[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 30 (Thursday, February 25, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1054-S1055]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          BLACK HISTORY MONTH

  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, in honor of the rich cultural heritage 
of the African-American community in Maryland and in memory of all the 
freedom fighters across the Nation, past and present, I am celebrating 
Black History Month by reexamining what this country still needs to do 
to guarantee that African Americans are not left behind when it comes 
to the issues that matter.
  We are living right now in a world that is fighting for change on 
many levels, from social unrest in our cities, to expansive 
international crises. While the news may seem grim, there is also 
inspiration every day around the world as people come together to bring 
about the peaceful change that they are fighting for. There are 
peaceful protests for great social change, the next generation is 
volunteering and giving hope to their communities, and educational 
opportunities continue to grow for our youth around the world.
  Reflecting on where we have been and where we are going, I recognize 
the immeasurable impact that Maryland African Americans have made to 
our culture and to the fight for equal rights for all. Benjamin 
Banneker, born in Catonsville, made scientific strides to help us 
understand the mysteries of nature. Harriet Tubman and Reverend Josiah 
Henson each led slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad 
running through Maryland, defying the law and fighting for what was 
right. Isaac Myers became a labor leader, the first president of the 
Colored National Labor Union, and a cofounder of a cooperative shipyard 
and railway to provide African Americans with employment opportunities 
in Baltimore. Frederick Douglass was a dedicated and prolific civil 
rights activist and author. Explorer Matthew Henson co-discovered the 
North Pole and traversed the ends of the earth.
  We certainly will never forget the esteemed Supreme Court Justice 
Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Justice on the Court, who 
protected and fought for our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit 
of happiness. He fought for desegregation through the law throughout 
his long career, in particular arguing the Brown v. Board of Education 
case in front of the Supreme Court, on behalf of African-American 
schoolchildren across the U.S.
  We honor those who came before us by continuing to fight for justice 
and equality today. That means the right laws, and it means the right 
education. That means fighting for economic justice, social justice, 
and criminal justice. We know that the best weapons against economic 
injustice is a good education. That is why I am fighting for public 
schools that families can count on because the quality of education 
your kids receive shouldn't depend on the zip code you live in. That is 
why I fought and continue to fight for early child care, which helps 
1.5 million children, including 19,000 in Maryland, get ready for 
school. That is why I pushed to fund early education to help States 
implement high quality preschool programs and Head Start programs. That 
means college that is affordable and accessible. It is why I am 
fighting to simplify the application for student aid and expand Pell 
grants to make sure that students can pay for books next semester or 
rent next month. We fought for the American Opportunity Tax Credit so 
that parents could get a tax break for sending their kids to college--
because a college education is part of the American dream, not part of 
a financial nightmare.
  We look to our community and national leaders, like the NAACP, 
headquartered in Baltimore, to continue to lead the fight for equal 
rights. We look to our strong leaders in Maryland, like Freeman 
Hrabowski, the president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore 
County, and Representative Elijah Cummings, fighting tooth and nail 
every day for the citizens of Maryland's Seventh Congressional 
District.
  With people like this to look up to, we are reminded of the abiding 
truth that each of us has the power to create a better world for 
ourselves and our children. So the battle is enjoined. As the great 
Martin Luther King, Jr., said, ``Change does not roll in on the wheels 
of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must 
straighten our backs and work for our freedom.'' This is not about the 
past, and it is not only about the present, but it is also about the 
future.
  I thank so many people and organizations around the Nation and in 
Maryland for all they do every day for our future. Remember, each of us 
can make a difference, but together we can make change.
  Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, as we celebrate Black History Month, we 
remember so many trailblazers. From William Flora's heroism during the 
American Revolution, to Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, Rosa 
Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King, the contributions of Black Americans 
throughout our Nation's history are great. But they are not limited to 
the names and stories we all know--every family has their legend, their 
groundbreaker.
  Growing up in North Charleston, SC, my granddaddy, Artis Ware, was my 
hero. He passed away last month at the age of 94, leaving our family 
saddened by his loss, but truly blessed by his life. I wanted to take 
this opportunity to share what my granddaddy meant to us, and how his 
legacy shows the true meaning of Proverbs 13:22--``A good man leaves an 
inheritance to his children's children.''
  My granddaddy was born in 1921 in Salley, SC. He grew up picking 
cotton and left school after the third grade. He did not let the lack 
of a formal education hold him back though, and as he grew up, he moved 
to North Charleston

[[Page S1055]]

and eventually secured a job with the South Carolina Ports Authority.
  As a young kid, this was the granddaddy I knew, not one that let his 
circumstances hold him back or let his frustrations overtake his love 
for his family. After my parents' divorce, my mom, my brother, and I 
all moved into my grandparents' house--about 800 or 900 square feet and 
one bathroom. The three of us shared a bedroom--and were happy to do 
so.
  What I remember most about my granddaddy from this time was, on so 
many mornings, he would sit down at the kitchen table, have a cup of 
coffee, and leaf through the newspaper. He wanted us to see him 
reading, reinforcing the importance of doing well in school. It wasn't 
until years later that I learned he couldn't read.
  My cousin also loves to tell the story of how granddaddy would wake 
up to do the laundry at 4 a.m. and make sure everyone else got up and 
started working as well. That work ethic and dedication started to 
funnel down through the rest of our family and showed us all the 
importance of hard work.
  Granddaddy's messages worked--my brother recently retired as a 
command sergeant major after 30 years in the Army, my cousin is a 
preacher in North Charleston, and I eventually got my own act together 
as well. My nephew, grandaddy's great-grandson, has earned his 
undergrad from Georgia Tech, his master's at Duke, and is now headed to 
medical school at Emory.
  That is the power of a strong role model, someone who knows there is 
a better future out there for his family. In my granddaddy's lifetime, 
our family went from cotton to Congress, and I could never even pretend 
to thank him enough. He was the rock for our family--our trailblazer.

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