    [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 36 (Monday, February 24, 2025)]
    [House]
    [Pages H752-H757]
    From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

                              BLACK HISTORY MONTH

      The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
    January 3, 2025, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Figures) is recognized
    for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.

                                 General Leave

      Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
    may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
    include extraneous material on this Special Order.
      The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
    gentleman from Alabama?
      There was no objection.
      Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to
    co-anchor this Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour along with
    my distinguished colleague from Oregon (Ms. Bynum).
      For the next 60 minutes, Members of the Congressional Black Caucus
    have an opportunity to speak directly to the American people about
    Black History Month, an issue of great importance not only to the
    Congressional Black Caucus but to Congress, the constituents we
    represent, and to all Americans.
      It is a privilege to be able to stand here today. Black History Month
    is not just an opportunity to reflect on our past, but it is certainly
    an opportunity to uplift our present and renew the cause to fight for
    our future.
      I begin with a story because Black History Month is often thought of
    as a time to recognize those historical figures that we all know: the
    Martin Luther Kings of the world, the John Lewises of the world, Rosa
    Parks, and others. Black History Month is about more than just those
    who are known. It is about a lot of those who are not known.
      I begin with a story of a few young men in the State of Alabama.
    Following what history has come to label as the end of the civil rights
    movement in 1968, in 1969, four young men had been intentionally
    recruited to break down a color barrier at the University of Alabama's
    law school.
      Eight young men walked through the doors of the University of Alabama
    School of Law in the fall of 1969. Among them was a young man named
    John, a young man named Ronald, a young man named Booker T., and a
    young man named Michael.
      This was a time when the civil rights movement had ended, the
    struggles to realize the progress that America has made throughout the
    decade-plus of fighting and protesting. It was about leveling those
    playing fields and equaling the opportunity and access for people like
    these young men.

      They walked through the doors as the first African Americans to come
    into the University of Alabama's law school, and they would all
    ultimately become lawyers: John England, Booker T. Forte, Ronald
    Jackson, and Michael Figures.
      Black history in America is a story of resilience and excellence and
    an unshakeable pursuit of justice, an unshakeable commitment to making
    this country, as Martin Luther King would say: ``Be true to what you
    said on paper,'' for all of us.
      From the Halls of Congress to the streets of our communities, Black
    leaders and educators and entrepreneurs and activists have shaped this
    Nation. Yet, we know that honoring this history isn't just about
    reflection. It is about action because that is what we owe people. That
    is what we owe people.
      I come from Alabama, the birthplace of the civil rights movement, a
    place at a time when this Nation and this world was experiencing
    injustices that we cannot fathom today; and a place where people, based
    simply on the color of their skin, could not eat in certain places,
    work in certain places, be educated in certain places, or live in
    certain places.
      The people of Alabama, particularly Montgomery, Alabama, stood up at
    a point when many cities and towns and people in those cities and towns
    across this country had a rightful fear of standing up in that way.
    Montgomery said: No.
      In 1955, when they launched a bus boycott, little did they know that
    they

    [[Page H753]]

    were giving rise to the greatest civil movement that the world has ever
    seen and that the world has ever known, led by a young minister who was
    a mere 26 years old at the time: Martin Luther King, Jr.
      This movement would give rise to what America proudly holds itself
    out to be today. That is that place of equal opportunity, that place of
    equal access, and that place of equal justice.
      This is a movement that was rooted in people. It was rooted in people
    who had a faith in a nation that, when we look back at history, we
    wonder: How could they? How could they? How could people who came from
    such a history of segregation and degradation, slavery and Jim Crow,
    how could they remain steadfast in a commitment to a country? How could
    they have that love for a country that history had shown them did not
    love them in the same manner?
      They held it because they knew that the greatness of America was
    really about what America could be and what it could be for them. Even
    if they came here in the bowels of slave ships, even if they slaved as
    laborers in cotton fields, they knew that America one day could be
    better for them and could be better for their children and their
    grandchildren.
      That is what Black History Month is about. It is about recognizing
    the unwavering faith that people, who had every reason not to have such
    faith, maintained in this Nation and the contributions that they made
    to making America be true to what it said on paper.
      When you have understanding and an appreciation where Black people in
    this country have come from, literally from the bottom, literally with
    nothing, literally as second- and third- and fourth-class citizens and
    noncitizens initially; when it is understood that when this building
    was built, people who looked like me could only be here for three
    reasons: To either build it, clean it, or serve food; when it is
    understood that when this country was formalized in a Constitution
    people who looked like me were not deemed to be an entire person--
    barely just more than a half a person--three-fifths of a person is what
    Black people were counted as, then it is understood why many of us are
    very sensitive to efforts to attack things like diversity and efforts
    to attack things like equity and inclusion, because we know that we
    come from a culture and from a people who had to deal with adversity,
    inequity, and purposeful exclusion for centuries; when all we wanted
    was a level playing field; when all we wanted was the same
    opportunities as others.
      We never asked for special treatment. We never wanted to be
    recognized in any way that others were not recognized, but they held on
    to that faith for this Nation, and they led us to being a better place.
      Coming from that background, several actions of this administration
    strike a little bit differently. It stings a little bit more when
    things happen like the rolling back of an EEOC order that has been in
    place since 1962 that was meant to make sure that people were not
    discriminated against.
      It means something a little bit different when the administration
    hits a pause on funding to 1890 land-grant institution scholarships
    while not hitting a pause on that funding to 1862 land-grant
    institution scholarships.
      It hits a little bit differently when Auburn University, a
    predominantly White institution, is not impacted, but Alabama A&M
    University and Tuskegee University are impacted. One must ask: What is
    the difference between an 1862 school, a Texas A&M and Auburn
    University and LSU, and an 1890 school, an Alabama A&M and a Tuskegee?
      When one looks at the facts, it is the fact that the 1890s were
    historically Black colleges and universities. That stings a little bit
    differently. It hits a little bit differently when there is an
    understanding of the history of where people come from, that one of the
    first actions that had to be taken after the administration came in was
    going to bat to make sure that the Tuskegee Airmen remained a part of
    the curriculum in training our Nation's airmen--something so basic,
    something so nonpartisan, something that we should all be able to agree
    on--that a group of men who went and put their lives on the line for a
    world, for a country, that, when they returned home, they were still
    called the N-word.
      They were still forced to sit in the back of the bus. They were still
    told to take off their uniforms. They were still told that they were
    not good enough. They still could not send their kids to school in much
    of this country's public school systems. Yet, because of a diversity,
    equity, and inclusion ban, we had to go to bat for them.

      It wasn't just Democrats. There were Republicans, too, who saw that
    that was an issue that we should not have. Senator Katie Britt from my
    home State was there with us, as was the Congressional Black Caucus and
    other Members across this country.
      It is the attacks that we see on such things that hits a little bit
    differently during Black History Month because it is a failure to
    acknowledge the history. It is a failure to acknowledge a group of
    people who persevered through the worst of circumstances in this
    Nation, a group of people who literally emerged from bondage, a group
    of people who emerged from torture, from rape, from kidnapping, and
    from family separation.
      That is why it means so much to us. That is why it is important that
    we recognize Black History Month because contributions have been made
    by dozens of people, hundreds of people, thousands of people, millions
    of people who were not supposed to be in this country as citizens. Yet,
    here we are, and here we stand.
      Although, when this building was built, there were zero Members who
    looked like us, there now stands 62. We know that we have an obligation
    to stand up and respect that history because Black history is not just
    for me. It is not just my history.
      That young man named Michael Figures who walked into University of
    Alabama's law school, he would have a son. He would have four sons. One
    of them is named Shomari Figures, who stands here today as a Member of
    Congress because of the fights of him and the fights of those known and
    unknown before him.
      Black history is not only my history. Black history is your history,
    whether you like it or not. It is our history. Black history is
    American history. Black history is who we are. That is why we must
    continue the fight to make sure that we honor the contributions and the
    sacrifices that so many people have made.
      It is to make sure that we do not go back, to make sure that it is
    clearly understood that our efforts throughout the civil rights
    movement and since have only been to make sure that we have a level
    playing field, have only been to make sure that I can't be excluded
    when I have the exact same qualifications as you.

                                  {time}  1945

      I stand here today as a proud son of a father and mother who have
    both made Black history in their own right. I stand before you here
    today as the proud grandson of men who set the stage.
      Most Black people in this country don't come from privilege. I
    consider myself to be blessed. I think here in Congress, a lot of the
    time, we see a lot of people born on third base thinking they hit a
    triple. That is the unfortunate reality of where we find ourselves--
    people forgetting where they came from, people forgetting what we went
    through, people forgetting how we got here in the first place, people
    forgetting the struggle, people forgetting what we overcame, people
    forgetting what we could not have and why we fight so hard for what we
    do have and to be able to maintain it in the future.
      I don't forget. I won't forget. I cannot forget because every day I
    walk in here is a reminder of what was sacrificed for me. Every day
    that I have the privilege of calling myself a United States citizen, a
    United States Representative, is a reminder for me of what it took for
    myself and for people like me to be able to stand here.
      I know I was born on first base because my grandparents made
    sacrifices for my father to be able to step up to the plate and swing
    for the fences, and swing for the fences he did. He broke down color
    barriers in his own right. He gave his life to public service, and he
    died one day at a dinner table, but what did not die with him was an
    appreciation, an understanding, a recognition of where we have been,
    what we have been through, how we got here,

    [[Page H754]]

    and what we must do to ensure that future generations enjoy the same
    opportunity.
      Mr. Speaker, it is now my privilege to yield to the gentlewoman from
    Oregon (Ms. Bynum).
      Ms. BYNUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the first, but not the last,
    Black Member of Congress in Oregon's history to celebrate Black History
    Month in these hallowed Halls of Congress. Listening to Brother
    Figures' speech has me a bit choked up. We are the next generation.
      It is not lost on me that I am just one generation removed from
    segregation. My mother graduated from Whittemore High School in Conway,
    South Carolina, in the class of 1970, a segregated class, and graduated
    valedictorian without a future. That wasn't that long ago.
      Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be a groundbreaker because of what that
    means not just for my children but for young people all across my
    State, for them to see that change is possible, and when something big
    has never been done before, it just might be because they haven't
    accomplished it yet.
      As a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, I am reminded that I
    am not in this fight alone. They were always there with me, 3,000 miles
    away, never leaving me alone. We are a community of leaders, Mr.
    Speaker, united in our goal to shape a more equitable, prosperous, and
    just society.
      Mr. Speaker, this Black History Month, we recommit ourselves to
    continuing to make progress together. We are here not just for our
    children but for our children's children.
      Mr. Speaker, happy Black History Month.
      Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York
    (Ms. Clarke), chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus.
      Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Janelle
    Bynum from the great State of Oregon and Congressman Shomari Figures
    from the great State of Alabama for co-anchoring tonight's
    Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour.
      I rise today with my colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus to
    commemorate Black History Month and to reflect on the innumerable
    contributions to our country that Black Americans have made throughout
    our Nation's history.
      During Black History Month, we celebrate the generations of Black
    Americans whose courage, advocacy, sacrifice, and patriotism have moved
    our Nation and the world forward. From Reconstruction and the Great
    Migration to the success of Black Wall Street, the jazz age, the Harlem
    Renaissance, the civil rights movement, and beyond, there is no time in
    history that Black people have not contributed to the vitality and
    success of our country.
      As chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, I am proud that as our
    caucus has grown from 13 visionary members in 1971 to a historic 62
    members in the year 2025, 4 of whom serve in the United States Senate,
    we have continued fighting to dismantle barriers, create opportunities,
    and protect the rights of our communities.
      Throughout our Nation's history, the Congressional Black Caucus has
    been called to confront countless threats to our communities, our
    educational attainment, our economic prosperity, and our health and
    well-being. Time and again, we have answered the call and stood in the
    breach on behalf of Black America and the values that make our country
    strong.
      Under the shadow of the Trump administration, we are being called to
    yet another unprecedented and consequential time in the history and
    life of our country that we must address head-on.
      With the creation of the 14th Amendment, America took one step toward
    rectifying its original sin of slavery and protecting the birthright
    citizenship of all Black Americans. Threats from President Trump to the
    14th Amendment have put Black America, once again, in a perilous
    position. Today, we are facing cruelty and threats to the very fabric
    of our democracy and existence.
      As the Trump administration seeks to continue to take our country
    back in time, the Congressional Black Caucus stands at the front lines
    of protecting our communities and calling out these and other thinly
    veiled attempts to erase centuries of progress for Black America.
      This administration's recent actions aimed at taking away critical
    tools of success and our fundamental freedoms will not go unanswered.

      On the shoulders of our Founders, we will continue to push back
    against efforts to impede our progress, erase our history, and cut off
    our access to capital and better opportunities in our communities.
      This month and every month, we will continue to make clear that the
    contributions of Black Americans will not and cannot be erased,
    undermined, or undone.
      We will continue to fight for access to the ballot box, fair
    representation, diversity initiatives, and our fundamental freedoms,
    which are, sadly, under threat each and every day.
      As the conscience of the Congress, we will not sit back and be silent
    as these attacks on our communities continue. Our history, Black
    history, is American history, and we are not going back.
      Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Georgia
    (Mrs. McBath).
      Mrs. McBATH. Mr. Speaker, I am so honored and privileged to be here
    tonight to speak on the Congressional Black Caucus, with our Special
    Order hour tonight specific to honoring Black History Month.
      Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join tonight's Special Order hour
    honoring Black History Month, my Black history, my people, my
    community.
      As a second vice chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, it is
    vitally important to me that we commemorate the stories and triumphs of
    Black Americans all year long and especially during Black History
    Month.
      I am the daughter of civil rights leaders. My father was the Illinois
    branch president of the NAACP and served on its executive board for
    over 25 years. I grew up in the struggle. I grew up in the marches. I
    grew up in the rallies. I certainly learned how to sing ``We Shall
    Overcome'' because it is what I sang with my family all the time, for
    as long as I can remember.
      I draw upon the strength of these experiences, the experiences and
    strength of my mother and my father during a time which feels not
    unlike the uncertainty of the 1960s. Though there are those who may
    feel discouraged that we are fighting the same bigotry and the same
    hatred, going down the same road that my parents fought against, that
    Dr. King fought against, that Rosa Parks and Fannie Lou Hamer fought
    against, that our dear friend and beloved colleague John Lewis fought
    against, I continue to look to the civil rights movement as a reminder
    that we are not powerless.
      Our voices and our role as legislators in this body give us all the
    tools that we need to speak up, to stand up, and to fight back for
    Black America and for all of America.
      It is what my father did and what my mother did, even during a time
    when diners charged him more money for a cup of coffee than the White
    man sitting next to him.
      I can remember, as a child living in Chicago, Illinois, going into a
    local Walgreens. I remember standing there with my family, all of them
    fair-skinned, with red hair, brown hair, and freckles, and me, the
    brownest child in the family, being told I couldn't go sit with my
    family because they didn't believe I was a part of my family.
      It is these kinds of experiences that I will fight for the rest of my
    life to make sure that no child, no individual in this country, ever
    feels discriminated against. It is what my father did. It is what I did
    as a grieving mother when my son, Jordan, was killed by a White man who
    simply didn't like the loud music that he was playing in his car. It is
    what we must do now as a Presidential administration, emboldened by
    hatred and vengeance, seeks to weaken and dismantle Federal programs
    that support our veterans, care for our seniors, and defend our Nation
    from public health emergencies, just to name a few.
      What we must continue to do as we face threats of erasing Black
    history, American history, we must continue to fight from our
    classrooms and from our textbooks.

                                  {time}  2000

      We must stand up. Black America must speak out. We must remember

    [[Page H755]]

    our responsibility to act--not just to react--in the best interests of
    all the American people. In the face of attacks on minority communities
    in a nation where our diversity is truly our strength, it is more
    important than ever that we celebrate the progress of this Nation--and
    Black history is part of this Nation--of every step which brings us
    closer to forming a more perfect Union.
      We have been promised that by this Constitution. We have been
    promised that by this country, and I know that we will continue to
    fight every step of the way to fulfill that promise.
      In my time in Congress, I have been privileged to represent a rich
    tapestry of this Nation, woven by the many threads which make us
    uniquely American. I have been proud to represent one of the most
    diverse congressional districts in America, and I am honored to
    represent so many talented local leaders who have blazed a trail and
    accomplished many firsts in their community.
      In my current district, eight mayors or county executives are the
    first Black people to ever serve in those positions. Cobb County
    Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, College Park Mayor Bianca Motley
    Broom, Douglasville Mayor Rochelle Robinson, Fairburn Mayor Mario
    Avery, Fayetteville Mayor Ed Johnson, Mableton Mayor Michael Owens,
    Palmetto Mayor Teresa Thomas-Smith, and Powder Springs Mayor Al
    Thurman.
      These leaders can be proud of the fact that they were the first, and
    I take pride in knowing that they will certainly not be the last.
      The fact that I was elected the first Black Representative of
    Georgia's Sixth Congressional District, the first Democrat to hold that
    seat since 1979, the first person of color to ever hold that seat in
    2018 is a testament to the progress in our State and to the work of
    leaders on the ground and Black America. I am grateful for all those
    who have paved the path of progress for me and all future leaders to
    follow in their footsteps.
      Mr. Speaker, we face extraordinary and unprecedented challenges in
    this moment, but this month and always, we will celebrate the strength
    of America's diversity, the unity of her people, and our unwavering
    determination to leave behind a brighter tomorrow for future
    generations, for our children. They deserve that. Because of the
    celebrations of African Americans that we are talking about during this
    Special Order hour, I have every confidence that my people will
    overcome.
      Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the great
    State of New Jersey (Mrs. McIver).
      Mrs. McIVER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives Bynum and Figures
    for organizing this Special Order hour.
      Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate Black History Month and the profound
    and vibrant legacy of the many Black Americans who have made our
    country.
      Black history is a living, breathing narrative that enriches our
    Nation and influences our daily lives. It is a powerful testament to
    resilience, creativity, and the pursuit of justice.
      We think about those who came before us and fought for freedom,
    trailblazers like Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth, whose voices
    paved the way.
      As only the second Black woman ever elected to Congress to represent
    New Jersey, I stand on the shoulders of giants, including my colleague,
    mentor, and friend, Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman. We both are
    here because of the path that leaders like Shirley Chisholm blazed
    before us.
      With the highest ever membership to the Congressional Black Caucus,
    62 members strong, we have never been stronger. We represent the dreams
    of our ancestors, and those dreams are in danger by this
    administration's hateful policies that hurt Black people nationwide.
      Our hard-fought progress is threatened by the racist agenda pushed
    forward by this administration, but we will not back down. In the words
    of the late, great John Lewis: ``We have been too quiet for too long.
    There comes a time when you have to say something. You have to make a
    little noise. You have to move your feet. This is the time.''
      Together, we must make a little noise and create good trouble to
    protect the progress we have fought so hard for. Together, we can
    ensure that the stories and contributions of our community continue to
    inspire and uplift future generations.
      Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New Mexico
    (Ms. Stansbury).
      Ms. STANSBURY. Mr. Speaker, I stand before you tonight to honor and
    to celebrate Black History Month.
      Black History Month is not just a celebration, but a reminder of the
    struggles, achievements, resilience, and contributions of Black
    Americans throughout our Nation's history.
      In New Mexico, it is the opportunity to honor and celebrate that
    Black history is not only American history, it is New Mexico history,
    especially as so many Black leaders are blazing the way for future
    generations: Judge Shammara Henderson, the first Black judge to serve
    in the New Mexico Court of Appeals; Senator Harold Pope, the first
    Black State senator to serve in the history of the State of New Mexico;
    Councilor Nichole Rogers, the first Black woman to serve on
    Albuquerque's City Council; and Representative Pamelya Herndon, who is
    the first Black State house representative to represent New Mexico
    State House District 28, which is my State house representative in
    Albuquerque.
      These are just a few of the New Mexico leaders who are making history
    as we stand on this floor tonight, who are leading the way, whose
    voices are not only needed but necessary and who must be at all the
    tables where decisions are being made.
      As we know, these voices are currently being threatened by systemic
    attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion, as thousands of Federal
    employees have been fired and put on leave, funding for programs has
    been gutted, schools and public institutions have been threatened, and
    leaders like General Charles Q. Brown, Jr., who have proudly served
    this great country with the highest levels of distinction, have found
    themselves targeted and dismissed.

      We must be real about the moment that we face. These policies and
    cuts are not just policy decisions. They are about undermining the
    fundamental justice and equity of the United States, about erasing our
    history and turning back the clock on the progress of countless
    generations who have struggled and marched and fought to move this
    country forward.
      That is why we must and we will continue to fight back in Congress,
    in the courts, and in our communities, and to continue that work of
    bending the arc of the moral universe and this country toward justice
    because this is the work ahead for all of us and the work we will and
    must do.
      Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the great
    State of Ohio (Mrs. Beatty).
      Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to first say thank you to
    our co-anchors; only freshmen in this House but certainly seasoned in
    the life that they have led. I thank Congressman Figures and
    Congresswoman Bynum, and to our Madam Chair of the Congressional Black
    Caucus, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke.
      Mr. Speaker, tonight you will hear many stories of Black history,
    which is definitely American history. I rise today because Black
    sacrifice and excellence has shaped our Nation. We stand on the
    shoulders of many brave soldiers and Sojourners, but tonight I choose
    to salute living legends.
      I salute the 62 members of the Congressional Black Caucus, four Black
    Members for the first time serving in our United States Senate, and 58
    House Members in this Congress, the largest in our history. As we say
    in the Baptist church, we have come a mighty long way. From 1971, when
    13 Members sat on this House floor, 12 Black men from across this
    Nation and one brave, courageous, bad sister, Shirley Chisholm. My,
    have we come a long way.
      We come tonight, and we speak truth to power in this most
    unprecedented time in our Nation's history: a time when we are fighting
    for civil rights and justice, a time when we are fighting just to ask
    for an opportunity, for a broader talent base, something we call
    diversity, equity, and inclusion.
      Programs like Medicaid and Medicare, Consumer Financial Protection
    Bureau, FAA, and funding for HBCUs, historically Black colleges and
    universities, Federal jobs being taken away

    [[Page H756]]

    from individuals with little or no notice and promise of payment that
    has only fallen short or to be told that they would get it and found
    out only to be lies.
      Tonight, we will answer what the people are asking for: What are we
    doing?
      Well, I can tell you that the Congressional Black Caucus is standing
    up for justice.
      I can tell you that the Congressional Black Caucus is going back into
    our communities, and we are holding teletownhalls.
      I can tell you that we are responding to the American people because
    we know what is at stake. We know that if we will not stand up for them
    and fight for them that little might not happen. I can tell you that we
    are communicating. I can tell you that we are legislating. I can tell
    you that we are standing with the lawyers who are litigating. We are
    fighting to protect and pursue opportunities that give Black Americans
    the same advantages that White Americans have enjoyed since our
    Nation's founding.
      Our history is made stronger and more vibrant. Just when Black
    Americans think that we are equal, we are still fighting for equal
    rights.
      Here we are, from chaos and confusion with this administration, but
    we are still leading. Former chairs, now ranking members. If I did a
    roll call, Mr. Speaker, I would tell you that we have people like
    Maxine Waters,  Bobby Scott, Bennie Thompson, and   Gregory Meeks
    leading some of the most prestigious committees in this Congress.
      I would tell you that we have so many people who possess law degrees
    that it would be like having a roll call of Who's Who to tell you that
    even in our freshman class--if I started by saying: Turner, Fields,
    Bell, Conaway, Figures, Sykes, McClellan, Lee, Crockett, Johnson,
    Sewell, Meeks, Neguse, Jeffries, and Bishop, who all possess law
    degrees.
      We have some of the best orators in the country. I could say Ayanna
    Pressley, and I can tell you historians like Jim Clyburn. I could tell
    you that we are fighting because we possess those talents in fields
    because we have suffered along the way.
      You have heard the stories of our parents. You have heard the stories
    of our grandparents. We just don't come tonight for a Special Order to
    tell you our stories, but we want America to know that we are
    suffering. We want America to know that we stand with them in this time
    when we are in trouble.
      Just last night, I was on a call with Win With Black Women and Win
    With Black Men, a call that was prompted several months ago during the
    election when 44,000 Black women got on a call, and 50-some thousand
    Black men got on a call. Just as tonight, when a White woman joined us,
    White women and White dudes got on the call because we knew that
    America was in trouble.

                                  {time}  2015

      Mr. Speaker, last night I am so proud to say, as I close, that we
    stood up for another sojourner, a sojourner who had been fighting for
    us as she went on air every night. We also say thank you to Joy Reid
    for what she has done and to let her know that we, too, are lifting her
    up.
      We are also celebrating those who, too, will give us a voice, whether
    it is on traditional media, legacy media, social media, or podcasts. We
    are coming after those who are coming after us, Mr. Speaker. We want
    America to know that we will not be silent even against this
    administration. We will not sit down. We will protest. We will resist.
    We will do all the things that our forefathers did. We will do all the
    things that those shoulders that we stand on did.
      What they did, we will do because this America belongs to us. We
    fight for justice, dignity, equity, diversity, and inclusion because
    we, too, are part of America. Black history is American history.
      Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I yield to another distinguished
    gentlewoman from the State of Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).
      Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congressman from Alabama (Mr.
    Figures) and also Congresswoman Bynum from the State of Oregon and the
    chair of the Black Caucus, Yvette Clarke of New York, for inviting me
    to speak this evening.
      Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate Black History Month, I rise to honor an
    extraordinary American hero that I had the great pleasure to know from
    my home community in Ohio, Lieutenant Colonel Harold H. Brown. He was a
    Tuskegee Airman, and this is the bronze statue that was cast in our
    region as part of our Air Force museum, honoring his astounding life.
      He was a warrior for justice on many fronts and an unwavering
    patriot. He was always happy. His story is one of resilience,
    excellence, and service, embodying the very best of our Nation's
    ideals.
      From a young age, Harold dreamed of soaring through the skies. I
    don't know where he got that idea, but just at 19 years old, he turned
    that dream into reality as a pilot in the legendary Tuskegee Airmen.
    These were a heroic group of African-American aviators who defied both
    gravity and systemic racism to serve their country during World War II.
    As others have referenced tonight, we stand on their shoulders.
      Harold flew combat missions with unparalleled skill and valor. He
    loved to fly, taking on some of the most dangerous missions over war-
    torn Europe. His service came at great risk. The plane we see there, he
    liked to fly privately also and would wear a scarf around his neck. He
    was a great teacher, and he managed community colleges after his
    service.
      During one of his many missions, his plane was shot down in battle,
    and he was captured as a prisoner of war. Even in captivity, Harold
    never wavered in his duty to his country.
      After the war, he continued to serve, answering the call again during
    the brutal Korean war. He answered the call. His legacy extended beyond
    the battlefield. He became an educator, beloved, a mentor and champion
    for the desegregation of the United States military.
      The impact of Harold Brown and his fellow Tuskegee Airmen is
    immeasurable in this country. The Red Tails, as they were known, flew
    more than--get ready for this--15,000 sorties between 1943 and 1945,
    earning a reputation as some of the most skilled pilots in the United
    States military.
      Bomber crews specifically requested their escort, knowing the
    Tuskegee Airmen would protect them against enemy attacks. They were
    angels in the sky. They were so brave. They fought not only against the
    forces of fascism abroad but, again, the deep-seated racism at home,
    paving the way for the desegregation of the Armed Forces with the
    leadership from Ohio, setting a precedent for generations to come.
      Right in my district of Toledo, the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen
    lives on. The area around us in northern Ohio--Ohio is known as the
    State of flight, and 58 of these brave aviators called Ohio home, with
    several hailing from the great Toledo area and Harold himself from Port
    Clinton and points east.
      Their contributions to our Armed Forces and to our communities remain
    an indelible part of our history. Institutions such as the Toledo-Lucas
    County Public Library, the National Museum of the Great Lakes, and the
    Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton, Ohio, where this photo was
    taken, have preserved their stories, ensuring that future generations
    will remember their courage and their sacrifice.
      These men were not just warriors in the sky. They were pioneers who
    shattered social and racial barriers, proving their excellence time and
    again, despite the discrimination they faced. Despite their heroism,
    their place in history has not always been respected. Just recently,
    sadly, we witnessed a shameful attempt to erase the legacy of Harold
    Brown and countless others who fought with him and for this country.
      Under the Trump administration, the U.S. Department of Defense,
    following a sweeping executive order, removed diversity, equity, and
    inclusion programs, including historical education on renowned figures
    including the Tuskegee Airmen and the Women Air Force Service Pilots.
      A training program that honored these heroes was halted. Their
    history was nearly erased in the name of a stupid and mean-spirited
    political agenda that sought to rewrite America's past

    [[Page H757]]

    to fit a narrow, exclusionary narrative. This was more than an insult
    to the African-American community. It was an insult to America itself.
    It was an affront to every soldier, airman, sailor, and Marine who
    fought not just for our country but for the ideals upon which it
    stands.
      The removal of these Department of Defense programs was a deliberate
    attempt to diminish the contributions of African Americans in the
    military and to erase the struggles they overcame in their fight for
    justice and equality.
      Let this be a lesson. The power of the America people is stronger
    than any one administration. When this erasure was exposed, when the
    outrage of everyday citizens--not just Black, not just Brown, but
    White--demanded justice, the American people forced a reckoning with
    the United States Department of Defense and the President of the United
    States. Public outcry led to the reinstatement of the course honoring
    the Tuskegee Airmen.

      Truth cannot be silenced, and history cannot be rewritten to serve
    the will of the few. We, the people, hold the power to safeguard our
    history. The legacy of Harold Brown and his daring, patriotic fellow
    airmen has been restored, not because those in power willingly chose to
    do so but because Americans of conscience refused to allow their
    contributions to ever be forgotten.
      This is a testament to the enduring power of truth and justice and a
    reminder that each American must remain vigilant in protecting both
    truth and justice. As we honor Harold Brown today--and he never wanted
    honor. The entire community, most of whom were Caucasian like myself,
    came out. There was music and joy, and there was happiness in his
    memory.
      We remember his service, but also we remember his fight. Let us carry
    forward his mission, not just in the skies but in every arena where
    justice is challenged, where history is threatened, and where the
    sacrifices of our ancestors and predecessors risk being erased.
      We owe it to Harold Brown and his family. We owe it to the Tuskegee
    Airmen and their families. We owe it to ourselves and to future
    generations of the American family. Harold Brown and the Tuskegee
    Airmen of northern Ohio changed the world for the better, and so can
    we.
      Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, as we bring this Special Order to a close,
    I again highlight the fact that the celebration of Black history is not
    a celebration of just a few individuals who did some notable things.
    Black history is about celebrating the faith that an entire people, an
    entire culture had and the potential of what this Nation could be: A
    faith that was unshakable. A faith in their God. A faith in this
    Nation. A faith that America could be America for them, too.
      They held on to this. We still hold to it. Through the darkest days
    of this country, when Black people could literally only hold onto the
    security and four walls of a church, where they could sing hymns like
    ``I Will Trust in the Lord'' or ``Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior'' or
    ``Take My Hand, Precious Lord.''

         Precious Lord, take my hand
         Lead me on, let me stand
         I am tired, I'm weak, I am worn
         Through the storm, through the night
         Lead me on to the light.
         That is where we come from.

      I stand here before you just three generational lines removed from
    slavery, and I know that sounds crazy. That is how close we are from
    where we came from. The faith that my great-grandparents had at that
    same generational line, where we had people born in my family into
    slavery, to come just three generations, it is that same faith that
    leads me here. It is that same faith that led my father to break down
    those color barriers at an institution where just a few years before a
    Governor stood and declared that segregation today, segregation
    tomorrow, and segregation forever. It is that same faith that led him
    to apply to that law school where just a few years before his older
    brother applied and was told send us a picture. He refused to do so.
      We celebrate that faith. We celebrate that resilience, that resolve,
    that perseverance. That is what Black History Month is about, and that
    is why we continue to hold on to that faith, because we, too, believe
    that America is still America for us, too. It is America for all of us.
      Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                              ____________________