[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 47 (Monday, March 19, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H1688-H1694]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   2018: THE YEAR OF THE BLACK WOMAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Mast). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 3, 2017, the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke) 
is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.


                             General Leave

  Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include any extraneous material on the subject of this Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I 
rise today to anchor this Congressional Black Caucus Special Order 
hour. I thank the Congressional Black Caucus chairman, Cedric Richmond, 
for his leadership in this effort.
  For the next 60 minutes, we have an opportunity to speak directly to 
the American people about issues of great importance to the 
Congressional Black Caucus and the millions of constituents whom we 
represent. Tonight's Special Order hour topic is Women's History Month.
  Mr. Speaker, during Women's History Month, we salute phenomenal women 
who refused to sit on the sidelines of history. After the passage of 
the 19th Amendment, millions of women have continued to march like the 
women who came before them.
  For generations, women, particularly Black women, have been on the 
front lines fighting for key rights for America's women, including the 
right to equal pay, the right to equal access to educational 
opportunities, and the right to equal access to opportunities in the 
workplace.
  In that spirit, I rise today on behalf of the Congressional Black 
Caucus in reclaiming 2018 as the Year of the Black Woman. 2018, the 
Year of the Black Woman--I like the sound of that. Black women are a 
force to reckon with, and we shall not be moved.
  New York, my hometown, has a longstanding and illustrious legacy of 
leading the way to advance women's rights, from Seneca Falls to the 
United States Congress, and even on the road to the White House. It was 
where Madam C.J. Walker and Billie Holiday laid down their roots. It 
was the home of the late great Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, the 
first African-American woman to serve in this distinguished House and 
whose congressional district I represent today.
  ``I am not a candidate of Black America, although I am Black and 
proud. I am not a candidate of the women's movement of this country, 
although I am a woman, and I am equally proud of that. . . . I am the 
candidate of the people of America.'' These are the words she spoke.
  This year marks the 50th anniversary of Shirley Chisholm's election 
to the House of Representatives as the reformer from Brooklyn and the 
46th anniversary of her historic bid for the Presidency. In doing so, 
Shirley Chisholm blazed a pathway for millions of girls and women to 
dream unthinkable dreams.
  Shirley Chisholm's labor and contribution to Brooklyn, Congress, and 
the Nation continues to bear fruit today. She paved the way for many of 
the women, myself included, to run for elected office at all levels.
  Shirley Chisholm opposed war, racism, sexism, and inequality. She 
stood up to Republicans and demanded more from her own party. She won; 
she lost; she never backed down.
  Forty-six years ago, the unbossed and unbought Shirley Chisholm 
announced her candidacy for President of the United States, making her 
the first woman in history to run for the highest office in the land. I 
can because she did.
  Congresswoman Chisholm used the authority of her experience to create 
nutrition assistance programs, expand healthcare services for parents 
and children, increase the minimum wage, support the veterans of our 
Armed Forces, and provide opportunities for women in college, graduate 
school, and collegiate and professional sports with the enactment of 
title IX.
  But that is not all. Shirley Chisholm pushed this country forward. I 
can recall growing up in Brooklyn and just being so proud as a young 
girl growing up knowing that there was a woman who looked like me who 
came from my neighborhood, who came from my origins, sitting here in 
the House of Representatives. She was somewhat of a rock star in 
Brooklyn.
  Her intellect, her ability, her savviness was something that she 
exuded in every environment that she found herself. She was pretty 
stylish as well. But it was, indeed, her strategic thinking and her 
ability to be a voice for the voiceless that really propelled Shirley 
Chisholm into the hearts and minds of all Americans.
  Shirley Chisholm pushed this country forward, and for this and other 
reasons, she deserves a permanent place among other figures of United 
States history right here in the Capitol.

  In January, I introduced H.R. 4856, what I have named the Shirley 
Chisholm Statue Bill. The bill would do just that, honor Shirley 
Chisholm's legacy with a permanent statue among those statues in our 
hollowed Halls. H.R. 4856 directs the United States Joint Committee on 
the Library, which is responsible for oversight of the operations of 
the Library of Congress and the management of Statuary Hall Collection, 
to obtain a statue of Chisholm

[[Page H1689]]

for permanent placement in the United States Capitol. I am very pleased 
to say that over 70 Members of the United States House of 
Representatives are cosponsors.
  My sister, colleague, and friend, Senator Kamala Harris of 
California, in late February, introduced the companion bill. Among 
Senate cosponsors are the CBC members Senator Cory Booker of New 
Jersey, in addition to Senators Warren and Sanders, and my Senators, 
Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, as well.
  Senator Harris and I agree, Shirley Chisholm created a path for Black 
women Members of Congress who have served after her. ``Her legacy 
encourages us to keep up the fight for our most voiceless and 
vulnerable,'' Senator Harris stated.
  Mr. Speaker, Rosa and Sojourner, giant figures in American history 
and the only two African-American women cemented permanently here in 
the Capitol, are lonely. Mr. Speaker, I hope that you will join us in 
this effort. Let's pass the Shirley Chisholm Statue Bill right away.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. 
Lawrence), one of the staunch supporters of women's rights here on 
Capitol Hill and co-chair of the Bipartisan Women's Caucus.
  Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Clarke for all of 
her strong leadership as a Member of Congress and also as a co-chair of 
the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls as she advocates for 
awareness, fairness, and equality for all.
  Mr. Speaker, I stand here today during Women's History Month to 
acknowledge the impact and legacy of Black women in America. Black 
women have blazed trails, set standards, and broken barriers in every 
job sector, elected position, and civil rights movement in America.
  I am especially proud of the strong leadership of African-American 
women during the suffrage movement. The suffrage movement was the 
demand and struggle for the right for all women to vote and run for 
office and was a very important part of the overall women's rights 
movement.
  Faced with constant opposition and threats of violence, women of 
various social classes, economic classes, and race traveled across the 
country to make their proclamation loud and clear. They have a voice, 
and they deserved a vote.
  As women fought and marched for their right to be treated as first-
class citizens, in addition to their gender, African-American women 
were also faced with the barriers of racism in America. While women 
were united by gender, they remained divided by race. In the march for 
respect and dignity, Black women were asked to march at the back of the 
suffrage parade.
  Despite being asked to go to the back of the parade, 22 founders of 
the amazing Delta Sigma Theta sorority marched. This sorority was the 
only African-American women's organization to participate in the 
parade. I am proud to say I am a proud member of Delta Signa Theta.
  Another member of Delta Signa Theta sorority, Ida B. Wells-Barnette, 
marched for the right to vote. A journalist, antilynching crusader, and 
outspoken suffragist founded the first African-American women's 
suffrage organization, the Alpha Suffrage Club of Chicago. The members 
of the Ida B. Wells organization joined her in marching in the women's 
suffrage march parade in Washington in 1913.
  Mr. Speaker, this is just one of the examples of how Black women have 
faced, head-on, the double barrier of being Black and being a woman in 
America. As a Black woman of Congress and as vice chair of the 
Democratic Women's Working Group and the Congressional Caucus for 
Women's Issues, I stand on the shoulders of women who refused to accept 
the status of being a second-class citizen, a second-class woman, or a 
second-class race.
  I stand on the shoulders of Shirley Chisholm, as my colleague has 
outlined this amazing woman being the first African-American woman of 
Congress.
  I stand on the shoulders of women like Erma Henderson. She was a 
Detroit civil rights activist who became the first Black woman to be 
elected to the Detroit City Council. She was the first woman I was able 
to look up to as a little Black girl growing up in the city of Detroit. 
She inspired me to believe that one day I, too, could have a seat at 
the table.
  Mr. Speaker, the legacy of Black women is far from over. I am proud 
of how far we have come, and I am encouraged by the hope of what is 
next. I am encouraged by my colleagues--White, Black, men, and women--
who continue to fight for fairness, justice, and equality for all women 
and for Black women in this country.
  Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her 
extraordinary comments this evening, really highlighting the triumphs 
and the challenges of both race and gender when we talk about Black 
women.
  This is Women's History Month. We want to bring a unique lens to the 
conversation of Women's History Month because oftentimes, indeed, Black 
women tend to be the hidden figures.

                              {time}  2030

  Having said that, it is now my honor to yield to the gentlewoman from 
California, the honorable Barbara Lee, one of the outstanding mentors 
and Black women here in Congress who has done extraordinary work, 
whether it is in leading the conscience of this Congress around the 
Iraq war or many other causes that we have seen her leadership as a 
north star to really making this Nation the best that it can be. It is 
my honor to yield to the gentlewoman from California.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentlewoman for those kind 
remarks, and also let me thank Congresswoman Lawrence for her 
tremendous leadership and all she has done not only through this 
Special Order, but through all of their work with the Congressional 
Black Women and Girls Caucus. They have really lifted up Black women 
and shown the world that Black women lead, and I am very proud of both 
of them for doing that. You know, hidden figures, we are not hidden 
anymore thanks to them.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to just take a minute and begin by saying what a 
huge void it is on the floor of this House tonight without the presence 
of our beloved warrior woman Congresswoman Louise Slaughter. She was a 
brilliant and beautiful woman: the first woman to chair the Rules 
Committee and the only microbiologist in the House. My heart is broken 
tonight.
  Louise sat right there. She encouraged us; she supported our agenda, 
whatever we were doing; and she was a true mentor. I know, on behalf of 
all of us, we are praying for her family and her constituents tonight, 
and it feels different without Louise being on this floor.
  I am glad to be with my sisters this evening and Congressional Black 
Caucus member Mr. Evans because this is a moment that we have to kind 
of pull together in her absence.
  Each year, in March, we pause to honor the countless contributions 
that women have made to this Nation. As a Black woman, I am uniquely 
aware that our stories tend, really, to be lost in the mainstream 
celebration of Women's History Month. That is why I am glad to be here 
with my CBC colleagues to declare that, yes, 2018, this is the year of 
the Black woman.
  For generations, Black women have blazed trails throughout this 
Nation: Madam C.J. Walker, Mary McLeod Bethune, Ruby Bridges, Audre 
Lorde, Mae Jemison, and Michelle Obama. This list of historical Black 
girl magic, it could go on. It could go on and on because, in every 
chapter of American history, Black women have stood up, spoken out, and 
pushed this Nation closer to freedom and justice and equality for all.
  Last year, we saw the clearest indication of the influence that Black 
women have on our society through the emergence of the Me Too movement 
against sexual assault and misconduct.
  Many don't know this, but the Me Too movement was started by a Black 
woman 12 years ago to support victims and survivors of sexual violence. 
Tarana Burke's work and the phrase ``me too'' have revolutionized the 
way we approach sexual assault in this country. But as has been the 
case throughout American history, Tarana's story, the story of Black 
women, is often lost in mainstream coverage of this movement, and what 
a shame it is.

[[Page H1690]]

  But, once again, 2018, this is the year of Black women, and thank you 
for giving us a chance to highlight some of these hidden figures.
  Courageous, bold, and brilliant women like Tarana have been fighting 
for the soul of this country for generations. And despite being locked 
out of opportunity and left behind in consideration, like our beloved, 
brilliant, the late Dr. Maya Angelou said so wisely: And still we rise.
  We rise in the spirit of Black women like Ida B. Wells, who happens 
to have been born on July 16, which is my birthday--different year, 
though, but July 16. She was a revolutionary journalist and crusader 
for justice who spoke truth to power and exposed the atrocity of 
lynchings across the country.
  We rise with the hope and determination of Black women like my 
mentor--and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke has so boldly taken up her 
agenda, and she is standing on her shoulders--Congresswoman Shirley 
Chisholm, the first major party African-American candidate and the 
first woman candidate who ran for the United States Presidency.
  Miss C., as we called her, broke many barriers while tirelessly 
advocating for the most vulnerable in our Nation and our world. Mr. 
Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Clarke for laying her record out.
  I have to say, I got to know her very well. I was honored to have 
coordinated her northern California campaign, and I saw the many 
obstacles that she overcame as a Black woman in politics.
  I happen to have been honored to have been a Shirley Chisholm 
delegate in Miami at the convention, and I have to just say, you talk 
about mentors, Congresswoman Chisholm encouraged me, and she was a 
catalyst for change, and she was unbought and unbossed.
  I think Black women today are unbought and unbossed, and we are the 
catalyst for change, and so I can't help but honor Congresswoman 
Shirley Chisholm tonight and thank her for her contributions to our 
country, but also for being so special in my life, because I shared 
many, many, many moments with her.
  So thank you again, and we want to recognize her on this floor.
  Mr. Speaker, we also rise with the courage of fearless Black women 
like Anita Hill, who held her head high and spoke out against sexual 
harassment despite being humiliated by a committee of White male 
Senators.
  I was reminded by Andrea Mitchell last week, on her show, that 
Congresswoman Slaughter was one of those House Members who marched over 
there to that committee and held that hearing up for a couple of days.
  When we rise, when we stand up together. When we refuse to be 
silenced, Black women and women can change history.
  Because Anita Hill refused to let the abuse she was subjected to 
dissuade her from working to create a world where other young female 
professionals wouldn't be made to accept sexual harassment as simply 
part of the job, a movement was begun because of that.

  The movement led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1991 that 
allowed employees to sue for damages related to sex discrimination and 
harassment, and Anita reminded us that it was a Black woman who filed 
the first sexual harassment lawsuit in the mid-eighties.
  Now, this movement led to more women being elected to office, 
tripling the number of women Senators from two to six; and because of 
that movement, there are now 22 women Senators and 104 Members of the 
House.
  Make no mistake, we still have a long way to go to achieve full and 
lasting equality for Black women in this country. Black women still 
make only 60 cents for every dollar that White females make. We still 
have to fight for access to healthcare, and structural sexism continues 
to stand in the way of Black women being able to fully achieve the 
American Dream. But still we rise.
  I am confident that, no matter what obstacles we face, as long as we 
stand up, speak out, and fight for what is right, we will win--because 
we are winning.
  And let me just say as a Black woman who has been fighting for social 
justice and equality my entire life, the fight is worth it.
  So I am proud to stand here with you tonight in memory of my mother, 
who was a fearless warrior woman, who taught me never to back down if I 
thought what I said or what I did was right.
  Had Black women, like Ida B. Wells, my mother, Mildred Parish Massey, 
Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, and Anita Hill given up, I might not be 
standing here today. I am the 17th African-American woman in Congress, 
the 74th African American, and the 163rd woman to serve in the House of 
Representatives in the United States' history. I know I would not be 
here if it weren't for these phenomenal African-American warrior women.
  Mr. Speaker, thank you again for giving us a chance tonight to talk 
about our great sheroes, and I hope we continue to educate the public 
and to lift up Black women so the entire country will really understand 
and value and know where we have been so they know where we are going, 
and that is to achieve liberty and justice for everyone in this 
country.
  Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from 
California for her eloquent presentation this evening.
  It is now my honor and privilege to bring to the floor the gentleman 
from the great State of Pennsylvania, the great city of Philadelphia, 
the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection, the honorable Dwight 
Evans of the Second Congressional District.
  Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from the 
great city of Brooklyn, particularly the great part of New York in 
terms of Brooklyn. She always reminds me that there is not a better 
place than Brooklyn. And if you haven't been there, I encourage you to 
go to Brooklyn.
  What can I say about my colleague Congresswoman Lawrence from 
Michigan? As they both lead this effort, I compliment both of them.
  I want to thank my colleagues for holding this Special Order hour to 
talk about our queens, our rocks, and our Black women. I say that 
because I was raised by a Black woman who was a single head of 
household, better known as my mom, Jean Evans. She was someone then and 
now who always was very consistent in her message in terms of stay 
strong and always look forward.
  As we paint a picture of the Black community in 2018, it is clear 
that we have a lot to lose, because too many of our neighborhoods, 
unfortunately, are still plagued by rampant poverty, dysfunction, and 
crime. They are very serious issues.
  But as I seek to tie together last week's Congressional Black Caucus 
Special Order with tonight's theme, it is important to remember that, 
when the Kerner Commission report was issued, and even today, Black 
women had to deal with racism and, add to that, sexism. I am comforted 
by the fact that the excellence of Black women continues to outshine 
the gloom and doom that some of these problems bring. In fact, the 
fastest growing category of entrepreneurs are Black women.
  Fortunately, I don't have to look too far because of Philadelphia, 
home of some of the most dynamic women and Black women in America. 
There is a woman there who is very good, and I have known her an awful 
long time, City Councilwoman Janine Blackwell, six terms in the 
council, born and raised in Philadelphia. She is a seasoned advocate 
for social change and has a 30-year reputation for serving community 
members and the poor and underprivileged in the city of Philadelphia, 
making her a leader in our city, Councilwoman Janine Blackwell.
  Della Clark, president of The Enterprise Center, has played an 
integral role in the creative, technical, and professional progress of 
minority business development over the course of her life.
  Estelle Richman, former Secretary of Public Welfare and Chief 
Operating Officer of the United States Department of Housing and Urban 
Development. Richman oversaw agency efforts that resulted in an 
increased percentage of foster children finding permanent homes and a 
drop in the waiting list for mental retardation services.
  Julia Coker Graham is the president and the CEO of the Philadelphia 
Convention and Visitors Bureau, where she oversees all of the 
organization's departments and operational duties.

[[Page H1691]]

Prior to being named to the position, she served as the senior vice 
president of the convention sales and management staff, 25 people. She 
leads that organization, and she represents the face of Philadelphia.
  The late C. Delores Tucker, who was the first African American to 
serve in the cabinet of a governor in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
  And last but not least is Sarah Lomax-Reese, president and general 
manager of WURD, better known as Wurd in the African-American 
community, a Black-owned radio station.

                              {time}  2045

  All of these women I have mentioned have, in one way or another, 
affected me personally and have played a very key role in my life. So I 
want to join with my colleagues and talk about these beautiful women--
our queens, our rocks, our great women. I thank both of my colleagues 
for allowing me to have this opportunity to join this discussion.
  Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania for really bringing to the fore all of these extraordinary 
Black women in Philadelphia. It is unfortunate that our history, when 
it comes to gender parity, does not extol the virtues of everyone who 
is really laboring in the vineyard, oftentimes trailblazers and making 
things happen for communities, municipalities, and States across this 
Nation. Again, we are illuminating hidden figures this evening, and I 
want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for doing such a 
tremendous job.
  Mr. Speaker, it is now my honor and privilege to yield to the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne), who is just across the river 
from the district that I represent in New York.
  The gentleman has been an extraordinary advocate for communities of 
color in the State of New Jersey. He has done a tremendous job in work 
on the Committee on Homeland Security. I know he has been an advocate 
for promoting and putting forth Black women in leadership positions. He 
was responsible for electing the very first Black woman to be 
Lieutenant Governor of the State of New Jersey. The Honorable  Donald 
Payne, Jr., represents of the 10th District of New Jersey.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, let me first thank Representative Clarke and 
Representative Lawrence for hosting tonight's Special Order hour. These 
are two dynamic colleagues of mine. Ms. Clarke, as she stated, is right 
across the river from me and has really been a mentor to me since my 
arrival here in Congress. There is never anything that I have ever 
asked her to do that she hasn't done. I just want to acknowledge the 
great support that she has been for me since I have arrived at this 
body. She is a true leader from across the river.
  Also, Mrs. Lawrence, who is from the great State of Michigan, has 
joined us in her second term here in Congress. She has demonstrated her 
leadership day in and day out as well.
  Mr. Speaker, of course, every year is the year of the Black woman for 
me. Just as Black women like the late great Shirley Chisholm and 
Barbara Jordan paved the way for other Black women to run for office, 
the work that these gentlewomen do has inspired a new generation of 
Black women to change the course of our Nation. For that, we are all 
grateful.
  Throughout American history, Black women have been undervalued and 
undercompensated. Nationally, Black women who work in full-time jobs 
make only 64 cents for every dollar a White man makes. In New Jersey, 
Black women only make 58 cents for every dollar a White man makes. 
Black women both in New Jersey and nationally make persistently less 
than White women, despite the fact that Black women have the highest 
labor force participation rate in the United States among women.
  Regardless of their educational level, Black women are less likely 
than other workers to be employed in higher paying careers. They are 
more likely than other groups to be employed in service-industry jobs 
with low pay, no benefits, and outside the scope of the labor laws of 
this country.
  Black women are key to building long-term success in our communities, 
yet they are disproportionately incarcerated. They are more likely to 
face employment discrimination and housing discrimination. They are 
more likely to be disciplined at school, and they are still undervalued 
and underrepresented in our society.
  What should we be doing in Congress and in our communities?
  First, we should be strengthening Black women's political 
participation. We need more Black women in office at all levels of 
government. Each of us should mentor young Black women who want to 
serve. We should uplift their voices, give them the microphone, and 
build infrastructure that gets them into office.
  Secondly, we must protect the right to vote for Black women and all 
people of color. Over the past 5 years, the Supreme Court has gutted 
the Voting Rights Act. Legislators in States like Texas and South 
Carolina have passed voter ID laws that disproportionately restrict the 
right to vote for people of color, and Russian social media accounts 
have targeted the Black community to sow division and discord in our 
elections.
  As Members of Congress, we have the power to restore the Voting 
Rights Act, protect the right to vote, and ensure our elections are 
secure from foreign interference.
  Third, we need to support increased employment and higher earnings 
for Black women. That includes raising the Federal minimum wage to make 
it a liveable wage. That means strengthening collective bargaining.
  Mr. Speaker, there are many examples of women in New Jersey who have 
made great accomplishments. Throughout 2018, the Year of the Black 
Woman, it is vitally important that we elevate Black women's voices and 
their experiences. Here are just a few Black women from my district who 
are making a difference.
  Ibtihaj Muhammad, a Black woman from Maplewood, New Jersey, became 
the first American Olympian to wear a hijab during her event. She was 
also a model for the first hijab-wearing Barbie doll. Ibtihaj Muhammad 
is a trailblazer. She fenced in this year's past Summer Olympics.
  Sheila Oliver, as Ms. Clarke intimated, a Newark native, just became 
the first African-American Lieutenant Governor in New Jersey's history. 
She had already broken the glass ceiling by becoming the first African-
American woman to serve as assembly speaker in New Jersey, and only the 
second African-American woman in the country to lead a State 
legislature. The first, of course, was our colleague from California, 
Karen Bass. Sheila Oliver and Karen Bass are trailblazers.
  Mattie Holloway from Hillside, New Jersey, has spent nearly 40 years 
helping young women in her community. For the past three decades, she 
has led Hope, Inc., a community service organization that helps 
pregnant teens and young mothers stay on track during and after their 
pregnancy. Mattie Holloway is a trailblazer.

  In Bayonne, New Jersey, there is a young woman named Jae Wilson. She 
is 9 years old. Jae was at the mall one day when she noticed a homeless 
man wasn't wearing socks. Jae saw a need and stepped up to fill it. 
This young woman now spends her spare time collecting socks and shoes 
to distribute to people in need. Jae Wilson is a trailblazer.
  There are countless Black women whose contributions to our collective 
freedom have gotten us to this point today. Too often, they have been 
sidelined and, as I stated, undervalued and disrespected. Let's do a 
better job to celebrate, uplift, and empower our sisters this year and 
every year.
  Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I, once again, thank the 
gentleman from New Jersey for highlighting all of the ways in which 
Black women have excelled beyond expectation, despite all the 
challenges and the obstacles that they have faced.
  We continue to see Black women rise, and I want to thank the 
gentleman for his observations, for his experience, and his 
interactions as part of this Special Order hour. We know that, again, 
these are hidden figures, but today I say hidden no more. They are in 
the Congressional Record, and I thank the gentleman for adding such 
richness to the Record this evening.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee). 
The Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee will be sharing with us her insights

[[Page H1692]]

during this Special Order hour as we highlight the accomplishments and 
we speak to the concerns in the Year of the Black Woman.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her 
leadership and tenacity, and that of her coanchor, the Honorable Brenda 
Lawrence. They are so correct. This is the year of Black Woman Rising.
  I can't help but celebrate the quote from the Honorable Shirley 
Chisholm, whom I had the privilege of introducing more than once as a 
younger woman. One will never forget that experience and never forget 
the experience of just being around the Honorable Shirley Chisholm and 
the Honorable Barbara Jordan. They both came from similar stock on 
opposite sides of the Nation, but they were strong, stern, committed, 
and ready to serve; and serve, I like to think, without foolishness.
  So I love the quote of Congresswoman Chisholm that said: If there is 
no chair for you at the table, then bring a folding chair.
  I am paraphrasing.
  What a celebration. Let me be very clear, it can go for Black women 
today in the 21st century.
  I do want to acknowledge and to thank all women in this Women's 
History Month for their leadership and service. I want to particularly 
take note of our lost, late colleague, the Honorable Louise Slaughter, 
and say that if there was ever a mighty woman of great leadership, 
tenacity, and strength, it was our dear friend, Louise Slaughter. We 
honor her now and as well in the months to come.
  As we talk about women of color, and in this instance, Black women, 
let me tell my colleagues that was about 400 or 500 of my sorors on 
Saturday. I must make mention of Marsha Penn, our president, and we 
were talking about the famous number 98.
  Let me make sure I note all of the sorors in different sororities. 
For those of you who are not familiar with the sorority, that is a 
particular unique and special part of Black women's lives. I know there 
are other sororities, but we take it very seriously. You can be many 
colors. I happen to be pink and green, but there are many colors. I 
call them all my sorors. They are my sisters.
  But we were talking about the power, and I use the number 98. I used 
that same number when I spoke with Stacey Abrams in Georgia just a few 
weeks ago. She may, in fact, be the first African-American woman 
nominee for Governor. She is running for that position in Georgia. She 
may be one of the great leaders coming forward.
  But the 98 number is, as my colleagues know, 98 percent of African-
American women cast their vote that catapulted Senator Doug Jones into 
the United States Senate. They are change makers and tree shakers. That 
is what I want to say about Black Woman Rising. They are, in fact, 
those tree shakers.
  Might I say and pay tribute to Ivalita Jackson, my mother; Valerie 
Bennett; Sarah Jackson; Sybil Gooden; Olive Jackson, my grandmother; 
Vannie Bennett, my grandmother; Mrs. Simms, my great-grandmother; 
Audrey Reed, my aunt; Vickie Bennett, my aunt; along with Valerie 
Bennett, my aunt. All of these women surrounded me and gave me the kind 
of tenacity and strength that I can be proud of.

                              {time}  2100

  I also want to acknowledge women like Dr. Alexa Canady, the first 
African-American woman neurosurgeon; Oprah Winfrey, a Mississippi 
native who has turned into a multi-multimillionaire and upwards of a 
billionaire; and the story of Sojourner Truth, who was left off of the 
suffragette statue; but women like myself gathered together. Senator 
Clinton carried the legislation, but C. Delores Tucker was the 
inspiration. She did not rest until Sojourner Truth found her place in 
the United States Congress.
  There was Rosa Parks, who now sits in Statuary Hall in tribute to 
many members of the Congressional Black Caucus. I certainly thank our 
chairman, Mr. Richmond, for creating these opportunities for us to have 
this kind of experience.
  Let me now get to the crux of what we need to do to be fair to Black 
women.
  First of all, we need to quash, extinguish the stereotypes of welfare 
queens, incarcerated women, women with children and no spouses, and 
really talk about the mountains that Black women have climbed to raise 
children and to create heroes across the specter of leadership, from 
science to medicine, to education and, yes, to sports.
  Let's make sure that we never have a President that says ``sons of a 
B'' to malign the many mothers, many of them African American, who are 
the mothers of sports persons who, only because of their upbringing, 
had a sensitivity to criminal justice reform.
  Let us always characterize the mothers of the movement for what they 
are: not individuals who are against law enforcement or order, but 
mothers who have lost their children in an unfair way.
  We need to work toward how things should change in criminal justice 
reform and improve police-community relations so we don't have mothers 
who have lost their children, such as Eric Garner, Michael Brown, 
Walter Scott, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, and Jordan Davis. Some of 
these were not directly police issues, but they were sons who lost 
their lives, African-American young men. Also, Sandra Bland. Her mother 
is a dear friend of mine.
  They lost their lives in ways that should not have been. There are 
also the same mothers of those law enforcement officials who have lost 
their lives. They mourn. What about bringing them together? Many of the 
mothers of young African Americans are obviously people of color, but 
we have lost many in the law enforcement in the same way.
  My point is that the pain of mothers, the pain of African-American 
mothers, should be treated with dignity. The idea of a mother being on 
assistance to provide for her children and living in public housing 
should carry no label. There should not be a definition of supplemental 
food stamps as a handout, as much as it is a hand-up.
  No one should be trying to save money in the United States Congress 
by providing boxes of food versus a nutrition system that food stamps 
allow, which is to allow someone to go and buy what their family needs 
or buy the formula or what their child with allergies needs.
  Let's, first of all, establish dignity. Then, of course, if young 
women who happen to be African American happen to be incarcerated, 
let's make sure that we are looking to end mandatory minimums so that 
for these young women who are caught up in a conspiracy where the law 
wraps everyone up because of some elements of a spouse or a significant 
other or a boyfriend, and they get caught up in the criminal justice 
system, we can respond to them as mothers and recognize that they 
should be having an opportunity to not be entrapped with mandatory 
minimums so that they are never able to return to their children.
  What about women who are pregnant and incarcerated, many of them 
Latino and African-American women?
  We should be able to have a situation where those women are not 
separated from those children.
  I heard Mr. Payne mention the 64 cents per dollar that many African-
American women make in those kinds of hourly wage jobs. Therefore, we 
must have an increase in the minimum wage, but, more importantly, an 
increase in wages for women working in all capacities so that the 
stagnant wages that have not been impacted positively by the $2 
trillion-dollar tax cut, we must ensure that.
  We must ensure the ability of all persons to vote without obstruction 
and without the dastardly voter ID laws that have been put in place 
specifically to stymie the vote of people of color: Latinos and African 
Americans. I would hope that the courts would find them 
unconstitutional.
  Motherhood must be promoted, as I indicated, for those incarcerated, 
but also for those who are not. Also, the support of healthcare, which 
is what the Affordable Care Act was all about. It was to equalize and 
to give a protective system for our working mothers or our mothers who 
could not afford insurance in another way. It is unfortunate, though we 
have tried--the Republican Congress has attempted to unravel a very 
strong healthcare system.
  There are women in the United States military. First, I salute them 
all, but I also salute those African-

[[Page H1693]]

American women who have served in the military and have become 
generals.
  I do want to take note of an organization that I have a deep 
affection for, and that is NASA. I am going to make it very clear that 
I want NASA to be on notice that I am still going to focus on the 
precipitous removal of an African-American, well-qualified astronaut 
without any explanation. The only explanation is: We did this wrong, 
and we really need to fix it.
  But it needs to be explained why this person is not put back on the 
astronaut list and what excuse you had to remove her, other than the 
fact she was an African-American woman. In this month and this time we 
are honoring women, if you have a reason, you need to come forward to 
discern or explain why an African-American woman with the credentials, 
who is an M.D., who has been in training for a large number of years, 
was precipitously removed with no explanation.
  These are the kinds of challenges that we face. So, I guess my 
message is: Let us give dignity to these women who are 
characteristically different.

  Sojourner Truth represents a powerful example of that. She was a 
tall, dark, regal women. The story goes that, when she was at the 
suffragette meeting in the Midwest, she either raised her hand or 
attempted to be recognized, and the person in the front said: Yes, sir, 
what do you want, the gentleman in the back?
  She began this long statement that said: Ain't I a woman? I have born 
13 children and seen most all sold into slavery. Although I may be 
strong looking and manly looking, you may not have recognized that I am 
a woman that has born children and had them snatched away from me.
  So I think the underlying premise of what we need to do for girls is 
to stop having the bias of young boys and girls who are African 
American being expelled or suspended from school in larger percentages 
than others. We need to make sure that the schools in our communities 
that happen to be Latino and African-American neighborhoods are equal 
to other schools.
  We need to invest in education. We need to invest in Historically 
Black Colleges and Universities. We need to invest in technology and 
coding. We need to invest in giving our young people opportunity.
  I want to conclude my remarks by saying that this is an amazing array 
of outstanding women. I cannot recall all of their names, but I hope 
that, as I call their names, you understand my singular thing of 
dignity. Dignity doesn't write legislation, but it causes us to write 
legislation and policies that give women of color--in this instance, 
African-American women--as we honor them in Women's History Month, 
dignity and whatever the tools there are that give them dignity: better 
access to jobs, better access to housing, better respect for the work 
they do. We had the dismissal of an astronaut without any explanation 
and no explanation that they can find.
  Tracey Norman is a model. Oprah Winfrey. Shirley Chisolm. Leontyne 
Price. Maya Angelou. We know them for their work in civil rights.
  Aretha Franklin, a historic, wonderful artist in her own right. 
Hattie McDaniel. Marian Anderson. Ella Fitzgerald. Althea Gibson. 
Dorothy Dandridge. Chemist Marie Daly. Sarah Goode, an inventor. We 
know the wonderful movie that talked about NASA women.
  Della Reece. Ms. Muhammad, an athlete. Ms. Butler, an author. Mae 
Jemison, my friend, a doctor and astronaut. Tyra Banks. Whoopi 
Goldberg. Loretta Lynch. Patricia Roberts Harris. Many of us are 
familiar with her work as a secretary in our United States. Mary Jane 
Patterson, an educator. Alice Coachman. There are so many.
  I conclude by simply saying that what we want is dignity, respect, 
and the ability to serve and to be Americans, as we should.
  Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from 
Texas for bringing to the floor so many of the issues that Black women 
have been in the lead on or have been fighting for, such as social 
justice and criminal justice reform, which is the hallmark of the 
leadership of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. We are grateful to her 
for expressing today all of these obstacles that we must overcome and 
that we are focused on here in the House of Representatives.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. 
Lawrence).
  Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I just want to close with some words of 
wisdom from Black women who absolutely have inspired me.
  ``It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry 
it,'' Lena Horn.
  ``I did what my conscience told me to do, and you can't fail if you 
do that,'' Anita Hill.
  ``Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to the error that 
counts,'' Nikki Giovanni.
  ``Don't feel entitled to anything you didn't sweat and struggle 
for.'' That is the legendary Marian Wright Edelman.
  And I close on an amazing woman we have talked so much about:
  ``Service is the rent that you pay for room on this Earth,'' Shirley 
Chisolm.
  Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to be a woman in America and to be blessed 
by God with this beautiful, Black skin and to be a Black woman in 
America.
  Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from 
Michigan for sharing those quotes with us this evening.
  It is so important, in terms of inspiration and motivation, that we 
are able to pull from the work that is being done by Black women and 
those who have preceded us.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to take this moment, because I would be remiss if 
I did not take this opportunity to honor another distinguished woman 
from New York, the dearly departed Congresswoman Louise Slaughter from 
New York's 25th District.
  Words cannot adequately express the sense of sadness that I and many 
in my delegation feel to have received word of the passing of 
Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, the dean of the New York delegation.
  Ms. Slaughter dedicated her life's work to the people of western New 
York and, indeed, all Americans across our great Nation. She embodied a 
spirit of strength, wisdom, grace, and beauty, inside and out.
  She represented the very best of the American spirit, our values, and 
our ideals. She was a trailblazer. She was the first woman to serve as 
chair and ranking member of the powerful House Rules Committee. She 
commanded the respect and admiration of her colleagues.
  Having had the honor of serving with her has enriched my passion for 
service and my commitment to fight for the most vulnerable amongst us. 
She is, indeed, a woman on whose shoulders I stand. The United States 
Congress has lost an esteemed leader, the New York delegation has lost 
a beloved dean, and I have lost a cherished friend and mentor.
  My thoughts and my prayers are with her three daughters, Megan, Amy, 
and Emily; and her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In this time 
of their bereavement, we extend our deepest condolences.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, we stand today in 
honor and in awe of the many accomplishments of black women in America. 
Despite seemingly insurmountable odds, black women have led iconic 
movements that have come to define the standard of equality and 
fairness throughout our society.
  Every black woman stands on the shoulders of those who have paved the 
way for the continued freedom we enjoy, drawing their inspiration from 
the strength of our ancestors and our peers. The accomplishments of 
black women are part of a storied legacy of achievement made all the 
more meaningful by the challenges that we've had to overcome. As black 
women, the heavy burden of both systemic racism and sexism are not new 
realities, just circumstances that we have long worked to dismantle 
through civil rights movements, equal pay rallies, and organized civic 
engagement.
  Black women and girls possess a unique understanding of the trials 
and adversities unique to our own experiences. Black women have always 
made do with less than their fair share, earning only 63 cents for 
every dollar a white man makes for the same work. More than 80 percent 
of black mothers are the breadwinners in their households, tasked with 
raising our future generations with just scarcely enough to pay for 
essentials while earning a fraction of what other segments of the 
population earn.

[[Page H1694]]

  Black women are also sorely underrepresented in one the fastest 
growing and highest paying career fields in America--engineering. Black 
women make up less than 1 percent of American engineers. Science, 
technology, engineering, and mathematics are fields that black women 
are being excluded from through cultural exclusion, lack of role 
models, and pay inequities. STEM fields offer incredible opportunities 
for the African American community, and we must do more to ensure that 
we encourage more women of color to pursue these opportunities.
  Mr. Speaker, America needs black women to fulfill the roles as 
chemists, engineers, physicists, and engineers. Black women have and 
continue to engineer solutions to many of the problems we face in the 
21st Century. The coming age presents unique technological challenges 
that must be met with unique perspectives capable of grand problem 
solving. Supporting funding for STEM after school programs, workshops, 
and boot camps is an investment in the future faces of computer 
science, engineering, and the continued leadership of the black woman. 
Historically, when the Black woman succeeds, our nation succeeds. This 
year, let us do more for black women in America so that they can 
continue to do more for our country.

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