[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 93 (Thursday, June 11, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E881]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       CELEBRATING D.C. FLAG DAY

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                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 11, 2015

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of 
Representatives to join me in celebrating D.C. Flag Day, Sunday, June 
14, 2015, which will be celebrated beginning this Saturday. All are 
invited to the fourth annual D.C. Flag Day Festival in Dupont Circle, 
celebrating the determination of the people of the District of Columbia 
to continue to fight for equal rights and statehood under the American 
flag. D.C. residents have struggled for equal rights since the city 
became the nation's capital in 1801. Although the city did not achieve 
home rule until 1973, D.C. finally got its own flag in 1938, when 
Congress commissioned a competition, and native Washingtonian Charles 
Dunn designed the current flag from the coat of arms of George 
Washington.
  Thanks to the D.C. Flag Festival organizers, the event showcases 
everything that makes D.C. unique--our diverse communities, music, 
arts, food, and our D.C. flag--all of which will be on display for 
enjoyment and entertainment. However, on D.C. Flag Day, residents will 
rally not only for the American flag but also their flag, to show pride 
in their city and demand statehood. Residents began to celebrate D.C. 
Flag Day in 2011, and June 14 continues to serve as an important day to 
mark the quest for freedom and equal rights for the citizens of 
hometown Washington, D.C. D.C. Flag Day coincides with national Flag 
Day, which has been a national holiday since 1886, and inspired the 
organizers of D.C. Flag Day to celebrate the event locally in the 
District of Columbia.
  At this weekend's D.C. Flag Day, we celebrate the District's own flag 
as well as the American flag. As residents show pride for our country 
and their hometown, they also continue to fight for the equal treatment 
the flag symbolizes. The American flag, our national symbol of 
patriotism and love of country, emboldens our continuous battle for 
self-government, voting rights, and statehood for the more than 650,000 
taxpaying American citizens who live here.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in 
recognizing D.C. Flag Day, its two-day celebration on June 13 and 14, 
and the organizers of the D.C. Flag Day celebration for their exemplary 
efforts to ensure equal rights for the citizens of the District of 
Columbia by creating pride in the city and promoting the city's rich 
cultural heritage.

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