[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 8, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H772-H775]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1830
                    CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 9, 2023, the gentleman from California (Mr. Cardenas) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mr. CARDENAS. Mr. Speaker, I am very honored to be a Member in this 
Chamber of the House of Representatives, very proud to have been 
blessed to be born an American citizen, and very proud to be raised by 
my immigrant parents in this great country in a community called 
Pacoima.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of Black History Month.
  My neighborhood of Pacoima has a long and rich history of wonderful, 
beautiful, amazing Black Americans, untold stories and uncelebrated 
heroes who have shaped the San Fernando Valley and my neighborhood of 
Pacoima, the community I call home, the community in which my immigrant 
parents raised my 10 brothers and sisters and me.
  This is the community that gave us our first Latino United States 
Senator to represent the great State of California, Senator Alex 
Padilla.
  A little-known fact is that the first Congressmember from Pacoima and 
San Fernando High School is my esteemed colleague, the Honorable 
Barbara Lee. As a teenager, Congresswoman Barbara Lee began her 
activism when she refused to accept the segregation of her high school 
cheerleading squad.
  Rather than accept this injustice, she challenged the White majority 
school and turned to the local chapter of the

[[Page H773]]

NAACP to advocate to allow minorities the opportunity to be 
cheerleaders.
  Congresswoman Lee was victorious and won the right to cheer for her 
school. She was the first African-American cheerleader in the history 
of our high school, San Fernando High School. She is now a champion for 
justice as a United States Congresswoman.
  The history of Black Americans in Pacoima dates back to World War II. 
Following the war, due to racist redline policies, African-American 
families were only able to purchase homes in communities such as 
Compton in South Los Angeles, Sun Village in the high desert, and 
Pacoima in the San Fernando Valley.
  By 1960, almost all of the 10,000 African Americans in the San 
Fernando Valley lived in Pacoima. This community became the center of 
African-American life in the San Fernando Valley. Pacoima was known as 
California's first Black suburb.
  One of the examples was the development of the Joe Louis Homes. These 
homes were the only hope and opportunity for African Americans to have 
home ownership. These homes were named after the former heavyweight 
boxing champion whose name was used as a ruse to steer Black buyers to 
Pacoima. Joe Louis had little or nothing to do with these real estate 
developments. But from this, African Americans living in Pacoima set 
the foundation of the beautiful community that I call home.
  It is a history filled with heartbreak and tragedy, hope and 
inspiration. Pacoima's Black history is a thread that keeps our 
community together.
  I will use this opportunity to spotlight community leaders that are 
the cornerstone of our history of Pacoima, religious leaders like the 
Broadous family.
  The Broadous name is embedded in Pacoima history through the 
countless contributions made by Reverend Broadous and his family.
  Reverend Hillery T. Broadous was the founder of Pacoima's Calvary 
Baptist Church and served the community faithfully. He helped organize 
the San Fernando Valley chapter of the NAACP and led efforts to build 
the Hubert H. Humphrey Memorial Recreation Center.
  Reverend Broadous was a World War II veteran. He owned and operated a 
successful barbershop before he turned to the ministry in 1952. In May 
of 1955, he founded Calvary Baptist Church of Pacoima.
  Through Calvary Baptist Church, he played a fundamental role in 
bringing healthcare, educational, and recreational opportunities to our 
community.
  The former Filmore Street School is now named in honor of Reverend 
Hillery T. Broadous.
  In 2022, Hillery T. Broadous Elementary School administration, 
parents, and students, along with local artist Juan Reyes, painted the 
largest mural in the Los Angeles Unified School District in honor of 
the contributions he and his family made to the Pacoima community.
  Mother Rosa Lee Broadous co-founded Calvary Baptist Church with her 
husband Hillery in 1955 and served as vice president of the first board 
of directors of the Pacoima NAACP.
  Her legendary involvement in community organizations included Church 
Women United, Braille Institute, Fair Housing Council, Pacoima 
Coordinating Council, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, PTA, Los Angeles Public 
Library, and the YWCA.
  She was also the first to organize Negro History Week programs in the 
San Fernando Valley. She served as a board member of Valley Interfaith 
Council, charged with overseeing local senior citizen centers.
  Reverend Hillery and Mother Rosa Lee Broadous raised 10 amazing 
children, six of them pursuing religious and community causes. 
Unfortunately, three of the Broadouses are no longer with us.
  The Broadous children include Reverend Alicia Broadous-Duncan, the 
oldest of 10 children. In the late 1970s, she became a minister. She 
was a fierce advocate for seniors and served as the executive director 
of the Northeast Valley Multipurpose Senior Center. In 1990, she was 
tapped to head the merger of what had been two senior centers into one 
large facility, serving the diverse northeast San Fernando Valley with 
a team of over 80 staffers.
  The services provided at the senior centers are critical to the 
thousands of seniors living in our community. They provide instrumental 
resources on nutrition programs, arts programming, socializing 
activities, and transportation.
  After her unfortunate passing, the center was renamed in honor of 
her, the Alicia Broadous-Duncan Multipurpose Senior Center. The center 
continues to serve as a community hub for our entire neighborhood.

  Apostle William T. Broadous was the leader of Calvary Baptist 
following his father's legacy, where he established the Children's 
Church at Calvary, the Calvary Baptist Church Social Service Ministry, 
and the Calvary Baptist Koinonia Bookstore.
  Apostle Broadous led ministry trips to Africa, campaigned against 
street violence, set up a Latino ministry, and advocated for formerly 
incarcerated individuals and for economic development in the northeast 
Valley.
  The city of Los Angeles dedicated the intersection of Vaughn Street 
and Dronfield Avenue in honor of Apostle William T. Broadous.
  Reverend Arthur Lee Broadous. Reverend Arthur was the musical soul of 
the Broadous family. He was the choir leader and former director of the 
Pacoima Community Youth Cultural Center Choir. Reverend Arthur served 
as the San Fernando Valley field representative for Los Angeles Mayor 
Tom Bradley.
  During the 1992 riots, in an effort to calm any potential violence, 
he dispatched ministers to hotspots throughout the Valley. He was a 
mover and a shaker of the community and always looked to unify the 
neighborhood.
  All the Broadous children including, Marie Broadous Neloms, Rosita 
Furaha Broadous, Hillery L. ``Abdullah'' Broadous, Reverend Zedar E. 
Broadous, Reverend Pamela J. Broadous, Reverend M. Cecilia Broadous, 
and Francine Broadous Oputa are the definition of community service, 
and their work is seen every day in the streets of Pacoima and beyond.
  When it comes to empowerment, Marie Harris, community activist and 
honorary mayor of Pacoima, was born on October 10, 1922, in Houston, 
Texas. She attended schools in Pittsburgh and married Alvin Harris soon 
after her high school graduation.
  She led efforts to develop the first new major shopping center, 
called Pacoima Plaza for the Stars.
  Marie, a Pacoima resident since 1960, was a devoted mother of three 
children and known for organizing local fashion show fundraisers.
  Marie was an amazing fashion designer. She spurred the Pacoima 
Property Owners Association to produce the Back to Pacoima Expo, a 
long-running reunion for expatriate residents of Pacoima at Hansen Dam.
  She was a fierce advocate for the San Fernando Valley and was one of 
the three original signatories to begin the process for the San 
Fernando Valley to secede from the city of Los Angeles. She did this to 
spark debate and ensure that San Fernando Valley residents received 
their fair share of city services.
  She was a true community leader advocating to get streets paved, 
sidewalks cleaned, trees trimmed, and much more.
  Harris is survived by her three children: Sidney, Rolene, and Alton; 
five grandchildren; and many, many great-grandchildren.
  In honor of Pacoima's late honorary mayor, Marie Harris, the city of 
Los Angeles proclaimed the center of Glenoaks Boulevard and Van Nuys 
Boulevard ``Marie Harris Square.''
  When it comes to civic duty, Jose DeSosa, former president of the San 
Fernando Valley NAACP and active civic rights leader, is the epitome of 
civic duty.
  In 1988, he was elected as the first statewide president of the 
NAACP. He was born in Panama City, Republic of Panama, and later 
migrated to New York City. He enlisted in the United States Air Force 
and served our country for nearly 10 years.
  DeSosa worked for the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company. Soon 
after the company merged with AT&T, he and his wife Juanita moved to 
Pacoima.
  As president of the NAACP, he used his Black and Latino heritage to 
build

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working relationships between both cultures.
  He was a passionate critic of the tactics and procedures of the Los 
Angeles Police Department and led the effort to ban the use of the 
battering ram and the choke hold by LAPD. He led peaceful efforts to 
unite hundreds of community members demanding change.
  He was a former board member of Neighborhood Legal Services of Los 
Angeles County, and to this day their community room at Pacoima is 
named in honor of him.
  We have many legendary sports heroes that emanate from our community 
of Pacoima, especially at our great San Fernando High School.
  The San Fernando High School Tigers football team, during the 1960s 
and 1970s, the home of the Mighty Tigers, was the training ground of 
future USC Trojans and NFL stars, an A-list of players such as Charles 
White, Anthony Davis, Kevin Williams, and Manfred Moore.
  Charles White, who recently passed away, was a track and football 
star at San Fernando High School. He was a star running back and won 
back-to-back city football championships at our high school. He then 
went on to USC, where Charles White was an All-American and the 1979 
Heisman Trophy winner. He played in the NFL and led the NFL in rushing 
yards and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1987.

  After his retirement, Charles worked for USC. Despite his struggles 
with addiction and mental health throughout his career, he was a true 
star.
  Unfortunately, we recently lost Charles White on January 11, 2023.
  Anthony Davis was another football star. He was also an All-American 
in 1974 who played for the USC Trojans. At San Fernando High School, he 
was a running back during their city championship run.
  He was known by ``Sports Illustrated'' as the ``Notre Dame Killer'' 
when he infamously led USC to a comeback victory. Notre Dame had a 24-0 
lead, but before the end of the first quarter, Anthony Davis scored a 
touchdown which kicked off a 55-point comeback. He scored six 
touchdowns, ran and caught for 368 total yard performance in one game 
versus the Fighting Irish.
  Anthony Davis helped lead the Trojans to three Rose Bowl games, 
including victories in 1973 and 1975, and two national championships 
during his three seasons.
  During his Trojan career, Davis won five national championships, two 
in football and three in baseball. He played his professional career in 
the NFL, the USFL, and the CFL.
  Another great star is Kevin Williams, who was also a USC football and 
track star and part of the tremendous trio with White and Moore at San 
Fernando High School.
  Known by his family as ``Little Man'' and nicknamed the ``Bug,'' he 
was known for his speed and elusiveness on the field. He played for USC 
and was drafted to the NFL.
  After his athletic career, he worked as a brakeman for the Santa Fe 
trains.
  We unfortunately lost him in 1996 in a devastating accident.

                              {time}  1845

  Before Charles, Anthony, and Kevin were there, Manfred Moore was the 
running back for the 1967 San Fernando High School city champions. He 
was a State wrestling champion, as well. As a USC Trojan, he was part 
of the 1972 national championship team that had one of the most 
dominant college seasons ever.
  These four Mighty Tigers set the bar of athletic excellence for all 
of us in the San Fernando Valley. They are all true champions.
  Andrae Crouch's musical career began at home. He was a son of a 
minister, where he found his love and passion for gospel music. His 
father, Reverend Benjamin Crouch, founded the New Christ Memorial 
Church.
  Andrae bridged the gap between gospel and mainstream music, working 
with major stars such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Quincy Jones. 
Songs like Michael Jackson's ``Man in the Mirror'' and Madonna's ``Like 
a Prayer'' became pop hits because of Andrae's musical genius.
  He also received Oscar nominations for musical arrangements for 
movies such as ``The Color Purple'' and Disney's ``The Lion King.''
  His popularity laid the foundation of R&B influence in gospel music 
to this day. His eight Grammys were instrumental in the merging of pop, 
contemporary gospel, and soul.
  When it comes to educating the children of our community, there is no 
one like Leroy Chase. For more than 50 years, the San Fernando Valley 
Boys and Girls Club president was the tenacious Leroy Chase, running 
one of the oldest not-for-profits in Pacoima.
  In 1968, he was hired and ended up expanding the small storefront 
into the large facility that it is today.
  Leroy provided resources to over 75,000 youth. One of those youth was 
me. He gave me my first job.
  After school, this was a place where boys and girls could study and 
do their homework. It served as a safe space to stay out of trouble. I 
would not be here if it wasn't for Leroy Chase.
  In honor of Leroy, the city of Los Angeles will be dedicating the 
intersection of Glenoaks Boulevard and Pierce Street in his honor, in 
his name.
  The legacy of the San Fernando Valley Boys and Girls Club carries on 
through the work of his daughter, Nicole Chase, who currently serves as 
the president and CEO of the San Fernando Valley Boys and Girls Club 
and continues the legacy of being a center for kids to learn and play.
  This is all done so that kids like me could reach their full 
potential, and we are so blessed to have Leroy Chase and his family in 
our lives.
  I close by thanking the Pacoima Historical Society and their 
president, Crystal Jackson, for ensuring that this history, the history 
of my community, our community, is being shared with future 
generations. The great work and legacy created by these leaders will 
always be remembered and always be in our hearts.
  I would be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to take some of 
the time afforded me as a Member of the House of Representatives to 
comment on the amazing, wonderful work that our President, President 
Biden, is doing in his administration.
  As I said earlier, I am blessed to be a Member of the Chamber, of the 
House of Representatives, to be able to speak on this floor, to be able 
to address my fellow Americans about the issues that face us, the 
challenges that we have had, and the hope and challenges that we will 
tackle in the future.
  President Biden's administration is one of the most successful 
administrations, accomplishing in just these 2 short years more than 
most administrations accomplished in 4 or 8 years. I am excited for the 
next 2 years to come.
  People say our government is divided, but at the end of the day, I 
truly believe in my heart that by working together, by hearing each 
other, we will be able to accomplish what we were sent to accomplish 
for the people of this great Nation and, more importantly, to make sure 
that we restore the confidence that the world has in the reputation of 
the United States of America.
  Just recently, one of the most devastating earthquakes, which has 
taken thousands and thousands of lives, occurred in Turkey and Syria. 
Immediately, the Biden administration, along with communities around 
the country, rallied together to send help and rescue teams to the 
people in need.
  That is the United States of America that I have always known. That 
is the United States of America that we all can and should be proud of. 
That is the United States of America, and we have some work to do to 
restore our reputation around the world because not every Presidency is 
the same, Mr. Speaker.
  Some Presidencies have torn down our image, but I am so proud of the 
fact that President Biden and his administration are doing the work 
that we all deserve as Americans for our President to do. That is to 
restore our position and the faith that people have in what good it is 
to know that the United States of America is here, here to help, and 
here to be assisting.
  More importantly, in any time of need, we are ready to help any 
nation that needs our support and our help, especially those nations 
who aspire to be a democracy, especially those nations who need us to 
be there to make sure that we can help human beings live a dignified 
life.
  I am here to say, Mr. Speaker, that we have done it time and time 
again

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for generation after generation to help as a world leader without 
compromising the commitment and the dedication that we have to the 
people of our great Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________