[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 25 (Monday, February 13, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E182]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

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                         HON. ADRIANO ESPAILLAT

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 13, 2017

  Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Black History 
Month, also known as African American History Month during this month 
of February.
  This is an opportunity to celebrate the countless contributions that 
African Americans have made to our great nation throughout its history. 
First recognized in 1926 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, Black History Month 
allows us to reflect on the collective strength that diversity 
continues to bring to our great nation today and the many days to come.
  New York's thirteenth congressional district has a rich history that 
celebrates the contributions of African Americans to New York City, and 
the legacy of African American history in the United States. The Apollo 
Theater, opened in 1914, introduced the world to the transcendent voice 
and talent of Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, and Lauryn Hill.
  The Audubon Ballroom where the late Malcolm X (Malcolm el-Hajj Malik 
el-Shabazz) was assassinated now stands in memoriam to his legacy and 
is also a venue for community organizing.
  Even after his passing, in his name the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty 
Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center has become a landmark for my 
constituents and visitors alike seeking reflection and enrichment.
  Known to locals and across the country, Harlem's famous Sylvia's 
Restaurant founded by Sylvia Woods--the Queen of Soulfood--for 55 years 
stands proudly as a window to the rich culinary history of African 
Americans throughout the country. These institutions are cultural 
landmarks that help tell the story of the African American experience 
that runs throughout communities across the land.
  During this month of reflection, as a representative of New York's 
13th district, it is incumbent on me to highlight and celebrate the 
history of my predecessors. That history begins with the Honorable 
Congressman Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Congressman Powell was the first 
African-American to represent any district of New York in the U.S. 
Congress.
  First elected in 1944, Congressman Powell served the Harlem community 
for more than two decades during which he worked tirelessly to raise 
the minimum wage, supported education and training for the hearing 
impaired, bolstered vocational training and endeavored to provide 
continued aid to elementary and secondary schools and public libraries.
  His presence as an African-American in the U.S. House of 
Representatives was not just poignant for symbolisms' sake. In 1951, 
Congressman Powell rose to become the Chairman of the House Committee 
on Education and Labor. For his efforts, President Lyndon B. Johnson in 
1966 wrote that Congressman Powell's record, ``represents the 
successful reporting of 49 pieces of bed-rock legislation. And the 
passage of every one of these bills attests to your ability to get 
things done.''
  President Johnson continued ``Even now, these laws which you so 
effectively guided through the House are finding abundant reward in the 
lives of our people.'' Most striking was his affirmation that ``only 
with progressive leadership could so much have been accomplished by one 
committee in so short a time. I speak for millions of Americans who 
benefit from these laws when I say that I am truly grateful.''
  Congressman Powell's example and work to build Harlem (formerly New 
York 22nd district) and provide opportunities for the African American 
community remain enshrined today. Most well-known is Adam Clayton 
Powell Jr. Boulevard running through Harlem and the Adam Clayton Powell 
Jr. State Office Building in Harlem. While these share his name, his 
contributions reached beyond Harlem. Congressman Powell successfully 
coordinated the merger of Freedman's Hospital locally in Washington, 
D.C. with Howard University. Howard University has the largest 
concentration of black faculty and student scholars in the country and 
its College of Medicine stands today as a proud institution whose 
legacy contributing to African American society will continue to stand 
the test of time.
  To my new colleagues, the Honorable Charles B. Rangel is no stranger 
to any of you. He has represented Harlem for almost 50 years beginning 
in the New York State Legislature and then in the U.S. House of 
Representatives. In this chamber, Congressman Rangel was a founding 
member of the Congressional Black Caucus. For over 40 years, this 
esteemed organization has served to ``promote the public welfare 
through legislation designed to meet the needs of millions of neglected 
citizens.'' Where Congressman Powell rose to chair the House Committee 
on Education and Labor, Congressman Rangel in his own right rose among 
his peers to chair the House Committee on Ways and Means; where his 
chairmanship represents the ``most powerful gavel ever held by an 
African American in Congress.''
  Congressman Rangel's place in African American history transcends 
Harlem and New York City. In 1965 Congressman Rangel joined Dr. Martin 
Luther King, Jr. in the historical march from Selma, AL to Montgomery, 
AL to advance equal civil rights for African Americans. The poignancy 
of this grand action over those five days guided a career advocating 
for nondiscrimination, developing urban neighborhoods and protecting 
veterans like himself from disfranchisement.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have been given the opportunity share 
with my colleagues the virtues of African American Heritage Month and 
time to celebrate the contributions of African Americans in New York's 
13th Congressional District.

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