[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 29 (Thursday, February 28, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E227]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          BLACK HISTORY MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE GARCIA

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 28, 2013

  Mr. GARCIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in observance of Black History 
Month--an opportunity to celebrate the rich legacy of African-Americans 
and the many ways they have shaped our Nation's history.
  This Black History Month, we commemorate two landmark anniversaries 
in American history: the 150th anniversary of Emancipation Proclamation 
and the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. Separated by a 
century, these two seminal events underscore what the Reverend Martin 
Luther King, Jr., once said--that ``the arc of the moral universe is 
long but it bends towards justice.'' Each successive generation of 
Americans must always do their part to build on the progress of those 
who came before them in order to advance the ideals of freedom and 
equality upon which our Nation was founded.
  In South Florida, we have benefited tremendously from trailblazing 
African-American leaders who have broken through color barriers in 
order to contribute to our communities and our country.
  They include individuals who served our country bravely, including 
Lt. Col. Eldridge Williams--one of the legendary Tuskegee airman--and 
Col. Brodes Hartley Jr., who has been a leading civil rights leader in 
South Florida committed to improving quality health care access for 
low-income families. And also Reverend John A. Ferguson, who after 
serving in the Navy helped found a small congregation in Richmond 
Heights that would grow to nearly 800 under his leadership and today 
stands at over 1400.
  They include leaders like Al Dotson Sr., a pastor who served as the 
first elected African American president of the Orange Bowl Committee 
and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Florida International 
University, as well as Mayor Otis Wallace, who has served Florida City 
as mayor for over twenty-eight years and is today the longest serving 
elected official in the State of Florida.
  I could name so many others. South Florida is a better place because 
of their commitment to public service and their strong leadership.

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