[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 18 (Friday, February 3, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E129]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, February 3, 2012

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask the House of Representatives 
to join me in recognizing the achievements of African American women 
throughout our nation's history.
  The Association for the Study of African American Life and History, 
ASALH, selected the achievements of African American women as its theme 
for 2012. ASALH has issued a statement, which I bring to the Floor.
  ``African American women have played a myriad of critical roles in 
the making of our nation. Their labor and leadership, their motherhood 
and patriotism, and their intellect and artistic expression have all 
enriched both the African American community and the Nation at large. 
In slavery and freedom, their struggles have been at the heart of the 
human experience, and their triumphs over racism and sexism are a 
testimonial to our common human spirit.''
  ``Many know of the accomplishments of a few prominent historic 
figures: Phillis Wheatley, the unlikely American patriot during the 
Revolutionary War, Harriet Tubman, the leader of the Underground 
Railroad from slavery, Ida B. Wells, the unyielding opponent of 
lynching, Rosa Parks, the mother of the modem Civil Rights Movement. 
Black women have been notable for standing against oppression. From 
Gwendolyn Brooks to Toni Morrison to Rita Dove, they have distinguished 
themselves in American letters, and in recent years they have been 
recognized as actors and recording artists with Academy Awards and 
Grammys.''
  ``The accomplishments of these exceptional women are the expressions 
of a vibrant culture in which African American women play a singular 
role. The labors, struggles, organization, and sacrifices of common 
women have made possible the prominence of heralded individuals. In 
churches, community groups, literary societies, sororities, and 
advocacy organizations, African American women have been the core of 
organized black life, but here their strivings have often escaped the 
gaze of the public, and hence their history is too little known.''
  ``Their story is unique in the annals of American history. Black 
women were held as slaves and middle-class black women labored while 
their counterparts were housewives. Subjected to a long history of 
stereotypes about their sexuality, morality, spirituality, and 
intellect, African American women have never succumbed to victimhood 
and have pressed forward to uplift themselves, their families, and 
their community.''
  ``To gain an understanding of the history of African American women 
is to broaden our understanding of a people and the American Nation. 
The Association for the Study of African American Life and History 
dedicates the 2012 Annual Black History Theme to exploring African 
American women's roles in and contributions to the making of America.''
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in 
recognizing the work of African American women throughout our nation's 
history.

                          ____________________