[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 37 (Thursday, February 29, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H750-H751]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Espaillat) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Black History Month as 
today marks the closing of that very important celebration in our 
community and across the Nation.
  However, Black History Month is not just a month. It is every day of 
the year, and it must reaffirm unity in action.
  During this month, we reflect on the significance of the shoulders we 
stand on, the shoulders of giants in Harlem such as the late, great 
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., and our former Congress Member, the Lion of 
Lenox Avenue, Charles B. Rangel.
  This month and always, we must acknowledge the achievements of Black 
Americans throughout the Nation's history. That is why, Madam Speaker, 
I am proud to introduce the Holcombe Rucker Park Landmark Act. This is 
a noncontroversial measure that would honor the life and legacy of 
Holcombe Rucker, a World War II veteran, Harlem Junior High School 
teacher, family man, and graduate of City College in New York City. He 
dedicated his entire life to uplifting Harlem through compassion, 
books, and basketball.
  My bill would ensure the preservation of Holcombe Rucker Park, 
considered by many across the country as the ``Mecca of Basketball.'' 
Rucker Park has helped forge a path to multiple NBA stars, such as Wilt 
Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, ``Tiny'' Archibald, and 
the great Earl ``The Pearl'' Monroe.
  This Federal recognition would also preserve the park's legacy and 
ensure that future generations can appreciate his role in shaping the 
cultural and sporting landscapes of our Nation.
  Speaking of Federal recognition, we are also closing out Dominican 
Heritage Month. This week, I joined Dominican-American leaders and the 
diaspora to ring the closing bell at Nasdaq in honor of a day of 
importance, Dominican Independence Day, February 27,

[[Page H751]]

and in recognition of Dominican economic contributions to the United 
States of America.
  Dominicans have more than tripled in population since the 1990s to 
represent a population of a total of 2.4 million people in the United 
States, the fourth largest population of Latinos in these United 
States.
  Our contribution to this great Nation grows even stronger every day.
  Just 2 weeks ago, we also had Dominicans on the Hill, where thousands 
of Dominican Americans joined us here to bring forward their message 
for recovery for our Nation.
  Madam Speaker, finally, we will hear a lot about the border this 
week. We must remember that the border solution lies not just on border 
safety. We recognize that there must be greater border safety, 
particularly at the points of entry, where most of the fentanyl comes 
through in trucks and other vehicles.

                              {time}  1130

  However, we must also make sure that we don't gut our asylum system. 
We need to make sure America continues to be a beacon of hope and an 
opportunity for people that are persecuted all over the world.
  It must be a balanced approach with four underpinnings: one, of 
course, border security measures to make our southern border stronger; 
two, one that acknowledges the root causes of migration in the 
hemisphere; three, one that also acknowledges the economic needs of our 
Nation for immigrants, such as farmworkers and work permits; and, 
finally, sensible, comprehensive immigration reform for Dreamers, TPS 
recipients, and family reunification.
  Madam Speaker, I finalize by saying that we do have a bipartisan 
piece of legislation supported by Republicans and Democrats. It is 
called the Dignity Act, and it has these four very important 
underpinnings: greater border security, an acknowledgement of the root 
causes of migration, the economics, and comprehensive immigration 
reform.

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