stock, the
distance traveled, the distance to go.
Nothing could have been more moving than the events around the 40th
anniversary, our own commemoration, here in the House, the moment the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) will remember when he and Mrs. King
and I unveiled that stone marker and saw for the first time the marker
where Martin Luther King spoke before, now on the Lincoln Memorial.
Three of Reverend King's four children were there, the very four
children he spoke of in that speech on August 28, 1963.
This is an occasion, if one is a Member of the House of
Representatives, for looking at how the world has changed since then
and how the civil rights movement has changed our world. When the march
was held, essentially African Americans had carried one demand, one
single demand for the more than hundred years since the civil war. It
was not a plethora of issues we had before us. It was one demand: Enact
into law, country of mine, equality unto law. That is all.
After that march, that happened, the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Little
did I know then that I would come to enforce a section of that Act,
Title VII, as Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 15
years later. The 1965 Voting Rights Act, perhaps the most important
because it empowered African Americans to do what they had to do for
themselves; and the 1968 Fair Housing Act.
Actually, much of the legislative agenda of black America has been
accomplished if we think about actual laws that need to be written to
say thou shalt not discriminate. We will have a hard time thinking
about it. Most of our time will be spent on enforcement.
There is one I hope this House thinks about and that is a law that
should be attached to the Transportation Bill outlawing racial
profiling.
{time} 1515
Mr. Speaker, that is the single example of overt discrimination left
unattended in our laws. But while we had one challenge and I can tell
Members that staff had no problem coming up with that idea at the March
on Washington, today if I would ask what is the one demand of the civil
rights movement, Members would say wait one moment, and then go down a
whole list of demands because we can now come forward with those
demands: economic parity; educational opportunities; the criminal
justice system where a whole generation of young black men are being
locked up for minor drug offenses, killing the black family in our
community; health care.
We can move on to these challenges. We have 38 African American
Members, and we can move on to these challenges because the civil
rights movement moved us on, the overriding challenge of equality under
law. There is much to be done even to that reality, equality under law;
but the resolution we honor today, the 40th anniversary of the March on
Washington, should send us first into reflection about moving toward
the completion of the job of laying aside our racial past and moving on
into a period of full equality.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I know that the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie
Bernice Johnson), the gentleman from New York (Mr. Owens), the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), the gentleman from South
Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), and the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-
Lee) had all intended to be here to make comments on this resolution.
Unfortunately, they were not able to make it, but I wanted to make sure
that their hopes and aspirations were entered into the Record.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn)
for an opportunity to work with her as we brought this resolution to
the floor. As has been indicated, September of this year, as we look
back 40 years ago to August on that great day, none of us who are
around will ever forget that march. None of us who were alive can
forget the vibrancy that there was in the air, the hopes, the dreams,
the aspirations. It is a day to long remember as we continue to march,
not one day but to continue to march until freedom, justice, and
equality exist for all in this great Nation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Again, I congratulate the gentleman from Georgia for introducing this
meaningful legislation, and I urge all Members to join us in adoption
of House Resolution 352.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 352,
a resolution honoring the March on Washington of August 28, 1963, a
turning point in the long road to justice and equality. In the struggle
for civil rights, the March will forever hold a place in American
history, and in the eyes of the world, as a day that showed that
individuals united can affect change and progress without violence.
On that hot August day forty years ago, thousands of people converged
on our nation's capital to stand up for civil rights, workers' rights,
voting rights, equality in education, and fair pay. They marched for
equality with a unified message that they as African-Americans would no
longer wait patiently for civil rights to be delivered and practiced in
society, but that they were demanding that the federal government take
bold steps to ensure that the Constitution's promise was delivered to
all Americans; that they would no longer be second-class citizens.
The words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. continue to resonate today
and to serve as an inspiration for his generation and future
generations to create a society in which all are treated equally
because we are all created equal. I want to especially commend the work
of Congressman John Lewis, my friend and colleague, who spoke on that
day and who continues to inspire others and to fight for justice
everyday.
The resolve of the speakers, the sheer number of marchers, the strong
commitment to nonviolence, and the intensity of the sentiment on that
day created an energy that spread throughout the country in the coming
months and years. It allowed all Americans to see the struggle for
civil rights articulated in a manner that was uninterrupted by violence
and chaos and was highlighted by peace and unity and strength.
The March gave life to a Movement that continues to manifest itself
today. While the March was successful in helping to pass the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the fight for
justice and equality is far from over. Today we are fighting to hold on
to our civil liberties as the Bush administration works to chip away at
our right to privacy, free speech, and freedom of religion. Immigrants,
the people who bring diversity and strength to our nation, must fight
to live free from harassment as the administration advocates unfair and
discriminatory policies against them. People of color continue to fight
for the opportunity to get a good education and to be treated fairly by
the criminal justice system while President Bush opposes affirmative
action. Low-income working families fight for fair treatment under the
tax code as Republican Congressional leaders continue to deny them the
child tax credit. And many, including elderly adults, persons with
disabilities, and people of color, continue to fight for the right to
have their vote count while our nation's election system has yet to
catch up and meet the needs of all of America's voters.
Today, we remember the people who were at the March on Washington
forty years ago--their perservance, their commitment to justice and
nonviolence, their courage, their hope, and their success. But we must
do more than just remember; we must use their example to continue the
struggle today until Dr. King's dream of equality truly comes to life
for all who live in the United States.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as Martin Luther King, III
said, on the 40th Anniversary of the historic march, of the objectives
of his great father, the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to
eradicate poverty, racism, militarism, and violence, although we have,
with Dr. King's leadership, made enormous strides, these issues are
``still very much in our midst.'' People of African-American, Latino,
Asian, European, and all races enjoy benefits of the struggle endured
by the Civil Rights heroes who marched in Washington, DC on August 28,
1963. The blood, sweat, and tears shed by them have given us the
ability to get even closer to ``the Promised Land'' spoken of by the
great Reverend Doctor. The ``I Have a Dream'' speech of that
[[Page H8238]]
man, along with those of A. Philip Randolph of the Brotherhood of
Sleeping Car Porters, Roy Wilkins of the NAACP, Whitney Young of the
National Urban League, James Farmer of the Congress of Racial Equality
(CORE), and Congressman John Lewis then of the Student Nonviolent
Coordinating Committee (SNCC) still resonate in my mind and the minds
of a multitude of people who share ``the Dream.'' We celebrated and
commemorated that historic march by ``re-living the day'' both in
Washington and in Houston, Texas; however, it was far from the
celebration of a victory having been won. We still have an uphill
battle to fight with respect to racism, bigotry, unemployment and
disparate employment trends.
The U.S. has an unemployment rate of 6.2%, up from 5.9% last year.
African Americans have had their highest unemployment rate ever in June
and July of 2003 at 12%, compared to their White counterparts at 5.6%
and 5.5% respectively. This illustrates that the task of our Civil
Rights heroes is far from complete. According to the Urban League
Report this year, one-third of Black families are near or below the
poverty line, leading to a social impasse in the 21st century until
crime is minimized, political respect is had, and their economic power
fully utilized.
The phrase ``A voteless people is a hopeless people'' has as much
relevance to minorities now as it did 40 years ago, which is amazing
given the technological and social advancements that we now have. In
many respect it is an embarrassment and disrespect to the great Civil
Rights leader that some people now do not vote or are constrained in
their right to vote in some fashion. As I'm sure you all are well
aware, the redistricting dilemma which we face in the Texas legislature
and in the Federal Government exemplifies that the fundamental right to
vote still remains vulnerable to abuse and manipulation by those who do
not truly respect it. Furthermore, language, racial, and educational
barriers continue to preclude the most informed and truly
``representative'' voting process. Citizenship Workshops, which I
recently introduced and plan to hold in the near future to educate and
to assist the Legal Permanent Residents in Houston in obtaining U.S.
naturalization and therefore perfected voting rights, will help to
bridge these gaps and open the barriers that hinder the effectiveness
of our system.
In the area of human rights, we must fulfill the Reverend Doctor
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream of a nonviolent and peaceful world in
Israel. The latest news of the failing cease-fire agreement in Israel,
the continued battles, and constant fear of death by sniper or suicide
bombing make it clear that we have yet to ``overcome.'' Innocent people
cannot enjoy their basic human right to live without terror, and
children die by the masses. The Roadmap to Peace cannot perish, and
neither should our efforts to maintain our journey thereon.
Further evidence that we have yet to ``overcome'' can be found in
Baghdad, Iraq. Our soldiers are beset by snipers and terrorists who
threaten to attack them while their backs are virtually unprotected.
They cannot secure peace alone, and they should not be charged with
that duty. The spirit of the Civil Rights Movement dictates that we
reach out and join hands with the international community to usher in
peace together. Instead of having to celebrate the martyrdom of heroes
such as the late U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Sergio Vieira
de Mello, I would much rather we now bring him, and the other brave
individuals whom we lost, home to their families in celebration of
peace and a successful mission.
Moreover, our brothers and sisters in Liberia, who have reached the
first stage of the establishment of a democratic and humane society,
must receive the assistance and manpower that are required. It is an
atrocity that, in the international community, there are parties that
are armed with the tools and the knowledge necessary to bring stability
to that nation who have made but minimalist approaches to date. The
U.N., ECOWAS troops, and other commissioned officials need help in
building infrastructures of government and health.
Furthermore, the suffering and death by the cruel pandemic effects of
HIV/AIDS and famine in Ethiopia, Zambia, and South Africa are
unspeakable. I had the opportunity to witness these atrocities first-
hand on a Congressional Delegation with Congresswoman Barbara Lee. Each
child, mother, and father in these regions has a right to eat, to
survive, and to see tomorrow. Severe drought and inadequate
agricultural policy are not their fault. Promiscuity and prostitution
without protection are begotten from hunger and suffering. Their lack
of education only exacerbates their proclivity to live a high-risk
lifestyle in these regions. Again, the international community can
eradicate these problems by joining hands and marching forward bearing
combined resources and expertise.
This celebration and commemoration of the Historic March also paid
homage to other great pioneers who have recently passed on. The life
and accomplishments of the late Mayor Maynard Jackson, Jr. bestowed
upon many minorities the opportunity to compete and succeed in building
a prosperous small business. Similarly, the late Gregory Hines opened
the doors for many minorities in entertainment. We see the fruits of
his inspiring achievements and the level of his excellence in
performances of talented individuals such as Savion Glover. The 40th
Anniversary celebration was about remembering the achievements of the
Civil Rights Leaders, of individuals who have shared their talents with
the world, and from which we have all received gifts that enhance our
enjoyment of everyday liberties. The celebration was about expanding
from and extrapolating these gifts to build a better and more peaceful
world. This celebration was about embarking upon a whole new journey, a
whole new march that will not end until peace, unity, equality, and
self-determination are achieved for all of our brothers and sisters.
Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Georgia
for introducing this important resolution that we are considering on
the House floor today.
Over 40 years ago, hundreds of thousands of citizens marched together
upon Washington D.C. demanding two things, jobs and freedom. From all
corners of our great nation people of all races, ethnicities and all
walks of life came to participate in a peaceful demonstration that
would leave a lasting legacy upon our country.
The march on Washington--now forever known as just the march--
represented one of those watershed moments in American history that
deserves to be remembered and commemorated by all of us.
Televised worldwide, the march brought to the world the continuing
social and economic discrimination faced by African Americans, as well
as the inspirational words of many leaders of the Civil Rights
movement, like the great Martin Luther King Jr., and my dear friend and
colleague, Congressman John Lewis.
Looking out upon the masses gathered around the Lincoln Memorial, Dr.
King's delivered his now immortalized ``I Have a Dream Speech'' which
proved to be the focal point of the march that day.
Speaking of the impetus for the march, Dr. King said:
We have come here today to dramatize an appalling
condition. In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to
cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the
magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of
Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which
every American was to fall heir.
This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed
the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on
this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are
concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation,
America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come
back marked ``insufficient funds.'' But we refuse to believe
that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe
that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of
opportunity of this nation.
The disconnect between white America and people of color regarding
the issues of social and economic freedom and opportunity that Dr. King
spoke so eloquently about remains with us today, as does that same
optimism and sense of urgency that pervaded his speech and the march
that day.
To be sure, substantial progress has been made in the 40 years since
the march took place. But clearly we have a very long way to go before
we can truly say that the ideals of the march have been met,
particularly when we talk about economic freedom and opportunity for
African Americans, the poor and people of color.
This is most clearly reflected in the labor and employments
statistics that are released every month. In virtually all categories,
African Americans and Hispanics, have higher rates of unemployment than
their counterparts.
And we must equally warn that racism still very much exists in this
country today. Only now it is much more subtle and insidious than the
discrimination we faced in the 60's or that which our parents before
that. Discrimination is still about racial profiling by law-
enforcement. It is still about environmental injustice, which has
become entrenched in our society by the unequal distribution of
federal, state, and local funds which could provide needed healthcare,
education and housing services to minority communities. And sadly as
evidenced by the recent 9th Circuit Federal Appeals Court ruling, it is
still about voting rights--only in this case the right to have our
votes counted equally.
So I close today by reminding my colleagues that there is still much,
much more to be done. Our march goes on, and will continue to go on
until--in the words of Dr. King--we can say ``justice rolls down like
waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.''
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to
express my
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support of H. Res. 352, a resolution to remember and honor the historic
March on Washington of 1963. This 40th anniversary of the historic
March on Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King's universally famous ``I
Have a Dream'' speech is a bittersweet moment.
I would like to especially thank my colleague, Representative Sanford
Bishop for sponsoring this resolution. For many, Dr. King's dream has
not come to fruition. It remains unfulfilled. As thousands gather from
around the nation and the globe to reenact the fabled march and to
rehearse the words of the visionary civil rights leader, we will
celebrate the tremendous strides the nation has made on the issues of
race, equality and social justice during the past forty years.
However, as the leaders and representatives of more than 500
organizations converged at the Lincoln Memorial, we are also reminded
that the ``Dream'' Dr. King so eloquently articulated is still beyond
the aspirations and the grasp of millions of our citizens. They have
been left behind and are left out of the ``Great American Dream.''
Forty years later, some 13 million children in this country do not
have enough food to eat. Four decades later 41.2 million people lack
health insurance. As the economy shows certain signs of recovery, more
than 9.6 million Americans still cannot find jobs. Matters are even
worse in minority communities. The African-American unemployment rate
hovers at 11.1 percent compared to 5.5 percent for whites.
Forty years ago we said, ``I have a dream!'' Today, we say, ``How
long will we suffer injustice in America?'' The American people are in
jeopardy of losing 50 years of progress in civil rights and civil
liberties.
In fact, under the guise of the PATRIOT Act we are experiencing a
rollback of these hard-earned rights. Elections have been stolen and
voting rights have been denied.
In Texas, a proposed redistricting plan would disenfranchise minority
voters across the state.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage all my colleagues to take the time to
acknowledge the 40th anniversary of the event that affords all of us an
opportunity to rededicate and to recommit ourselves to the vision
articulated by Dr. King. Like Dr. King, we can say: ``. . . That in
spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have
a dream.''
Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn) that the
House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 352.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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