[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 24 (Wednesday, March 1, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H479-H480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CELEBRATING COMMUNITY: A TRIBUTE TO BLACK FRATERNAL, SOCIAL AND CIVIC 
                              INSTITUTIONS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I just want to join my 
colleagues tonight, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui) and 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda) in reminding us of the 
terrible scar on our Nation's history: the internment of Japanese 
Americans. And I want to say to them that as an African American, as a 
person of color in our country, from California, that we join you in 
making sure that this body continues to remind the entire country that 
never again shall we allow such a gross violation of the human rights 
of any, any people in our country and throughout the world.
  So thank you, Mr. Honda and Ms. Matsui, for once again allowing us to 
participate and reminding us of this great atrocity.
  I want to also add tonight my voice to those of my colleagues in the 
Congressional Black Caucus in honoring an organization whose fight 
against the oppression and discrimination that all of us have felt in 
this country, whether we were directly victimized by it or not, it 
affected all of us, which gave birth to the modern-day civil rights 
movement, and that is the NAACP.
  Today, this body unanimously passed H. Con. Res. 355, which was a 
bipartisan resolution honoring the National Association for the 
Advancement of Colored People on their 97th anniversary. This is the 
largest and the oldest civil rights organization in our country.
  Late last night, we concluded Black History Month by commemorating 
this month with activities led by the Congressional Black Caucus Chair, 
our great leader, Chairman Mel Watt, on the floor. But it was very late 
last night, and I hope people had an opportunity to listen to the few 
Members who were here to talk about the glorious history of African 
Americans in America.
  Today, in keeping with the ideals of Black History Month and the 
tradition of our ancestors, we must recommit ourselves to a plan of 
action. For generations, the NAACP has provided the blueprint for 
organizing the African American community and other communities, 
communities of color,

[[Page H480]]

throughout our country to build these coalitions for success.
  In December, the House unanimously adopted my resolution recognizing 
the 140th anniversary of the 13th amendment. The abolition of slavery 
in 1865 should have been, should have been, a new day for African 
Americans. Yet 40 years later, African Americans continued to fight the 
repression and discrimination. It was this continued frustration and 
pain that led to the birth of the modern civil rights movement.
  In Ontario, Canada, in 1905, a group of African American leaders 
developed an action plan and launched the Niagara Movement. Emerging 
from the Niagara Movement the call was issued and diverse progressives 
formed the National Negro Committee, which soon developed into the 
NAACP. For almost 100 years, since that historic meeting, the National 
Association for the Advancement of Colored People has been the 
cornerstone of the social justice movement of minority communities.
  Mr. Speaker, last year, Mr. Hilary Shelton, the Director of the 
NAACP's Washington Bureau, delivered a Black History Month speech to 
the Federal Aviation Administration, the following excerpt of which 
outlines the development of the NAACP.

       From 1905 through 1910, an organization of African American 
     intellectuals led by W.E.B. Du Bois and calling for full 
     political, civil, and social and civil rights for African 
     Americans. This stance stood in clear contrast to the 
     accommodation philosophy proposed by Booker T. Washington in 
     the Atlanta Compromise of 1895, You see, the Niagara Movement 
     was the forerunner of the NAACP. In the summer of 1905, 29 
     prominent African Americans, including Du Bois, met secretly 
     at Niagara Falls, Ontario, and drew up a manifesto calling 
     for full civil liberties, abolition of racial discrimination, 
     and recognition of human brotherhood, a forerunner to the 
     United Nations U.N. Declaration of Human Rights. Subsequent 
     annual meetings were held in such symbolic locations as 
     Harpers Ferry, W.Va., and Boston's Faneuil Hall.
       Despite the establishment of 30 branches and the 
     achievement of a few scattered civil-rights victories at the 
     local level, the group suffered from organizational weakness 
     and lack of funds as well as a permanent headquarters or 
     staff, and it never was able to attract mass support. After 
     the Springfield (ILL.) Race Riot of 1908, however, white 
     liberals joined with the nucleus of Niagara ``militants'' and 
     founded the NAACP the following year. The Niagara Movement 
     disbanded in 1910, with the leadership of Du Bois forming the 
     main continuity between the two organizations.
       Dubois and the many other brave men and women of the 
     Niagara Movement to the reigns of the challenges of there day 
     to lead the Niagara movement and now the NAACP, we too must 
     rise up to take on the challenges of our generation.

  Founded on February 12, 1909, the NAACP's diverse founders, Ida 
Wells-Barnett, W.E.B. DuBois, Henry Moscowitz, Mary White Ovington, 
Oswald Garrison Villiard, and William English Walling, understood the 
importance of organizing and motivating people. Currently headed by 
Julian Bond and the President and CEO, Mr. Bruce Gordon, the NAACP 
exemplifies a movement that has transcended race, class, and 
generations in the fight for equal rights for African Americans and all 
disenfranchised people.
  The focus of the NAACP has always been working to build coalitions 
for equality and opportunity in the United States. However, they never 
forget to advocate for Africans throughout the Diaspora. In Washington, 
D.C., the NAACP's Legislative Bureau mobilizes communities on issues 
from the fiscal year 2007 budget shortfalls, to equal opportunity, to 
the importance of an independent judiciary and racial profiling. Every 
session, the NAACP's D.C. Bureau outlines what issues and legislation 
will impact minority communities both here in the United States and 
abroad. Their vigilance is a constant reminder of how much work there 
is to do.
  Recently, the NAACP's priorities have been rebuilding the gulf coast 
in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and addressing disparity in 
wealth, housing, and basic social services. That is the tragedy that 
unfolded, that we witnessed and which was exposed as a result of this 
tragedy of Katrina and Rita.
  Also, the NAACP is very committed to reauthorizing the Voting Rights 
Act, the culmination of a movement that took blood, sweat, tears, and 
lives, and the sacrifices of those who came before us. This is set to 
expire next year.
  They are committed to reforming our prison system, where our country 
has the largest prison population in the world. This is especially 
important since six in ten of those persons are people of color.
  So let me just congratulate the NAACP on the 97th anniversary of this 
institution, and I urge everyone to use this occasion to recommit 
themselves to the struggle for freedom, justice, and peace.
         Washington Bureau, National Association for the 
           Advancement of Colored People,
                                Washington, DC, February 28, 2006.
     Representative Barbara Lee,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Lee: On behalf of the National 
     Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), 
     our Nation's oldest, largest and most widely-recognized 
     grassroots civil rights organization, I am urging you, in the 
     strongest terms possible, to reject provisions in President 
     Bush's proposed budget for 2007 and instead pass a budget 
     plan that supports and encourages low- and middle-income 
     Americans. A Nation's budget reflects its priorities; our 
     willingness ability to care for the sick and elderly, educate 
     the young, protect our surroundings, respond to natural 
     emergencies and protect those less fortunate. The budget 
     proposal put forth by President Bush for fiscal year 2007 
     does not reflect the priorities of, nor does it serve the 
     governmental needs, the majority of Americans. Rather, the 
     President's proposal would benefit the wealthiest Americans 
     while short-changing low- and middle-income Americans and 
     saddling future generations with a debilitating deficit.
       I urge you to demonstrate the necessary leadership skills 
     and to work with your colleagues to develop a budget proposal 
     that ensures that the basic needs of all our citizens are 
     met. This means rejecting the cuts in federal funding for 
     education, health care, job training, small business 
     promotion, the protection of our basic civil rights and 
     liberties and energy assistance. This also means rejecting 
     the President's proposed tax cuts, which have been proven to 
     mostly benefit only the wealthiest Americans and cripple our 
     ability to address some of the most basic needs of our 
     society while at the same time ballooning our deficit.
       Although a majority of the Administration's proposed cuts 
     or program eliminations are problematic for the NAACP, we are 
     especially troubled by the provision in the budget to reduce 
     funding for the crucial work of the EEOC. The President's 
     budget for 2007 includes a cut in funding of the EEOC Budget 
     from $333 million to $323 million, most of which would be 
     taken from State and local operations. State and local 
     enforcement agencies handle about 42 percent of the total 
     Title VII caseload, yet, they are being asked to take 60 
     percent of the budget cut. Because enforcement of civil 
     rights laws is a key element of the strategic goals and 
     initiatives of the NAACP, we are especially troubled by these 
     proposals.
       Again, on behalf of the millions of NAACP members and 
     friends of civil rights across this Nation I hope that you 
     will work hard to see that the values of supporting our 
     young, our ill and our elderly as well as those less 
     fortunate are addressed in this year's budget. I look forward 
     to working with you to ensure that the needs of all Americans 
     are met. Thank you in advance for your attention to the 
     concerns of the NAACP.
           Sincerely,
                                                Hilary O. Shelton,
     Director.

                          ____________________