[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 1, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H615-H616]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1730
                        THURSDAY LUNCHEON GROUP

  (Mr. CASTRO of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 50th 
anniversary of the Thursday Luncheon Group, which was founded in 1973 
to elevate the voices of African Americans in U.S. foreign policy.
  Since the early days of the State Department, patriotic African 
Americans have raised their hands to join our diplomatic service only 
to find their pathways too often narrowed by bigotry. In the face of 
this discrimination, early trailblazers like Ambassador Terence Todman, 
a six-time career ambassador and founding member of the Thursday 
Luncheon Group, successfully pushed the State Department to root out 
segregation and expand opportunities for all employees.
  Today, the Thursday Luncheon Group plays an active role in promoting 
African-American representation at all levels of the Department.
  As I have worked to increase opportunities for underrepresented 
groups in foreign policy, my efforts have been guided by the counsel of 
the Thursday Luncheon Group and other employee affinity groups.
  Congratulations to the Thursday Luncheon Group on their golden 
anniversary. I look forward to working with TLG and similar groups to 
recruit and retain a diverse diplomatic corps that proudly promotes 
American values at home and around the world.

[[Page H616]]

  

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