[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 13, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H664]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RECOGNIZING FRANK CHAPMAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair now recognizes the gentlewoman 
from Illinois, Mrs. Ramirez, for 5 minutes.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  On January 13, 2026, page H664, in the second column, the 
following appeared:(Mrs. RAMIREZ of Illinois was recognized to 
address the House for 5 minutes.)
  
  The online version has been corrected to read:The SPEAKER pro 
tempore. The Chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from Illinois, 
Mrs. Ramirez, for 5 minutes.


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 


  Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the legacy of the Reverend 
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by commending a liberation leader, Frank 
Chapman.
  Frank's political education began in St. Louis, where he experienced 
the violence of racism and repression and was wrongfully convicted and 
sentenced to 50 years in prison during his twenties. Yet Frank has 
always been an organizer and educator.
  Frank taught himself law and launched a movement to desegregate the 
prison, where Black prisoners had faced brutal and inhumane treatment. 
The bars in prison didn't break him or limit his spirit. On the 
contrary, it propelled him to fight for the liberation of those 
imprisoned and all people.
  After his release, Frank established himself as a fixture in the 
struggle for liberation in Chicago and beyond. Whether through his 
leadership in the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political 
Repression, his successful campaigns for community control of the 
police, or his solidarity with immigrant communities in the fight to 
protect our neighbors from ICE, Frank has consistently fought to defend 
the most fundamental of our collective human rights and our shared 
liberation.
  Mr. Speaker, this week carries profound significance for Frank. It 
marks the 50th anniversary of his release from prison.
  I am honored on behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District to 
commend Frank Chapman for his lifelong commitment to building the 
beloved community, championing civil and human rights, and practicing 
solidarity across our intersections, our identities, and our issues.
  I thank and congratulate Frank for all of his efforts, and all power 
to the people.


                 Recognizing Juliet De Jesus Alejandre

  Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor my constituent, Juliet De 
Jesus Alejandre.
  Juliet is a triracial Latina who honors her African and indigenous 
ancestry with roots in Ecuador and Puerto Rico. She is a healer, 
organizer, poet, visionary, and she is the current executive director 
of Palenque LSNA.
  Juliet's love for Black, Brown, indigenous, and immigrant communities 
and her bold vision of collective liberation is deeply rooted in 
healing, joy, and solidarity, especially among young Latinos and 
``madres immigrantes''; ``immigrant mothers.''
  To fight erasure, she connects young leaders to their history and 
genealogy. To fight displacement, she builds collective ownership. To 
fight dehumanization, she offers mutual support and collective care.
  Through her artistry and creativity, she invokes our ancestral 
histories as she casts visions that help us to imagine new ways forward 
that leave all of our communities better and stronger.
  On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, it is my honor 
to commend Juliet De Jesus Alejandre for her bold, loving, and creative 
leadership that builds people power to shape our future because we know 
``el pueblo unido jamas sera vencido''; ``the people united shall never 
be defeated.''
  Mr. Speaker, I thank and congratulate Juliet for all of her work.

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