[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 23, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H690-H693]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS TO THE TRANSPORTATION 
                AND INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE UNITED STATES

  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1085) honoring and 
celebrating the contributions of African-Americans to the 
transportation and infrastructure of the United States.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1085

       Whereas African-Americans have played an instrumental role 
     in developing and improving the transportation and 
     infrastructure of the United States through leadership, 
     design, and innovation;
       Whereas the contributions of African-Americans have had 
     significant and far-reaching impacts on modern transportation 
     systems, including airways, highways, and railways, and have 
     led to momentous improvements to transportation safety and 
     security;
       Whereas, in aviation, for example, Elizabeth ``Bessie'' 
     Coleman, a daring stunt pilot known as ``Queen Bess'', was 
     the first African-American woman to become a licensed 
     airplane pilot in 1921 and the first United States citizen of 
     any race or gender to hold an international aviation license 
     from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale;

[[Page H691]]

       Whereas Eugene Jaques Bullard was the first African-
     American military pilot in history, serving as a United 
     States volunteer in the French army during World War I;
       Whereas Cornelius R. Coffey established the Coffey School 
     of Aeronautics at Harlem Airport in Chicago, where more than 
     1,500 African-American students trained as pilots and 
     mechanics from 1938 to 1945, including many who would later 
     become Tuskegee Airmen;
       Whereas Willa Beatrice Brown, the first African-American 
     woman to receive a United States private pilot license in 
     1938, helped found the National Airmen's Association of 
     America in 1939, later became the coordinator of war-training 
     service for the Civil Aeronautics Authority, and served as 
     the first African-American female officer in the Civil Air 
     Patrol;
       Whereas Neil V. Loving helped form an all African-American 
     Civil Air Patrol Squadron in Detroit, established the Wayne 
     School of Aeronautics in 1946, designed and built several 
     experimental aircraft, and performed critical research as an 
     aerospace engineer for the United States Air Force;
       Whereas Marlon Green became the first African-American 
     pilot for a major airline in 1965 after winning a landmark 
     racial discrimination employment case in the Supreme Court of 
     the United States, and served earlier in his career as a 
     Captain in the United States Air Force for 9 years;
       Whereas the Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American 
     airmen, aircraft and engine mechanics, armament specialists, 
     radio repairmen, parachute riggers, control tower operators, 
     policemen, and administrative clerks during World War II, and 
     whose service and performance were instrumental in ending 
     segregation in the United States military;
       Whereas Dr. Lewis A. Jackson, an aviation pioneer and 
     educator, was the director of training at the Army Air Force 
     66th Flight Training Detatchment at Moton Field, the primary 
     flight training site for the Tuskegee Airmen, and also 
     pursued designing an experimental aircraft called a roadable 
     airplane;
       Whereas Elinor Williams became the first African-American 
     woman to be an air traffic controller in 1968 and the first 
     African-American woman to manage an Air Route Traffic Control 
     Center, who then went on to become the regional administrator 
     of the Great Lakes Region for the Federal Aviation 
     Administration;
       Whereas LeRoy Wilton Homer, Jr., courageously served as the 
     first officer of United Airlines Flight 93, which was 
     overtaken by terrorists on September 11, 2001, and previously 
     served in the United States Air Force in the Persian Gulf 
     War;
       Whereas Barrington Irving became the first African-American 
     and youngest individual at 23 to fly solo around-the-world in 
     his custom-built Columbia 400 named Inspiration in June 2007, 
     and founded the non-profit organization Experience Aviation, 
     Inc. to introduce youth to aviation and aerospace and to 
     address the shortage of young people pursuing careers in 
     those fields;
       Whereas African-Americans have also played important roles 
     in shaping the Nation's highways, bridges, and transit and 
     rail systems throughout the country's history through 
     innovation, pioneering new technologies, and building the 
     infrastructure that connects the Nation and enables economic 
     growth and prosperity;
       Whereas Garrett A. Morgan invented the Automatic Traffic 
     Signal, a precursor to the modern traffic light;
       Whereas Horace King became known as ``The Bridge Builder'' 
     for his work rebuilding bridges throughout Georgia, 
     Mississippi, South Carolina, Alabama, New York, and many 
     other States and passed on his legacy to his children through 
     the family business, the Bridge Company;
       Whereas Archibald Alexander placed his mark on the Nation's 
     capital by designing the Tidal Basin Bridge and the 
     Whitehurst Freeway in Washington, DC;
       Whereas the all African-American 93rd, 95th, and 97th Army 
     Engineer General Service Regiments overcame harsh 
     environmental conditions and racial discrimination to help 
     build the most difficult and hazardous portion of the Alaska 
     Highway;
       Whereas Frederick M. Jones patented the air-conditioning 
     controlling device to enable the transportation of perishable 
     food using trucks and rail cars, and also patented the gas 
     engine starter and a control device for internal combustion 
     engines;
       Whereas Richard Spikes is credited with the invention of 
     such advancements as the automatic car washer, automobile 
     directional signs, the automatic gear shift and transmission, 
     and the automatic safety brake system;
       Whereas M.A. Cherry invented a device known as the 
     Velocipede, a precursor to the bicycle, and the streetcar 
     fender, designed to prevent collisions with debris on 
     streetcar tracks;
       Whereas Issac R. Johnson invented the bicycle frame in 
     1899;
       Whereas Humphrey Reynolds invented the safety gate for 
     bridges to prevent cars and pedestrians from entering the 
     tracks at the same time a train is approaching;
       Whereas Benjamin Banneker, an astronomer, surveyor, almanac 
     author, and farmer, helped survey the boundaries of what 
     became the District of Columbia;
       Whereas Walter McClennan invented the automatic railway car 
     door in 1920;
       Whereas Elijah McCoy, a fireman and oiler for the Michigan 
     Central Railroad, developed a ``lubricating cup'' in 1872 to 
     automatically oil steam engines on trains, which dramatically 
     improved efficiency by eliminating the frequent stopping 
     necessary for lubrication of the engine;
       Whereas other inventors attempted to sell their own 
     versions of the ``lubricating cup'' but most companies wanted 
     the authentic device for their trains, requesting ``the Real 
     McCoy'';
       Whereas according to Booker T. Washington, McCoy had 
     produced more patents than any other African-American 
     inventor of his time, many of which contributed to the 
     railroad industry;
       Whereas McCoy was inducted into the National Inventors Hall 
     of Fame in Akron, Ohio, in 2001;
       Whereas Granville T. Woods invented over a dozen devices to 
     improve the railroad system including his most notable 
     invention in 1887, the Synchronous Multiplex Railway 
     Telegraph, which enabled communications between moving and 
     stationary trains creating a system that enabled a railroad 
     engineer to determine the distance between trains to help 
     improve accidents and collisions;
       Whereas Woods also founded the Woods Railway Telegraph 
     Company and is credited with the development of a system for 
     overhead electrified railroads, patented several overhead 
     wire and third rail transmissions systems, and made 
     improvements to the steam-boiler furnace;
       Whereas Andrew Beard, an ex-railroad worker who lost his 
     leg in a car coupling accident, invented a device in 1897 
     that automatically performs the dangerous job of linking rail 
     cars together, commonly called the Jenny Coupler, the device 
     served as the precursor for the modern system;
       Whereas Lewis Howard Latimer, who drafted the patent 
     drawings for Alexander Graham Bell's patent application for 
     the telephone and established public lighting systems for 
     entire cities like New York City, Montreal, Paris, and 
     London, invented a flushing water closet for trains in 1874;
       Whereas, A.B. Blackburn patented a railway signal in 1888 
     designed to be operated by the wheels of a train;
       Whereas W.F. Burr invented a railway switching device in 
     1899;
       Whereas Elbert R. Robinson invented the electric railway 
     trolley in 1893;
       Whereas the work of many influential African-Americans 
     through the civil rights movement and other social and 
     political movements in the United States led to desegregation 
     in transportation as well as significant improvements to the 
     working conditions and rights of transportation workers 
     throughout the United States;
       Whereas Rosa Parks, Homer Plessy, and many other civil 
     rights activists insisted on equitable access to public 
     transportation;
       Whereas Pullman Porters, which provided service to and 
     attended to the needs of passengers on board trains, became 
     leaders in the civil rights movement and formed the 
     Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in 1925, under the 
     leadership of civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph, who 
     fought tirelessly to improve the working conditions and pay 
     for the Pullman Porters;
       Whereas the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters was the 
     first African-American labor union to sign a collective 
     bargaining agreement with a major United States corporation 
     on August 25, 1937; and
       Whereas National African American History Month is 
     celebrated in February 2010: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of National African 
     American History Month;
       (2) honors and celebrates the important contributions that 
     African-Americans have made throughout history to the 
     transportation and infrastructure of the United States; and
       (3) urges citizens and communities throughout the United 
     States to join with representatives of the Federal Government 
     to recognize the substantial contributions that African-
     Americans have made and continue to make to the Nation's 
     transportation and infrastructure systems.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Corrine Brown) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Cao) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida.


                             General Leave

  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and 
extend their remarks and include additional materials on House 
Resolution 1085.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, it is a privilege to offer this resolution during 
Black History Month honoring African Americans' contributions to 
transportation and infrastructure in America.

[[Page H692]]

  African Americans have played an instrumental role in developing and 
improving the transportation and infrastructure of the United States. 
African Americans have had significant and far-reaching influence on 
all modes of transportation, leading to major improvements in 
operations, safety, and security on our railways, airways, and 
highways.
  Because of the contributions of these pioneering African Americans, 
thousands of young people have been inspired to a higher calling. 
Without their contributions, we wouldn't have the bicycle, safety gates 
on bridges, turning signals, automatic traffic signals, air-conditioned 
trucks and rail cars, automatic transmissions, and hundreds of other 
inventions that make transportation safer and more efficient for 
everyone.
  Transportation also has a storied history in the civil rights 
movement. Everyone knows that Rosa Park's refusal to move to the back 
of the bus was one of the defining moments in the fight for equal 
rights for people of color.
  When I was elected to Congress in 1992, I, along with Congressman 
Alcee Hastings and Congresswoman Carrie Meek, were the first African 
Americans to serve in the House of Representatives from Florida since 
Reconstruction. From the moment I was elected, I fought for a seat on 
the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and I am honored to 
serve as Chair of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and 
Hazardous Materials.
  Serving on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has 
allowed me to provide good jobs and expand economic development and new 
transportation options for the people of my district, my State, and 
throughout the United States.
  Today on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, African 
Americans serve four Chairs in six subcommittees, and along with 
Chairman Oberstar and other Members, we are working to restore fairness 
for minorities and women in all aspects of our Nation's transportation 
system. We all do our part to support the Nation's transportation 
system, and we all deserve a seat at the table so we can build and 
design the systems of the future. I often compare it to my 
grandmother's delicious sweet potato pie: We all pay for the 
ingredients, and we all deserve a slice of the pie. I believe it is our 
duty to ensure that minorities and women-owned businesses are able to 
compete for contracts as we spend billions of Federal dollars on 
transportation projects.
  The tragedies in Haiti and the Gulf Coast show just how critical our 
transportation systems are to protecting our citizens; without it, we 
are often helpless. Too often we take our infrastructure for granted, 
but it is truly what separates a superpower from a Third World country.
  Lastly, I would like to talk about the importance of transportation 
to our economy. Transportation projects put people to work, create 
economic development, and provide a better community. Nothing creates 
jobs better than infrastructure projects. In fact, the $34.3 billion in 
the Recovery Act for transportation projects created 250,000 direct 
jobs and 760,000 indirect jobs.
  Today we are standing on the shoulders of those pioneering giants 
that came before us. As we make bigger strides each day to improve 
transportation, we must not forget the ``never give up'' attitude that 
made these inventions and milestones possible. I would encourage all 
Members to vote ``yes'' on this resolution and show their support for 
the brave men and women who against all odds made America a better 
place to live.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CAO. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1085 and 
yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1085, a resolution to 
honor and celebrate the contributions of African Americans to the 
transportation infrastructure of the United States. Our transportation 
systems are an everyday part of both our business and our social lives. 
We take advantage of transportation infrastructure every day and think 
little about what it has taken over history to put these modern systems 
in place.
  Today, as we celebrate African American History Month, it is fitting 
that this House should pay special honor to those African Americans who 
have contributed to the creation of the modern transportation system on 
which our economy depends.
  African Americans have been instrumental in the development of 
transportation infrastructure in many ways. They have been pioneers of 
aviation; they were dedicated railroad Pullman Porters who saw to the 
safety and comfort of passengers; they have been bridge architects and 
engineers; and they have been inventors, developers, and manufacturers 
of such transportation innovations as devices to make refrigerated 
trucks and railcars possible, automatic traffic signals, automatic 
coupling devices for railcars, the electric railway trolley, railway 
switching devices, automatic transmissions, and safety gates for 
bridges. In addition, while making these achievements, these men and 
women had to overcome the racial discrimination of their day. I am 
pleased to rise today in recognition of their remarkable achievements 
and urge all Members to support the resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. 
Res. 1085, introduced by the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Brown), 
which honors and celebrates the numerous contributions of African-
Americans to the transportation and infrastructure of the United 
States.
  As we celebrate National African American History Month this 
February, we recognize the contributions that African-Americans have 
made to American history through art, politics, business, and science. 
Today, we are taking time to recognize the significant and extensive 
contributions African-Americans have made to the transportation systems 
that connect our nation, bringing communities together and enabling 
economic growth and prosperity across the country.
  Whether we are talking about the development of our world class 
aviation system, or our highways or railways, African-Americans have 
played an important role in the development of our nation's 
transportation systems throughout history.
  In aviation, as a result of the leadership of Cornelius R. Coffey in 
establishing the Coffey School of Aeronautics at Harlem Airport in 
Chicago, more than 1,500 African-American students were trained as 
pilots and mechanics from 1938 and 1945. Many of the students of the 
Coffey School of Aeronautics went on to become Tuskegee Airmen. The 
Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American airmen, aircraft and 
engine mechanics, armament specialists, radio repairmen, parachute 
riggers, control tower operators, policemen and administrative clerks 
during World War II. The service and performance of the Tuskegee Airmen 
was instrumental in ending segregation in the United States military.
  Benjamin Banneker, a self-educated scientist, astronomer, surveyor, 
almanac author, writer and farmer, is known for many things including 
helping to survey the boundaries of what is now the District of 
Columbia. In addition, the precursor to the modern day traffic light 
was invented by Garret A. Morgan, who is credited with the design of 
the Automatic Traffic Signal.
  Through innovation and invention, African-Americans have had a 
profound impact on the development of our world class railway system. 
One of the most notable inventors, Granville T. Woods, patented dozens 
of devices during his life to improve the railroad system, including 
one very notable invention that has improved railway safety by reducing 
accidents and collisions. In 1887, Mr. Woods invented the Synchronous 
Multiplex Railway Telegraph that enabled communications between moving 
and stationary trains, helping railroad engineers to determine the 
distance between trains for the first time, and thereby substantially 
enhancing safety.

  Through the Civil Rights movement, many influential African-
Americans, such as Rosa Parks and Homer Plessy, were leaders in social 
and political movements to desegregate transportation, while other 
African-American leaders worked to make significant improvements to the 
working conditions and rights of transportation workers throughout the 
nation.
  I note the significant contributions of the Pullman Porters, who 
worked on board passenger trains and who became leaders in the civil 
rights and labor movements when they formed the Brotherhood of Sleeping 
Car Porters in 1925, under the leadership of civil rights leader A. 
Philip Randolph. The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters was the first 
African-American labor union to sign a collective bargaining agreement 
with a major U.S. corporation. The Brotherhood literally paved the way 
for union labor throughout this country, and fought tirelessly to 
improve the often

[[Page H693]]

harsh working conditions and low pay that Pullman Porters and others 
received.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in celebrating and honoring these 
African Americans and their important contributions to our nation's 
transportation and infrastructure systems by supporting H. Res. 1085.
  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance 
of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Richardson). The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Corrine Brown) that 
the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1085.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the 
yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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