[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 89 (Monday, June 15, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H6768-H6770]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 RECOGNIZING CIVIL RIGHTS BASEBALL GAME

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 530) commending the purpose of the 
third annual Civil Rights Baseball Game and recognizing the historical 
significance of the location of the game in Cincinnati, Ohio.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 530

       Whereas the third annual Civil Rights Baseball Game is 
     being held in Cincinnati, Ohio, at the Great American 
     Ballpark on June 20, 2009;
       Whereas the Cincinnati Reds, the host of the Civil Rights 
     Baseball Game, are recognized as being the first professional 
     baseball team in the United States;
       Whereas the Major League Baseball Civil Rights Game was 
     created to honor those who fought both on and off the field 
     for the equal treatment of all people;
       Whereas baseball was at the forefront of the civil rights 
     movement and was integrated before either the Armed Forces or 
     the public schools;
       Whereas Cincinnati, Ohio, was home to the Negro League's 
     Cincinnati Tigers from 1934 to 1937;
       Whereas Cincinnati, Ohio, was an integral stop along the 
     Underground Railroad as one of the first free ``stations'' 
     slaves would encounter when escaping north; and
       Whereas Cincinnati, Ohio, is home to the National 
     Underground Railroad Freedom Center, which opened in 2004: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) commend the purpose of the third annual Civil Rights 
     Baseball Game; and
       (2) recognize the historical significance of the location 
     of the Civil Rights Baseball Game in Cincinnati, Ohio.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Scott) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?

[[Page H6769]]

  There was no objection.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 530 commends the purpose of the third 
annual Civil Rights Baseball Game and recognizes the historic 
significance of the location of the Civil Rights Baseball Game in 
Cincinnati, Ohio.
  I want to commend my colleague the gentleman from Cincinnati (Mr. 
Driehaus) for introducing this legislation. The Civil Rights Baseball 
Game is an important event, and it deserves to be recognized by the 
House of Representatives.
  The third annual Civil Rights Baseball Game will be played in 
Cincinnati, Ohio, at the Great American Ballpark on June 20, 2009, 
between the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago White Sox. Many celebrities 
will be in attendance, including Hank Aaron, Muhammad Ali, Bill Cosby, 
and Bebe Winans. This Major League Baseball game was created to honor 
those who fought both on and off the field for equal treatment of all 
people.
  The first Civil Rights Baseball Game was played in Memphis, 
Tennessee, in 2007, between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cleveland 
Indians. It was organized as a preseason game, intended to commend the 
civil rights movement in the United States as part of a larger 
celebration of the civil rights movement. Memphis was selected for its 
important role in the history of the civil rights movement.
  This year's host city, Cincinnati, Ohio, has a long and rich history 
in both the game of baseball and in the field of civil rights. 
Cincinnati was an important stop on the Underground Railroad and is the 
home of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center located 
adjacent to the ballpark. Cincinnati was also home to the Negro 
League's Cincinnati Tigers from 1934 to 1937, and it was in Cincinnati 
that the first night baseball game was played in 1935.
  Mr. Speaker, baseball has long been considered the great American 
pastime. It is part of our culture. It reflects the values of teamwork, 
competition, fair play, and the pursuit of excellence. Baseball was 
once segregated, as was most of the rest of the country, until Branch 
Rickey signed Jackie Robinson to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. 
The rest of the Nation would follow in time, but it was on the diamond 
that we made the most important steps towards ending Jim Crow. As Mr. 
Rickey said, ``Prejudice has no place in sports, and baseball must 
recognize that truth if it is to maintain stature as a national game.''
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleague from Ohio in honoring 
the Civil Rights Baseball Game. I urge my colleagues to support this 
important resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOHMERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I do support House Resolution 530, commending the purpose of the 
third annual Civil Rights Baseball Game.
  The third annual Civil Rights Game will be played, as indicated by my 
friend from Virginia, by the Reds and the White Sox on June 20 at the 
Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. It serves as a celebration of 
the role of sports and the role that they played in advancing equal 
rights in America.
  As part of that celebration, three great Americans will be honored at 
the game: Muhammad Ali, Bill Cosby, and Hank Aaron. They will receive 
awards as individuals ``whose lives are emblematic of the spirit of the 
civil rights movement.''
  Mr. Ali was a 10-time heavyweight champion boxer. Since he left the 
sport, he has engaged in many humanitarian efforts and traveled the 
world on goodwill missions. Mr. Cosby has spent the last five decades 
as a comedian, entertainer, and, I would add, philosopher. His life has 
been a testament to proper handling of race issues. This extraordinary 
man just went about being the extraordinary person that he is. He has 
entertained, he has inspired, and he has taught me, for one, for most 
of my life.
  He is the first comedian from whom I bought an album. As I recall, it 
was ``To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With.'' And I've loved the 
man ever since. I got to see him recently in concert in Tyler and was 
as excited as ever. What a delightful man. The way he causes us to 
realize we all have so many of the same strange, enigmatic traits, 
fears, aspirations, hopes. His television show was certainly 
inspirational. He makes us laugh at our faults and makes us want to 
improve them. As a great American, I look forward to his being 
recognized there at the Civil Rights Game as well.
  Mr. Hank Aaron, as a Hall of Famer who was once the all-time home run 
leader with 755 home runs--and parenthetically I might add he'll always 
be my home run leader--but he was a Negro League baseball player before 
he played for the Braves in both Milwaukee and Atlanta. Mr. Aaron 
formed the Chasing the Dream Foundation with his wife in 1994 and has 
given financial support to hundreds of youths that enables them to 
pursue their talents in music, dance, arts, science, literature, and 
athletics. His wife, by the way, attended Texas College in Tyler, 
Texas, where she is on the board of directors. And it has been one of 
the highlights of my life to get to meet Mr. Aaron on more than one 
occasion.
  It's heartbreaking, heart-rending, to hear some of the hell on Earth 
he was put through simply because of race. Yet he never wavered. He 
continued to give everything he had to those tasks put before him. 
People remember the home-run record, but many do not realize he had 
over a .300 batting average, .305, I believe, lifetime. Incredible. I 
once asked him for somebody who was a home-run hitter to hit over 
.300--most pro-players only dream of hitting .300. He hit home runs and 
hit over .300. How did you do that? Was there some secret ability you 
had?
  And in his typical humble style, Mr. Aaron said, I was a good guess 
hitter.
  Typical Hank Aaron, humility completely for such an extraordinarily 
gifted man who used his talents, developed them, and we all know he 
didn't get where he was without working, persevering. And the 
heartbreaking part, the assaults verbally and in other ways, the 
threats that the man endured simply because of the color of his skin, I 
look forward to him being honored at that game, as he rightfully should 
be.
  The Civil Rights Game also includes a roundtable discussion and youth 
summit that highlights the role that baseball has played in the civil 
rights movement. The game has had only a short history itself as a 
Civil Rights Game, but I would expect it would develop into a fine 
tradition.
  With that, I would urge my colleagues to join in supporting this 
resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Driehaus), who represents 
Cincinnati and is the chief sponsor of the resolution.
  Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, it is certainly my privilege to rise today 
and bring to the floor this resolution honoring the third annual Civil 
Rights Game. It is the third annual Civil Rights Game, but it is the 
first time that this game has been played during the regular season. 
And we are honored in Cincinnati to have that game at Great American 
Ballpark. I know Congresswoman Jean Schmidt and I will be looking 
forward to that event.
  And as was mentioned earlier by several of my colleagues, it's not 
just a baseball game. It's also recognizing great leaders, great 
leaders who have broken down barriers. That includes at the luncheon 
that we will be holding Muhammad Ali, Hank Aaron, and Bill Cosby, three 
giants who have broken down so many barriers amongst them.

                              {time}  1645

  I applaud Major League Baseball. I applaud the Cincinnati Reds for 
choosing Cincinnati as the host of this event.
  I would draw your attention to one other aspect of the game, Mr. 
Speaker, and that is to the Underground Railroad Freedom Center. The 
Underground Railroad Freedom Center is a stone's throw--a baseball's 
throw, if you will, from Great American Ballpark. The Underground 
Railroad Freedom Center, founded in 2002 in Cincinnati, is all about 
discussing freedom. It's all about being the champion of civil rights. 
And while it was established to draw attention to the role the city of 
Cincinnati played and that the people of Cincinnati played in the 
underground railroad, today it serves as

[[Page H6770]]

the vehicle, it serves as the convener of conversations around 
injustices today and freedoms which are challenged today, making it 
relevant to you and I and all Americans as we discuss civil rights. So 
I'm proud to have the Underground Railroad Freedom Center being part of 
this celebration. I think it is very much appropriate that the Freedom 
Center is participating in the luncheon, celebrating our heroes. And I 
am proud to be a Cincinnatian and to welcome this game to the city of 
Cincinnati. I join with the Cincinnati Reds in thanking Major League 
Baseball.
  Mr. GOHMERT. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen), who represents 
Memphis, the location of the first Civil Rights Baseball Game.
  Mr. COHEN. I would like to thank Mr. Scott for the time.
  I would like to congratulate Cincinnati on their good fortune to be 
the host of this game. Memphis was the host for the first two games. 
The final exhibition game of spring training, the only game that was 
televised on ESPN, and a great event in our city, where the National 
Civil Rights Museum exists and the site of civil rights struggles and 
civil rights victories. We really enjoyed the opportunity to have 
players honored there, Willie Mays, Minnie Minoso, my hero, and others 
over the years, who have brought great pride to the city of Memphis 
where we have the finest minor league baseball park ever constructed, 
AutoZone Park. We felt that the game should permanently stay in 
Memphis, but it has moved on.
  I want to congratulate Cincinnati, and I congratulate Major League 
Baseball for having such a game. Jackie Robinson has been immortalized 
as a civil rights hero whose number 42 was retired by Major League 
Baseball in an appropriate manner. There were many great players in the 
Negro baseball leagues who we honored last year with a resolution--such 
as Satchel Paige, who was written up, I think, in today's New York 
Times--and the great careers they had, great ballplayers. So it's 
appropriate that civil rights, which baseball and sports have 
contributed to so much, be remembered by Major League Baseball. I 
congratulate Major League Baseball and the city of Cincinnati.
  I just want to say to my colleague from Texas--Noah.
  Mr. GOHMERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  In conclusion, I would encourage my colleagues to support House 
Resolution 530. My friend from Tennessee mentioned Satchel Paige. He 
had some great quotes. Many people quote him as saying, ``Don't look 
back. They may be gaining on you.'' But I read a quote that I like even 
better than that, attributed to him later in life, when he said, ``It's 
okay to look back. Just don't stare.'' And it seems to me that that's 
what this bill does. We look forward, but we look back. We don't stare, 
but we recognize the greatness that has gotten us to where we are 
today.
  With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I 
may consume.
  I thank the gentleman from Ohio for introducing the resolution. I 
urge my colleagues to support it.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 530.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________