[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 22 (Thursday, February 3, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H944]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1930
                          BLACK HISTORY MONTH

  (Ms. UNDERWOOD asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. UNDERWOOD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the beginning 
of Black History Month and highlight the contributions and impact of 
Black Americans in my community.
  When I was elected to Congress in 2018, I became the first Black 
woman to represent the 14th District and the youngest Black woman in 
Congress. I am honored to hold a place in Illinois 14th's Black history 
alongside the trailblazers that came before me--like Batavia-native 
Charles Edward Hall, whose 35-year career at the Census Bureau 
fundamentally changed our national understanding of Black communities; 
or Civil War veteran, Henry Beard, and his wife, Julia, who after 
escaping slavery, became the first Black residents of Sycamore in 1871; 
and Dr. Lloyd from Elgin, who revolutionized food, drug, and cosmetic 
preservation with the creation of a sterilization process.
  These are just a few of the Black Illinoisans who have made a mark on 
my community and our country, and I am very proud to honor them.

                          ____________________