[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 127 (Tuesday, July 20, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H3677-H3678]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  REPORTING ON MISSING BLACK CHILDREN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Burchett) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, this first speech that I am going to 
give today is, as we used to say in church, something that the Lord 
spoke on my heart. He speaks to me, just not in an audible voice. This 
is something that has kind of been a burden with me for quite some 
time.
  Madam Speaker, today, I rise to express my great concern for the 
disproportionate number of missing Black children in our country and 
the way they are treated by our national media.
  Every child is precious, Madam Speaker, and it is a tragedy whenever 
a

[[Page H3678]]

child goes missing. The sad truth is that it happens to Black kids far 
more often. Missing Black children made up over one-third of the 
missing child cases in 2019--over one-third. Yet, it has also been 
shown these children receive much less media coverage than their 
counterparts from other demographics.
  The media dedicates an enormous amount of time to discuss racism in 
Congress, schools, police departments, and various other American 
institutions, so why is it acceptable for the media to dedicate less 
attention to missing Black kids?
  We all know this is not okay, Madam Speaker, but the American public 
doesn't know this is happening because our media is failing to cover 
this story.
  Every child is made in the image of God and legally equal under the 
U.S. Constitution. We need to dedicate all the time and resources we 
can to recover missing kids, regardless of the color of their skin.


             Honoring Technical Sergeant Durward B. Swanson

  Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Technical Sergeant 
Durward B. Swanson, a World War II veteran and survivor of the Pearl 
Harbor attacks, as the Tennessee Second District's Veteran of the 
Month.
  Swanson joined the Army Air Corps in 1939 and was sent to Hickam 
Field, adjacent to the Pearl Harbor Naval Base. He originally signed up 
to do bomber maintenance, but a sergeant noticed he had skills on a 
Harley-Davidson and asked if he would head the air police motorcycle 
unit instead. He accepted that position, Madam Speaker.
  On December 7, 1941, when Japanese bombers attacked the airbase, 
Swanson jumped onto his motorcycle to search for his best friend, 
Albert Jackson ``Stud'' Lloyd, who was standing in the middle of a 
ballfield shooting at the planes and cussing up a storm. Swanson drove 
onto the field and brought his friend back to safety.
  After the attack, Swanson and Lloyd removed the damaged flag from the 
Hickam Field flagpole and folded it to prevent it from being flown 
overnight.
  Following his service, Swanson played guitar for country music legend 
Hank Williams before deciding the music business wasn't for him. That 
would be Hank Williams, Sr., if anyone is wondering.
  He went on to speak to schools across the United States and travel 
with groups to Pearl Harbor and the World War II Memorial in 
Washington.
  In June, he celebrated his 100th birthday at the Ben Atchley 
veterans' home.
  There are true heroes in our country, and they aren't famous athletes 
or movie stars. They are the brave men and women of our Armed Forces, 
like Durward Swanson.
  Madam Speaker, I thank Durward for his service.

                          ____________________