[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 106 (Monday, July 19, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1353-E1354]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    EXTENDING AUTHORIZATION FOR NATIONAL GREAT BLACKS IN WAX MUSEUM

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 13, 2010

  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Rahall, Chairman Grijalva 
and the hardworking staff on the Subcommittee on National Parks for 
getting this legislation to the floor today.

[[Page E1354]]

  Mr. Speaker, originally enacted in June 2004, the National Great 
Black Americans Commemoration Act will help to expand and develop 
museum exhibits and educational programs honoring African Americans who 
have made significant contributions to the nation, but whose names, 
faces and achievements may not be well known to the average citizen.
  This recognition can and will be accomplished and preserved with the 
expansion of the Great Blacks in Wax Museum, a national treasure that 
is located in my district and hometown of Baltimore, Maryland.
  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 wax figures and exhibit materials around 
the country in their car.
  I am proud to report that 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 
well over 200,000 visitors per year--more than half of these visitors 
are school children.
  Several members of Congress and their staffs have visited the museum 
and relayed to me the awesome nature of their visit--how the figures 
and exhibits both moved and informed them, resulting in a truly 
enriching experience. Enactment of H.R. 3967 makes certain that the 
Museum can continue its mission to preserve a great part of our 
nation's history.
  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, and on the role 
of African Americans as lawmakers, attorneys and in the Judiciary.
  Federal dollars used will be spent efficiently and effectively. This 
is an issue that is critical to assess when we ask citizens for funding 
any program. This expansion will provide jobs, but it will also create 
a link for our children to a past that is so often forgotten.
  Learning is enhanced when all of the senses can be engaged. This 
museum will bring the past to life, not just in the minds of the 
students, but in front of their eyes. Funding this educational 
opportunity is another critical step in creating an appreciation and 
understanding of history in our young people.
  These gains are well worth the cost. This is simply a technical 
measure to reauthorize legislation that was enacted by Congress in 
2004.
  Again, I thank Chairmen Rahall and Grijalva for their support, and 
encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting the passage of this 
legislation.

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