[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 74 (Tuesday, June 1, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H3563-H3565]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL GREAT BLACK AMERICANS COMMEMORATION ACT OF 2004
Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
Senate bill (S. 1233) to authorize assistance for the National Great
Blacks in Wax Museum and Justice Learning Center, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
S. 1233
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Great Black
Americans Commemoration Act of 2004''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Black Americans have served honorably in Congress, in
senior executive branch positions, in the law, the judiciary,
and other fields, yet their record of service is not well
known by the public, is not included in school history
lessons, and is not adequately presented in the Nation's
museums.
(2) The Great Blacks in Wax Museum, Inc. in Baltimore,
Maryland, a nonprofit organization, is the Nation's first wax
museum presenting the history of great Black Americans,
including those who have served in Congress, in senior
executive branch positions, in the law, the judiciary, and
other fields, as well as others who have made significant
contributions to benefit the Nation.
(3) The Great Blacks in Wax Museum, Inc. plans to expand
its existing facilities to establish the National Great
Blacks in Wax Museum and Justice Learning Center, which is
intended to serve as a national museum and center for
presentation of wax figures and related interactive
educational exhibits portraying the history of great Black
Americans.
(4) The wax medium has long been recognized as a unique and
artistic means to record human history through preservation
of the faces and personages of people of prominence, and
historically, wax exhibits were used to commemorate noted
figures in ancient Egypt, Babylon, Greece, and Rome, in
medieval Europe, and in the art of the Italian renaissance.
(5) The Great Blacks in Wax Museum, Inc. was founded in
1983 by Drs. Elmer and Joanne Martin, 2 Baltimore educators
who used their personal savings to purchase wax figures,
which they displayed in schools, churches, shopping malls,
and festivals in the mid-Atlantic region.
(6) The goal of the Martins was to test public reaction to
the idea of a Black history wax museum and so positive was
the response over time that the museum has been heralded by
the public and the media as a national treasure.
(7) The museum has been the subject of feature stories by
CNN, the Wall Street Journal, the Baltimore Sun, the
Washington Post, the New York Times, the Chicago Sun Times,
the Dallas Morning News, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today,
the Afro American Newspaper, Crisis, Essence Magazine, and
others.
(8) More than 300,000 people from across the Nation visit
the museum annually.
(9) The new museum will carry on the time honored artistic
tradition of the wax medium; in particular, it will recognize
the significant value of this medium to commemorate and
appreciate great Black Americans whose faces and personages
are not widely recognized.
(10) The museum will employ the most skilled artisans in
the wax medium, use state-of-the-art interactive exhibition
technologies, and consult with museum professionals
throughout the Nation, and its exhibits will feature the
following:
(A) Blacks who have served in the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States, including those who
represented constituencies in Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and
Virginia during the 19th century.
(B) Blacks who have served in the judiciary, in the
Department of Justice, as prominent attorneys, in law
enforcement, and in the struggle for equal rights under the
law.
(C) Black veterans of various military engagements,
including the Buffalo Soldiers and Tuskegee Airmen, and the
role of Blacks in the settlement of the western United
States.
(D) Blacks who have served in senior executive branch
positions, including members of Presidents' Cabinets,
Assistant Secretaries and Deputy Secretaries of Federal
agencies, and Presidential advisers.
(E) Other Blacks whose accomplishments and contributions to
human history during the last millennium and to the Nation
through more than 400 years are exemplary, including Black
educators, authors, scientists, inventors, athletes, clergy,
and civil rights leaders.
(11) The museum plans to develop collaborative programs
with other museums, serve as a clearinghouse for training,
technical assistance, and other resources involving use of
the wax medium, and sponsor traveling exhibits to provide
enriching museum experiences for communities throughout the
Nation.
(12) The museum has been recognized by the State of
Maryland and the city of Baltimore as a preeminent facility
for presenting and interpreting Black history, using the wax
medium in its highest artistic form.
(13) The museum is located in the heart of an area
designated as an empowerment zone, and is considered to be a
catalyst for economic and cultural improvements in this
economically disadvantaged area.
SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE FOR NATIONAL GREAT BLACKS IN WAX MUSEUM
AND JUSTICE LEARNING CENTER.
(a) Assistance for Museum.--Subject to subsection (b), the
Attorney General, acting through the Office of Justice
Programs of the Department of Justice, shall, from amounts
made available under subsection (c), make a grant to the
Great Blacks in Wax Museum, Inc. in Baltimore, Maryland, to
be used only for carrying out programs relating to civil
rights and juvenile justice through the National Great Blacks
in Wax Museum and Justice Learning Center.
(b) Grant Requirements.--To receive a grant under
subsection (a), the Great Blacks
[[Page H3564]]
in Wax Museum, Inc. shall submit to the Attorney General a
proposal for the use of the grant, which shall include
detailed plans for the programs referred to in subsection
(a).
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000, to
remain available through the end of fiscal year 2009.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Nevada (Mr. Gibbons) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons).
General Leave
Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on S. 1233, the Senate bill
under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Nevada?
There was no objection.
{time} 1600
Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, Senate Bill 1233, introduced by Senator Barbara Mikulski
of Maryland and amended by the Committee on the Judiciary, authorizes
assistance for the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum and Justice
Learning Center located in Baltimore, Maryland.
Mr. Speaker, the Great Blacks in Wax Museum was founded in 1983 by
Doctors Elmer and Joanne Martin, two Baltimore educators who used their
personal savings to purchase wax figures which they displayed in
schools, churches, shopping malls, and festivals in the mid-Atlantic
region. The goal of the Martins was to test public reaction to the idea
of a black history wax museum. So positive was the response over time
that the museum has been heralded by the public and the media as a
national treasure.
As part of a proposed expansion of the museum, which is to occur over
the next several years, S. 1233 would allow the museum to receive
grants from the U.S. Department of Justice to establish programs
relating to civil rights and juvenile justice.
Mr. Speaker, S. 1233, as amended, is supported by the majority and
minority of the Committee on Resources, and I submit for the Record
letters from the Chairman of the Committee on Resources and the
Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary regarding this bill.
House of Representatives,
Committee on the Judiciary,
Washington, DC, March 25, 2004.
Hon. Richard Pombo,
Chairman, Committee on Resources, House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Pombo: I am writing regarding S. 1233, the
``National Great Black Americans Commemoration Act of 2003''
which was referred primarily to the Committee on Resources
and secondarily to the Committee on the Judiciary. The
Committee on Resources reported the bill favorably on
November 17, 2003. H. Rept. No. 108-372, Part I. The
Committee on the Judiciary's secondary referral is currently
scheduled to expire on April 2, 2004.
The spending authorized by S. 1233 would come from funds
appropriated to the Office of Justice Programs within the
Department of Justice. For that reason, I had concerns about
the bill as reported by your Committee. My staff has had
discussions with staff for the sponsor of the companion House
measure, Rep. Cummings, and we have reached a mutually
agreeable compromise to resolve these concerns. A copy of the
compromise language is attached.
I understand that through staff discussions you have
indicated your willingness to take the bill to the floor
under suspension of the rules and use the attached compromise
language as the manager's amendment when you do so. I also
understand that you will use your best efforts to get the
bill scheduled for floor consideration as soon as you are
reasonably able to schedule it with the House leadership.
Based on your willingness to follow this course, I am
willing to waive further consideration of the bill in the
Committee on the Judiciary so that the bill may proceed
expeditiously to the floor. The Committee on the Judiciary
takes this action with the understanding that the Committee's
jurisdiction over the bill is in no way diminished or
altered. I would appreciate your including this letter and
your response in the Congressional Record during
consideration of the legislation on the House floor.
I appreciate your cooperation in this matter.
Sincerely,
F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Resources,
Washington, DC, March 25, 2004.
Hon. F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.,
Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding S.
1233, a bill to authorize assistance for the National Great
Blacks in Wax Museum and Justice Learning Center. I am
delighted that you were able to negotiate a suitable source
and amount of funds for the project.
The Committee on Resources will be pleased to take up your
negotiated text on the Floor when S. 1233 is considered by
the full House of Representatives. I also agree that I will
place your letter and this response in the Congressional
Record to memorialize this agreement. Finally, I agree that
by allowing the Committee on the Judiciary to be discharged
from further consideration of the measure, you have not
waived or otherwise compromised your jurisdiction over the
subject matter of S. 1233.
Thank you for your cooperation on this bill and for the
good work of Joseph Gibson of your staff. I look forward to
other mutually beneficial dealings in the future.
Sincerely,
Richard W. Pombo,
Chairman.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
(Mr. RODRIGUEZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks.)
Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, the Great Blacks in Wax Museum is a
unique education facility, well-deserving of the enormous support that
it receives. The gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings), chairman of
the Congressional Black Caucus, a sponsor of the companion legislation
here in the House, and Senator Mikulski are to be congratulated for
their tireless efforts on behalf of this facility and this important
piece of legislation.
The museum expansion plans are ambitious, and I urge my colleagues to
support S. 1233 to help them on their way.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume
to urge an ``aye'' vote on this very positive bill.
Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the National Great
Black Americans Commemoration Act, an important measure put forth by
Hon. Elijah Cummings which gives long overdue commemoration to the many
Black Americans who have served honorably in this Nation.
By expanding the Great Blacks in Wax Museum, Inc., in Baltimore,
Maryland, to establish the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum and
Justice Learning Center, Congress is acknowledging the monumental
contributions of African Americans who have served in the Senate and
House of Representatives; the judiciary and the field of law; various
military engagements, including the Buffalo Soldiers and Tuskegee
Airmen; senior executive branch positions; and numerous other
occupations which have advanced the goals and causes of the United
States over the more than 400 year history of people of African descent
in America. The museum, which is currently visited by more than 300,000
people annually, will employ the most skilled artisans in the wax
medium to accurately and honorably portray those Black Americans who,
with ability and perseverance, have worked tirelessly for justice,
equal rights, peace, and rule of law in our great Nation.
The National Great Black Americans Commemoration Act is certainly
worthy of support by this body, particularly as it is a key complement
to the National Museum of African American History and Culture Act,
championed by Hon. John Lewis and signed into law December 16, 2003.
However, these gestures are but first steps in the directions of
endowing esteemed Black Americans with the veneration that they
deserve. More efforts like this Act are needed if proper homage is to
be paid to those great Black pioneers who truly laid the foundation
upon which this Nation has been built.
Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of passage of the
National Great Black Americans Commemoration Act of 2003, H.R. 2424 and
S. 1233, companion legislation that I introduced along with my friend
Senator Mukulski. This bill has received bipartisan support in both
committees of jurisdiction in the House, as well as bicameral support
where it passed quickly to the floor out of the Senate Judiciary
Committee. I urge all of my colleagues to vote in support of this
measure and I urge the President to sign this important bill into law
when it reaches his desk.
With valued input from Drs. Elmer and Joanne Martin, founders of the
Great Blacks in
[[Page H3565]]
Wax Museum. I introduced this bill to help bring long overdue
recognition of African Americans who have served our Nation with great
distinction, but who names, faces and achievements may not be well-
known by the average citizen. Rest assured that this recognition can
and will be accomplished and preserved through expansion of the Great
Blacks in Wax Museum--a national treasure located in my district in
Baltimore, Maryland.
In addition to the 200 existing figures at the museum, I am pleased
to inform my colleagues that a priority will be placed on exhibits
presenting the twenty-two Black Americans who served in Congress during
the 19th century. Several of these 22 were born into slavery. All of
these Americans proudly served their constituents and their Nation.
Other members from the 1990s such as Senator Edward Brooke,
Representatives Julian Dixon (D-CA), Oscar Stanton De Priest (R-IL),
Louis Stokes (D-OH), Parren J. Mitchell (D-MD), J.C. Watts, Jr. (R-OK)
and others will also receive special recognition. Some of the existing
distinguished figures depict Collin Powell, Harriet Tubman, Martin
Luther King, Jr., Mary McLeod Bethune and former Representatives Mickey
Leland of Texas as well as Shirley Chisholm and Adam Clayton Powell of
New York.
The expanded museum will focus on Black military veterans of various
military engagements, including the Buffalo Soldiers and Tuskegee
Airmen; on Black judges and prominent attorneys; and the role of Blacks
in the discovery and settlement of America. It will also showcase
Blacks who served in senior civilian Executive Branch positions, such
as Ralph Bunche (FDR administration), E. Frederic Morrow (Eisenhower
administration), Robert Weaver (Johnson administration), William
Coleman (Ford administration), Patricia Harris (Carter administration),
Louis Sullivan (George H.W. Bush administration), and others who have
not received appropriate recognition.,
Lastly, this legislation authorizes assistance in establishing a
Justice Learning Center as a component of the expanded Museum complex.
The Justice Learning Center will include state-of-the art facilities
and resources to educate the public, especially at-risk youth about the
role of African Americans in our Nation's judicial system. It will
include a special focus on the civil rights movement, on the role of
African Americans as lawmakers, attorneys and in the Judiciary.
Mr. Speaker, the Great Blacks in Wax Museum was founded in 1983 by
Dr. Elmer Martin and Dr. Joanne Martin, who started the museum with
their own funds carrying a few figures and exhibit materials around the
country in their car. The museum currently occupies part of a city
block in East Baltimore, and includes more than 200 wax figures. It is
America's first wax museum of Black history. The museum now receives
over 200,000 visitors a year; over half of these visitors are school
children. I also will mention that several members of Congress and
their staff have visited and relayed to me the awesome nature of their
visit--how the figures and exhibits both moved and informed. Passage of
this bill will ensure that the Museum can continue its mission to
preserve a great part of our Nation's history.
I would be remiss if I did not relay to you how important and
inspiring this Museum is to its East Baltimore community. The Great
Blacks in Wax Museum functions as more than just a museum. It is a
stalwart in its community. The Martins established the Museum with the
primary motivation ``to use education, history and example to help
mainly disadvantaged youth overcome feelings of alienation, defeatism
and despair.'' It provides a safe-haven for at-risk youth and offers
opportunities for young people in the community to take part in
employment, intern and volunteer programs. The Museum has enrichment
programs for individuals, families, daycare centers, churches, schools
and other non-profit organizations. In keeping with its commitment to
community involvement, the Museum's many programs serve as a means for
taking learning and cultural enrichment beyond the school walls. The
Justice Learning Center will extend the outreach efforts of the Museum
to homeless shelters, halfway houses, adult day care, domestic violence
centers, youth residential facilities and other places to reach
disadvantaged and/or at-risk youth and families.
Mr. Speaker, passage of this bill will be seen as a testament to the
Martins' persistence and vision. Passage will also mean that the
National Great Blacks in Wax Museum--a national treasure will receive
needed Federal support to ensure that generations yet unborn will be
told the story of these great Americans. The Museum will ensure that
history never forgets this legacy.
Finally, I want to thank Representative Sensenbrenner and his
staffers Joseph Gibson and Katy Crooks, Representative Conyers and his
staffer Lillian German, as well as Representatives Pombo and Rahall and
their staffers, Frank Vitello, Richard Healy and David Watkins for all
of their hard work in moving this legislation through their respective
Committees. I would especially like to thank my staff, Kimberly Ross in
seeing this legislation through to its successful end.
Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Murphy). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 1233, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill, as amended, was
passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________