[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 20 (Thursday, February 5, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E169-E170]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, February 2, 2015

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, first, let me thank Congressman Donald Payne, 
Jr. and Congresswoman Robin Kelly for hosting this evening's Special 
Order. I appreciate your leadership in organizing this important 
discussion.
  Today we ask: where we were, where we are, and where we are headed. 
This year, we celebrate 50 years from the March in Selma. 50 years from 
the signing of the pivotal Voting Rights Act. Over that last 50 years, 
much has changed. But the work remains unfinished.
  Fifty years ago, civil rights leaders and concerned citizens marched 
in Selma for freedom. The freedom to vote, to assemble, to petition 
their government--the Constitutional protections enshrined in our 
nation's Constitution.
  It was a fight to end legal, Jim Crow segregation in the South that 
actively and systemically suppressed African Americans. But it was also 
a fight to protect all Americans--as Dr. King wrote in his famous 
letter from the Birmingham Jail: ``injustice anywhere is a threat to 
justice everywhere.''
  We are still fighting to end injustice in our nation--we are fighting 
for economic justice and justice under the law.
  Nearly 50 years ago, Dr. King outlined the two Americas that still 
exist today.
  In a speech on April 14th, 1967 at Stanford University, Dr. King 
explained: ``there are literally two Americas. One America is beautiful 
for situation. And, in a sense, this America is overflowing with the 
milk of prosperity and the honey of opportunity. . . . tragically and 
unfortunately, there is another America. This other America has a daily 
ugliness about it that constantly transforms the ebulliency of hope 
into the fatigue of despair.''
  Ladies and gentlemen--tragically, there are still two Americas.
  Systemic and institutional disparities and inequality are endemic at 
every level of our society--a legacy born in the suffering of the 
Middle Passage, nurtured through slavery and preserved with Jim Crow.
  Today, we see this legacy in African American unemployment that is 
more than twice the unemployment rate of whites.
  We see it in poverty rates for African Americans that are nearly 
three times the rate of white Americans.
  We see it in the faces of the 1 in 3 black men who will have spent 
some time of their life in jail.
  Mr. Speaker--In many ways, we are still living in two Americas. One 
of poverty, unemployment and injustice.
  Mr. Speaker--too many are being left behind.
  Sadly, Congressional leadership has decided to pursue partisan 
gridlock instead of acting for the millions of struggling Americans.
  Tragically, many of the rights we fought for 50 years ago we are 
still fighting today. Congress has reauthorized the Voting Rights Act 
four times, with large bipartisan support. However, there has been no 
Congressional action since the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights 
Act. Not one hearing, not one vote and the Chairman of the Judiciary 
Committee has made clear, on this floor, that he has no intentions of 
taking up this matter.
  Likewise, the deaths of Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Oscar 
Grant--one of my constituents--and many others illustrate that there 
are still two Americas.
  Recent events forced us to ask ourselves do Black lives matter? Yes--
black lives matter. Brown lives matter. White lives matter--all lives 
matter.
  Our institutions must reflect this core value that all lives matters. 
We in Congress have a duty to get serious about reforming our broken 
criminal justice system. We need to repeal unfair sentencing laws, 
increase police force diversity, improve racial sensitivity training, 
end the school-to-prison pipeline and work to re-integrate ex-offenders 
back into society.
  The Black Lives Matter movement parallels the Civil Rights Movement's 
call to action, a movement to that calls us to end economic despair, 
drives out hate and fear and embrace love, and unseats the unjust 
status quo.
  While Americans from all walks of life continue to protest and demand 
for change, Congress must hear their call and work to enact real 
change.
  Like Congress acted 50 years ago after Selma, we were sent to 
Washington to address the issues facing our nation--let's start working 
on the structural and racial biases that pervades and poisons our 
institutions.
  That is why I am a proud cosponsor of the Grand Jury Reform Act, 
which authorizes an appointment of a special prosecutor to conduct an 
investigation and present the results to a judge in a probable cause 
hearing, open to the public, whenever a police officer kills an 
individual while acting in the line of duty.
  Mr. Speaker--We must pass this bill.
  I have also introduced the Half in Ten Act to create a national 
strategy to cut the poverty rate in half over the next decade and lift 
22 million Americans into the middle class.
  Mr. Speaker--We must also pass this bill.
  As a nation, we have made progress against racism and injustice. But 
we are backsliding.
  We cannot lose the prize that our forefathers and mothers fought, 
bled and died to obtain and preserve. The soul of our nation is at 
stake.
  Today, we carry the banner of Dr. King, Rosa Parks, and Medgar Evers. 
We have a duty to continue the fight for freedom, equality and justice.
  This means Congress working together--Republican and Democrat--to 
pass important legislation to address unemployment and poverty and 
protect the voting rights of all.

[[Page E170]]

  The American dream of equality, freedom, liberty, justice and life 
must be more than just words. It must be a promise to all Americans, 
regardless of race, gender, place of birth, disability, sexual 
orientation or gender identity, nationality or religion.
  Together, we can continue the unfinished work of creating a more 
perfect union.

                          ____________________