[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 105 (Wednesday, June 16, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H2873]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           A MOMENT OF THANKS

  (Ms. JACKSON LEE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, it is not often when you can stand on 
the floor of the House and use the terminology: I feel full or filled.
  It is a terminology that many of us are familiar with in the 
religious communities of our Black American tradition.
  But after a journey of 10 years, I just want to take this moment to 
thank all of my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, who showed 
America that there is unity in the understanding of our history, that 
the history of slavery is the original sin and should never be ignored.
  But now we have a national independence holiday for Juneteenth. Let 
us come together.
  I thank Senator Markey; Senator Cornyn; Senator Smith; our friend   
Danny Davis; Doug Matthews; the Moody family; and, of course, Reverend 
Thomas and many others from the Galveston area; Opal Lee; and the 
father of Juneteenth, the late Representative Al Edwards.
  Opal Lee still lives. She brought 1.6 million petitions to the United 
States Congress in the dead of summer.
  On behalf of all who have waited for this, I thank them. And to the 
Congressional Black Caucus, Joyce Beatty as the Chair, we stand here as 
the conscience of the Congress thanking them with all my colleagues.
  Again, we say our message is our power. We are here to serve, and 
there is more to come in changing lives for justice, equality, and 
freedom. That is what happened today.

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