[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 21 (Monday, February 5, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E252-E253]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, February 5, 2007

  Mr. HONDA. Madam Speaker, in honor of Black History Month, I welcome 
you to join me in commemorating the the history of Africans in the 
Americas. Since 1926, the month of

[[Page E253]]

February has been the designated time for honoring the Black 
contribution. It serves as a reminder that we must be ever vigilant of 
the Black experience in this country, and the African roots of our 
shared concepts of freedom, hope, and justice. This year's theme for 
Black History Month is fittingly, ``From Slavery to Freedom: The Story 
of Africans in the Americas.''
  As Chair of the Congressional Ethiopia and Ethiopian American Caucus, 
I am particularly interested in the history of Africans in this 
country. My experience with this community has taught me that the 
history of the Diaspora is as complex and divergent as the communities 
themselves. Our challenge this month is educate ourselves about the 
Diaspora and to understand how African Americans embrace and explore 
their heritage.
  This February, let us broaden our understanding of the myriad ways 
people of African descent arrived here--beyond the slave trade. Let us 
be honest and open about the impact that slavery has had on African 
descendant communities today, but let us also celebrate the African 
contribution to our culture in spite of it. The best way to honor the 
African American experience is to educate oneself and one's community. 
I urge you to use this month to expose yourselves to the ways in which 
the African American experience has already been made a part of your 
life.

                          ____________________