[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 176 (Tuesday, December 9, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S16112-S16113]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



  (At the request of Mr. Daschle, the following statement was ordered 
to be printed in the Record.)

[[Page S16113]]

                        AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM

 Mr. REID. Mr. President, I wanted to amplify the remarks I 
made a few weeks ago when we approved a bill to create a museum of 
African American History as part of the Smithsonian Institution, on or 
near the National Mall.
  As I said at the time, the passage of this measure is an enormous 
tribute to the work of Congressman John Lewis.
  Mr. Lewis came to Congress as a representative from Atlanta in 1987. 
The next year he began his fight to create a museum that would tell the 
story of the African people in the United States of America.
  It is a complex story, and a compelling one.
  Of course there is the horror of slavery--one of the greatest stains 
on our Nation's soul. That story must be told--we cannot flinch from 
the truth, no matter how painful it might be.
  But we must not allow it to blind us to the rest of the story . . . 
to the enormous contributions that people of African descent have made 
in the United States.
  This very Capitol in which we now stand, a magnificent building that 
is a symbol of freedom around the world, was built with the labor of 
slaves.
  African Americans fought to keep our Nation free . . . even when 
their own freedom was not fully realized.
  And the ideas and talent of African Americans have enriched all of 
our lives.
  From the Nobel laureate Toni Morrison to our great composer Duke 
Ellington, from the inventor and city planner Benjamin Banneker to the 
brilliant jurist Thurgood Marshall, from Jesse Owens to Jackie 
Robinson, our Nation has been inspired and enlightened by our African 
American citizens.
  I regret that black people in this country have had to struggle so 
hard to win equality and be treated the same as everybody else. I wish 
that struggle had not been necessary.
  Yet, that struggle has had an enormous impact on our Nation. The 
words and actions of men like Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis 
have uplifted us all.
  Forty years ago, I lived in Washington and attended school here. I 
will never forget the great March on Washington of August 28, 1963.
  Coming from Nevada, I was stunned by the sight of thousands of buses 
streaming into the city and the hundreds of thousands of people who 
marched peacefully for their cause. That event touched me in a profound 
way.
  We all remember Martin Luther King's ``I Have A Dream'' speech from 
that day. It is rightly regarded as one of the greatest speeches of the 
20th Century.
  But John Lewis also spoke at the March on Washington--the only 
speaker from that great event who is still alive today.
  And I will never forget what he said--that African Americans must 
free themselves not only from political slavery, but also from economic 
slavery.
  In the years since then, we have made tremendous progress. The legal 
rights of African Americans have been secured. But until economic 
equality and justice are achieved, the fight will not be won.
  John Lewis has never stopped fighting for freedom and justice. That's 
why he recognizes the importance of a museum that will tell the story 
of the African American experience.
  This museum was first proposed in 1915 by African Americans who had 
fought in the Civil War.
  When Mr. Lewis arrived in Congress, he adopted the cause as his own.
  Each year since 1988, he has fought to create this museum. This year 
is the first time his bill has passed both the House and the Senate.
  The bill has now gone to President Bush, and I hope he will sign it 
as soon as possible so we can begin the next phase of the journey--
raising private contributions to match the Federal funds for the Museum 
of African American History.
  I salute John Lewis for his good work. Not just the creation of this 
important museum, but the work of his entire life--the struggle for 
freedom, equality and justice.

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