[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 169 (Thursday, November 20, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2361-E2362]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. JACK KINGSTON

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 18, 2003

  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill and 
encourage all of my colleagues to support this long overdue museum.
  I would like to thank Chairman Ney, Mr. Larson, Chairman LaTourette, 
Ms. Holmes-Norton for their diligence in improving this bill and 
bringing it before us today. It has been a pleasure working with each 
of you and your staffs.
  I would especially like to thank my colleague from Georgia, Mr. 
Lewis, for his tireless efforts over the years to ensure that a 
National Museum of African American History and Culture will be added 
soon to our Smithsonian Institution. This project would not be as close 
as we are today without him, and I am proud to be a part of it.
  Mr. Lewis, thank you for your steadfast commitment and leadership on 
this issue and for allowing me to work with you on it.
  Mr. Speaker, the time has come for a dedicated, national museum to 
celebrate African American culture, experience, and history.
  The history and culture of African Americans is our history and 
culture. When we learn that history--the good and the bad, the tragic 
and the inspiring--we learn about ourselves. By understanding our 
common past we can begin to envision a brighter future.
  Bringing this museum into our national memory at the Smithsonian 
Institution is the right thing to do. And bringing this museum to a 
prominent and fitting home in our Nation's Capital is also the right 
thing to do.
  There are many issues surrounding this museum which I believe have 
been fairly addressed by this bill. We have tried to closely follow the 
model recently adopted for the Native American Museum currently under 
construction. Issues regarding museum governance and cost sharing, for 
example, follow this model.
  We ensure this is a true partnership with the private sector and the 
public at-large by capping Federal contributions at 50 percent.
  We ensure the historical integrity of the project by fully 
integrating this museum into the Smithsonian system.
  We ensure the project fits into our Nation's Capital by preserving 
the consultative role of the National Capital Planning Commission.
  The one point that has been made many times throughout this process 
was that a specific site for this museum should be decided now. The 
Presidential Commission, authorized by the Congress, recommended five 
sites within the District of Columbia, four of which are included as 
options in this bill. Each of these sites has significant benefits as 
well as drawbacks. I strongly believe that is critical to the timely 
success of this project that a final, achievable and suitable site is 
agreed upon as soon as possible.
  To that end, all the members who have worked so hard on this bill 
agreed to drop consideration of a site on the Capitol grounds which 
would have likely resulted in many years of further delay with no 
promise that the site could ever be made compatible with Capitol 
security and overall development plans.
  This bill and this museum can serve a valuable purpose in furthering 
our national dialogue on race. I know that it is the intention of 
everyone associated with this bill to see this project move forward in 
a spirit reconciliation and not recrimination. I know we all believe 
this effort is about seeking the truth of our common history without 
malice. I am confident we all share the view that this museum must be a 
place to bring all Americans closer together and that it not be allowed 
to become a taxpayer subsidized headquarters for angry activists or the 
domain of politically correct historical revisionists. I hope that all 
of us here today, and those of us who will be here in the future, will 
remain committed to this museum in the spirit of truth, reconciliation, 
and respect with which we take this action here today.

[[Page E2362]]

  Mr. Speaker, expanding our national treasure, the Smithsonian 
Institution, to include the National Museum of African American History 
and Culture is a tremendous opportunity to remember our past while 
looking forward our common future. I encourage all my colleagues to 
vote in favor of this bill.

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