[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 22 (Wednesday, February 7, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H522]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

  (Ms. JACKSON LEE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, this is African-American History 
Month, Black History Month, and we find that much of the history of 
Texas is intertwined with African-American history.
  A slave woman was called the Yellow Rose of Texas, and we realize 
that it was President Lincoln who insisted on sending General Granger 
to Texas to show the Western States that slavery was over after they 
rebuffed and refused to free the slaves west of the Mississippi.
  General Granger came on June 19, 1865, to declare that the slaves be 
made free and that States like Texas stop defying Federal law.
  It is interesting that out of that, we have been able to establish 
the first Federal holiday in 38 years, and that is Juneteenth, which 
equals freedom. Now, across the Nation, there will be States, 50 of 
them, celebrating Juneteenth on June 19.
  We have outstanding pastors that I honor today: Reverend William A. 
Lawson, Reverend F.N. Williams, Reverend Samuel Smith, and Reverend 
S.J. Gilbert.
  Of course, we honor our community colleges that are enormously 
diverse and educate mountains and many African American students.
  Texas and African-American history is better because African-American 
history is part of the history of Texas.

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