[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 21 (Thursday, February 4, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H331-H332]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          BLACK HISTORY MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Bacon) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize three ``Legacy 
Leaders'' from my district in Nebraska for Black History Month.
  Every February, we celebrate the achievements of African Americans 
and recognize their pivotal roles in the history of our great country. 
This year, I recognize Ella Willis, Teela Mickles, and Bettie McDonald, 
who have worked diligently to leave a meaningful and lasting impact on 
the Omaha community.
  Originally from North Carolina, our first Legacy Leader, Ella Willis, 
came to Omaha in 1967, right after the race riots. After seeing the 
damage and destruction from the riots not being repaired, she joined 
the Neighborhood Action and Fact Association, founded by Andy 
``Handy''.
  Around 2004, Mrs. Willis became the president of the association. She 
worked to secure grant funding for the beautification of 24th Street 
and the neighborhood garden and marketplace building. The association 
assisted with the painting of murals along the 24th Street corridor, 
including The Union for Contemporary Art.
  In 2005, under Mrs. Willis' leadership, the association received the 
Environmental Improvement Award from the Urban Community Improvement 
Program. Her community advocacy started long before, when she joined 
the NAACP in the early sixties, while her husband served in Vietnam. 
She participated in the voting registration process, protesting for the 
right for Black women to vote and registering Black men.
  Mrs. Willis thanks God for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and praises 
his belief in justice, hope, love, and nonviolence, saying, ``This is 
what we must learn together as brothers and sisters of God. Have love 
and faith in your heart.''
  Another Legacy Leader is Teela A. Mickles, the founder and CEO of 
Compassion in Action, a faith-based, nonprofit organization that serves 
individuals confined in the State correctional facilities and families 
affected by incarceration.
  Mrs. Mickles became a single parent to five young children after an 
unfortunate turn in life and later attended college, earning her 
associate degree in Chemical Dependency Counseling. At the same time, 
she developed Compassion in Action's Pre-Release Education/Reentry 
Preparation Program, with her motto of ``Embracing the person, 
rebuilding the family, and breaking the cycle.''
  She has been recognized for her dedication and accomplishments 
through the years: The UNO Woman of Color Award, Heartland Family 
Services' Family Advocacy Award, and the City of Omaha Excellence 
Award, and many, many more.
  Mrs. Mickles is also an ordained minister on staff at Mission Church 
and credits the success of her organization to her strong faith in God 
and belief that every person is viable. As she says: ``If you're not 
dead, God's not done.''
  Our third Legacy Leader is Bettie McDonald, cofounder of Native Omaha 
Days, a week-long homecoming event that celebrates the community's 
historical and cultural legacies.
  Born and raised in Omaha, Bettie belongs to the Bryant-Fisher family, 
hailed as one of the most prodigious Black families in Nebraska. After 
graduating from the Allhouse School of Beauty and Culture, she became 
owner of her own beauty shop of over 50 years, The Economy Beauty 
Salon.
  The vision for a reunion of native Omahans was first arranged in 1976 
and less than a year later the original founding planning members, Vera 
Johnson and Bettie McDonald, started a tradition of the week-long 
celebration. It is now known as Native Omaha Days and, every 2 years, 
has brought people to Omaha from across the country.
  Approaching its 22nd biennial, Native Omaha Days has reached a peak, 
influencing cultural programming along 24th Street and adjacent North 
Omaha neighborhoods.

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  Bettie is an active member of St. Paul Baptist Church. This year she 
will celebrate 70 years of marriage, 70 years, to her husband, Jesse 
McDonald.
  I personally thank these three women for making a difference and 
leaving a legacy of future Black leaders in Omaha. We owe them much 
gratitude and recognition.

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