[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 83 (Monday, May 21, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E693-E694]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE 28TH ANNUAL D.C. BLACK PRIDE CELEBRATION

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 21, 2018

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, this Memorial Day Week, May 22nd to 28th, 
the District of Columbia celebrates the 28th annual D.C. Black Pride 
with its theme, ``Communities Together Building Communities.''
  The multi-day festival begins May 22nd with the D.C. Black Pride 
Awards Reception at The Park at 14th Street and concludes May 28th with 
a Legendary Meatloaf Apocalypse Chapter X at the Stadium Club. In 
between, D.C. Black Pride includes community town halls, educational 
workshops, a poetry slam hosted by Mary Bowman, an interfaith worship 
service and various social events, including breakfast, brunch, dinner 
and happy hours. Various performances by musicians, dancers and artists 
enliven the festival. Monday, the festival's penultimate day, 
culminates in the main event, a Cultural Arts and Wellness Exposition, 
sponsored by Daryl Wilson Promotions and D.C. Black Pride at Fort 
Dupont Park.
  The D.C. Black Pride festival commenced my first year in Congress on 
Sunday, May 26, 1991, at Banneker Field on Georgia Avenue, across the 
street from Howard University. I have watched it mature from an ad hoc 
event to what is now widely considered to be one of the world's 
preeminent Black Pride celebrations. It now draws more than 42,000 
participants from the United States, Africa, Europe and the Americas to 
our nation's capital.
  D.C. Black Pride fostered the beginning of the Center for Black 
Equity (formerly known as the International Federation of Black Prides, 
Inc.) and the ``Black Pride Movement,'' which now consists of 40 Black 
Prides on four continents. I commend Paloma Afework, Ralph Ferguson, 
Shannon Garcon, Gladece Knight, and Reginald Shaw-Richardson, the 
volunteer Advisory Board that assists Earl D. Fowlkes, Jr., C. Hawkins, 
Genise Chambers-Woods and Kenya Hutton with the coordination, planning, 
and execution of D.C. Black Pride. I also take pride in noting that 
this year, Earl continues his service into a third decade of 
involvement with both D.C. Black Pride and the Black Pride Movement 
around the globe.

[[Page E694]]

  As Black Pride comes to town, I take this opportunity to inform the 
celebrants and to remind my colleagues of the limitations Congress has 
placed on the District of Columbia. Despite paying more federal taxes 
than 22 states and paying the highest per capita federal taxes in the 
United States, D.C. residents still have no full voting representation 
in Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in 
welcoming all attending the 28th annual D.C. Black Pride celebration.

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