[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 21, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E356]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                   2018: THE YEAR OF THE BLACK WOMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. MARCIA L. FUDGE

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 19, 2018

  Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to highlight the legacies of some 
Black history makers as a tribute to them during Women's History Month.
  I speak of women who paved the way for other Black women and me to 
stand in the U.S. House of Representatives advocating for the benefit 
of our constituents. Women who stood their ground, fought for justice 
and broke through glass ceilings.
  Black women like Ida B. Wells, who fought against lynching in the 
south during a time when remaining quiet would have been easy and a lot 
safer. Ida B. Wells saw what we called ``low hanging fruit'' and waged 
war against the murderous practice and the hooded cowards who hung 
those fruit. She gave new meaning to the phrase ``the pen is mightier 
than the sword.''
  Women like Barbara Jordan--the Gentlewoman from Texas--who was the 
first Black woman to be elected to the Texas Senate (1966) and to later 
serve as State Senate President Pro Tem. She was also the first African 
American woman from the Deep South to be elected to the U.S. House of 
Representatives.
  Like Ida B. Wells, Congresswoman Jordan saw injustice and took 
action. She helped create the first minimum wage bill in Texas, and the 
state's Fair Employment Practices Commission. As a member of the House 
Judiciary Committee during the Watergate hearings, Barbara Jordan 
showed the world her strength as a guiding figure on the committee 
despite being a freshman member. She stood her ground among her 
colleagues, strongly advocating for the sanctity of the Constitution 
and President Nixon's impeachment.
  Another of my sheroes is Shirley Chisholm--unbought and unbossed. The 
first Black woman elected to the United States Congress (1968), Shirley 
represented Brooklyn, New York for seven terms and was a founder of the 
Congressional Black Caucus in 1969. She broke through the presidential 
candidates' glass ceiling in 1972 when she became the first African 
American to seek a major party nomination--the Democratic Party--for 
President of the United States.
  Last, but not least, I salute my dear friend and predecessor 
Stephanie Tubbs Jones. A former Chief Prosecutor for Cuyahoga County, 
Tubbs Jones was the first African-American woman elected to the House 
of Representatives from the State of Ohio. As a Member of Congress, she 
fought tirelessly to expand health care coverage, support the re-entry 
of the formerly incarcerated into their communities and halt predatory 
lending practices.
  These women have left indelible footprints in the history of America, 
and exemplify the determination and courage of black women. Notably, 
they shared another common bond through Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, 
Inc. They were trailblazers whose labor too often goes unmentioned, but 
this month WE CELEBRATE.
  I thank Ida B. Wells, Barbara Jordan, Shirley Chisholm, and Stephanie 
Tubbs Jones for their contributions to our country, and for being 
inspiring examples for so many, not just Black women.
  I see them. I salute them. I honor them.

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