[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 14412-14416]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        NATIONAL GREAT BLACK AMERICANS COMMENDATION ACT OF 2003

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to announce the introduction of the 
National Great Black Americans Commendation Act of 2003, legislation 
that will help to bring long overdue recognition to African Americans 
who have served our Nation with distinction but whose names, faces and 
records of achievements may not be well known by the public.

[[Page 14413]]

  This recognition primarily will be accomplished through an expansion 
of national designation of a national treasure, the Great Blacks in Wax 
Museum, located in my district in Baltimore, Maryland. The legislation 
also authorizes assistance in establishing a Justice Learning Center as 
a component of the expanded museum complex.

                              {time}  1645

  The Justice Learning Center will include state-of-the-art facilities 
and resources to educate the public, and especially youth, about the 
role of African Americans in our Nation's justice system. It will 
include a special focus on the civil rights movement, on the role of 
African Americans as lawmakers and as attorneys, and on the role of 
blacks in the judiciary.
  I am introducing this legislation with the bipartisan support and 
cosponsor of 47 of our colleagues. This legislation will help to 
present the faces and stories of black Americans who have reached some 
of the highest levels of national service but who are generally 
unknown.
  A priority will be exhibits presenting black Americans who served in 
Congress during the 1800s, some born in slavery and others born free. 
These Americans proudly served their constituencies and this great 
Nation.
  I am pleased to inform my colleagues that the museum will showcase 
the 22 outstanding blacks who served in the United States Senate and 
House of Representatives in the 1800s, and those from the 1900s such as 
Senator Edward Brooke and Representatives Julian Dixon, Oscar Stanton 
DePriest, Lewis Stokes, and many others.
  The legislation will also help to showcase black Americans who served 
in senior civilian executive branch positions, such as Ralph Bunche, 
Frederic Morrow, Robert Weaver, William Coleman, Patricia Harris, Lewis 
Sullivan, and many others who did not receive the appropriate 
recognition in the past.
  The expanded museum will focus on black military veterans, including 
the Buffalo Soldiers and the Tuskegee Airmen, black judges, lawmen and 
prominent attorneys, and the role of blacks in discovery and 
settlement.
  The Great Blacks in Wax Museum, America's first wax museum of black 
history, was founded in the early 1980s. The museum occupies part of a 
city block in east Baltimore and currently includes approximately 200 
exhibits. Existing figures depict great black Americans such as Colin 
Powell, Harriet Tubman, Dr. Martin Luther King, Mary McLeod Bethune, 
and former Representatives Mickey Leland of Texas, Kweisi Mfume of 
Maryland, Shirley Chisolm and Adam Clayton Powell of New York.
  The State of Maryland and the city of Baltimore have contributed over 
$5 million toward this expansion project, which will occupy an entire 
city block in the empowerment zone area. The museum is conducting 
extensive outreach to major corporations and other private donors. This 
legislation authorizes a Federal share not to exceed 25 percent or $15 
million, whichever is less, of the expansion project.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support and cosponsor this 
important legislation, which will help to educate our Nation and the 
world about the critical contributions of African Americans in 
defending freedom and guaranteeing equal rights under the law, in 
protecting our Nation's interests in times of military conflict, in 
exploration and settlement of our Nation, and in providing leadership 
at the Federal level through service in Congress and the executive 
branch.
  This museum will ensure that history never forgets the contributions 
of these great Americans.

            The Great Blacks in Wax Museum: A Brief History

       The Great Blacks In Wax Museum, America's first wax museum 
     of African American history, was founded in 1983 by Drs. 
     Elmer and Joanne Martin, two Baltimore educators. However, 
     the Martins' story begins in 1980 when with money they were 
     saving for a down payment on a house, they purchased four wax 
     figures. These they carted to schools, churches, shopping 
     malls, and festivals throughout the mid-Atlantic area. Their 
     goal was to test public reaction to the idea of a black 
     history wax museum. So positive was the response that in 
     1983, with personal loans, they opened the Museum in a small 
     storefront in downtown Baltimore. The success of the Museum, 
     especially among students on field trips, made it imperative 
     that the Martins find larger space. In 1985, the Martins 
     closed the museum and organized an all-out fundraising effort 
     to secure new and expanded space and to purchase more wax 
     figures. Their efforts allowed them to purchase an abandoned 
     fire station on East North Avenue. After extensive 
     renovations, the Martins re-opened the museum in October of 
     1988.
       When the Museum moved to its East Baltimore location, away 
     from the lucrative Inner Harbor tourist market and decidedly 
     off the beaten track, the naysayers declared that few people 
     would venture into a deteriorating community to see a little 
     wax museum. Yet in 1989, the first full year of operation in 
     its new location, 44,000 visitors ventured into the 
     neighborhood to see America's first black history wax museum. 
     The visitorship held at annual average of 44,000 for the next 
     three years and then increased in 1992 to 52,000, 61,000 in 
     1993, and 81,000 in 1994. In 2002, more than 300,000 people 
     from across the nation visited the unique cultural 
     institution.
       A September 1994 article in the Afro American newspaper 
     declared the Great Blacks In Wax Museum a ``National 
     Treasure.'' In fact, the Museum serves the entire nation. 
     International visitors have come from France, Africa, Israel, 
     Japan, and many other continents and nations. The Great 
     Blacks In Wax Museum story has been heralded by news media 
     around the world, including CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The 
     Washington Post, The New York Times, The Chicago Sun Times, 
     the Dallas Morning News, Kulturwelt, USA/Africa, The Los 
     Angeles Times, USA Today, Crisis, and Essence Magazine.
       Approximately 200 wax figures and scenes, a 19th century 
     slave ship re-creation, a special permanent exhibition on the 
     role of youth in the making and shaping of history, a 
     Maryland room highlighting the contributions of outstanding 
     Marylanders to African-American history, gift shop, a mini 
     auditorium for lectures and films are some of the major 
     cultural features of one of America's most dynamic and unique 
     cultural and educational institutions.

Planned Exhibits of the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum and Justice 
                            Learning Center

       The following provides additional information about the 
     planned exhibits of the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum 
     and Justice Learning Center.

           African Americans in Politics, Law and Government


                         historical perspective

       At the end of the Revolutionary War, more than one-third of 
     the three million people living in the U.S. were not free. 
     Among this group were 600,000 slaves, 300,000 indentured 
     servants, 50,000 convicts, and of course, Native Americans. 
     Of the more than two million free Americans, only 120,000 
     could meet the requirements set up by individual states at 
     that time for a person to be allowed to vote. These 
     requirements centered around such factors as sex, age, 
     residence, moral character, property, religion, slave versus 
     free status, and race. By the end of the 1800's, most states 
     had also added property and tax paying requirements to the 
     list and many individuals who had been eligible to vote lost 
     their privilege.
       As more and more Blacks gained their freedom (either by 
     purchasing it themselves or by being emancipated upon the 
     death of their masters), states began to change their 
     constitutions so as to exclude Blacks. Moreover, Blacks were 
     denied the right to vote in every state (except Maine) that 
     entered the union between 1800 and 1861.
       The Civil War brought about a drastic change in the pattern 
     of taking away the vote from Blacks because suddenly four 
     million slaves were transformed into citizens possessing the 
     right to vote. Within three years, the 15th amendment to the 
     U.S. Constitution had given the right to vote to all male 
     citizens regardless of race. Women, however, would not gain 
     voting rights until decades later with the passage of the 
     19th amendment.
       Following the Civil War, Blacks in the South voted in large 
     numbers and elected many Blacks to office. Indeed, between 
     1870 and 1901, 22 African Americans (two Senators and 20 
     Representatives) were elected to the U.S. Congress. However, 
     two factors were about to have a dramatic effect on Black 
     voting rights: (1) the fear among many white people that 
     Blacks would now gain political power, and (2) the effort of 
     many government officials to impose punitive measures on the 
     South, which succeeded in undermining the 15th Amendment and 
     depriving Blacks of the vote.
       Southern state after state began to enact laws that 
     stripped away the right to vote of Blacks outright or that 
     introduced such restrictions as the poll tax and the literacy 
     test. And what these restrictions failed to accomplish were 
     more than made up for by the Ku Klux Klan and other hate 
     groups. By 1910, every Southern state had such controls. By 
     1902 not a single Black sat in either a state or federal 
     legislature. Moreover, every

[[Page 14414]]

     state university and public facility that had once been 
     desegregated was now segregated again.
       Hope was reborn in the early part of the 1900's as leaders 
     like W.E.B. Dubois began to exert pressure on the government 
     to reinstate voting rights for Blacks. The effort of this 
     more aggressive Black electorate and the success of Franklin 
     Roosevelt in convincing Black voters that as President he 
     would be committed to principles of equality would transform 
     a traditionally Republican Black voter into a staunch 
     supporter of the Democratic Party, a tendency which continues 
     up to the present.
       During the later decades African American participation in 
     the political process has been influenced by the forces 
     operating at the time. During the 1930's it was the migration 
     of Blacks from the South to the North and from the country to 
     the city. The 1960's created a sharp rise in the political 
     consciousness of Blacks due in part to the enthusiasm 
     generated by the Civil Rights Movement. Throughout the past 
     several decades, African Americans have been selected for 
     political offices in ever-increasing numbers. Many of them 
     have made their imprint on history.
       In a 3,000 square foot gallery within the future National 
     Great Blacks in Wax Museum and Justice Center consisting of 
     the latest in interactive, multimedia technology, visitors 
     will learn about:
       The Civil Rights Struggle--Early Rights Movements; Civil 
     Rights at the End of the Civil War; Civil Rights in the 20th 
     Century; Civil Rights Activists.
       The Legal Battleground--The Legal Status of African 
     Americans: 1790-1883; African Americans and the Criminal 
     Justice System; African Americans in the Federal Courts; 
     African American on the U.S. Supreme Court; Major Federal 
     Legislation; Major U.S. Supreme Court Decisions; Pioneering 
     Jurists, Attorneys, Judges.
       The Political Race--The role of African Americans in 
     Politics from the Colonial Era to Today; African American 
     Elected Officials and Political Appointees; Legalized 
     Oppression; Women and Politics.

               Black Americans in Congress: 19th Century

       The following great Black Americans will be featured in 
     future exhibits in the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum 
     and Justice Learning Center:
       Blance Kelso Bruce--U.S. Senator (R-MS), 1872-1881. Blance 
     Kelso Bruce was born in slavery near Farmville, Prince Edward 
     County, Virginia on March 1, 1841. Having been tutored by his 
     owner's son, Bruce escaped slavery at the beginning of the 
     Civil War, taught school in Hannibal, Missouri, and later 
     attended Oberlin College, in Ohio. After the war, he became a 
     planter and local government official in Mississippi. Elected 
     as a Republican, he was the first Black American to serve a 
     full term in the United States Senate. Following his Senate 
     service, Bruce was appointed Register of the Treasury and 
     Recorder of Deeds for the District of Columbia.
       Richard Harvey Cain--Member of Congress (R-SC), 1873-1875; 
     1877-1879. Richard Harvey Cain was born to free parents in 
     Greenbrier County, Virginia, on April 12, 1825. Prior to his 
     election to Congress, Cain was a minister and served as a 
     delegate to the Constitutional Convention of South Carolina, 
     and as a member of the State Senate. He was the first Black 
     clergyman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. 
     Following his Congressional service, he was appointed bishop 
     of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, DC.
       Henry Plummer Cheatham--Member of Congress (R-NC), 1880-
     1893. Henry Plummer Cheatham was born in slavery near 
     Henderson, North Carolina on December 27, 1857. After 
     graduating from Shaw University in Raleigh, he served as 
     principal of the Plymouth Normal School and register of deeds 
     for Vance County. He was the only Black member of the 52nd 
     Congress (1891-1893). In addition to his Congressional 
     service, Cheatham served as a delegate to two Republican 
     National Conventions.
       Robert Carlos DeLarge--Member of Congress (R-SC), 1871-
     1873. Robert Carlos DeLarge was born in slavery in Aiken, 
     South Carolina on March 15, 1842. Prior to his Congressional 
     service, he engaged in agricultural pursuits and served as a 
     delegate to the State Constitutional Convention, as a member 
     of the State House of Representatives, and as State Land 
     Commissioner. DeLarge was an early organizer for the South 
     Carolina Republican Party. He chaired the Platform Committee 
     of the 1867 Republican State Convention.
       Robert Brown Elliott--Member of Congress R-SC, 1871-1874. 
     Robert Brown Elliott was born in Liverpool, England on August 
     11, 1842. He graduated from Eton College in England, studied 
     law, and practiced law in Columbia, South Carolina. He served 
     as a member of the State Constitutional Convention, of the 
     State House of Representatives, and as Assistant Adjutant 
     General of South Carolina. Following service in Congress, he 
     served in the South Carolina House of Representatives, where 
     he was elected Speaker, and subsequently was elected Attorney 
     General of South Carolina.
       Jeremiah Haralson--Member of Congress R-AL, 1875-1877. 
     Jeremiah Haralson was born in slavery on a plantation in 
     Georgia on April 1, 1846. He was taken to Alabama as a slave 
     of John Haralson, and remained in bondage until 1865. 
     Haralson engaged in agricultural pursuits, became a minister, 
     and served in the Alabama State House of Representatives and 
     Senate before his election to Congress. As a Member of 
     Congress, he supported general amnesty for former 
     Confederates.
       John Adams Hyman--Member of Congress R-NC, 1875-1877. John 
     Adams Hyman was born slave near Warrenton, North Carolina on 
     July 23, 1840. He was sold and sent to Alabama, and then 
     returned to North Carolina in 1865. Hyman became the first 
     Black Member of Congress elected from North Carolina. In 
     addition to his Congressional service, Hyman served as a 
     delegate to the State Equal Rights Convention, the State 
     Constitutional Convention, the 1867 Republican State 
     Convention, and as a member of the State Senate.
       John Mercer Langston--Member of Congress R-VA, 1890-1891. 
     Johnson Mercer Langston was born in Louisa, Virginia on 
     December 14, 1829, He graduated from Oberlin College, studied 
     law and practiced as an attorney in Ohio. Langston was 
     instrumental in recruiting Black troops during the Civil War. 
     After the war, he moved to Washington, DC and served as Dean 
     of the Law Department and as Acting President of Howard 
     University. In addition to his Congressional service, he 
     served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention. 
     His descendant and namesake was the renowned poet Langston 
     Hughes.
       Jefferson Franklin Long--Member of Congress R-GA, 1870-
     1871. Jefferson Franklin Long was born in slavery near 
     Knoxville, Georgia on March 3, 1836. He developed the trade 
     of a merchant tailor in Macon, Georgia. Long was a statewide 
     organizer for the Republican Party, and served on the state 
     Republican Central Committee. Following his Congressional 
     service, he was a delegate to the Republican National 
     Convention in 1880.
       John Roy Lynch--Member of Congress R-MS, 1873-1877, 1882-
     1883. John Roy Lynch was born in slavery near Vidalia, 
     Louisiana on September 10, 1847. He was later taken to a 
     plantation in Natchez, Mississippi. Following emancipation, 
     he served as a justice of the peace and a member of the 
     Mississippi House of Representatives, where he was elected 
     Speaker. In addition to his Congressional service, Lynch was 
     a delegate to five Republican National Conventions, chairman 
     of the Republican State Executive Committee, a member of the 
     Republican National Committee for the State of Mississippi, 
     temporary Chairman of a Republican National Convention, 
     Auditor of the Treasury for the Navy Department, and an 
     officer in the Spanish-American War.
       Thomas Ezekiel Miller--Member of Congress R-SC, 1890-1891. 
     Thomas Ezekiel Miller was born to free parents in 
     Ferrebeeville, South Carolina on June 17, 1849. He served as 
     School Commissioner of Beaufort County, a member of the State 
     House of Representatives, and of the State Senate. Following 
     his Congressional service, Miller served as a member of the 
     State Constitutional Convention in 1895, and as president of 
     the State College in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
       George Washington Murray--Member of Congress R-SC, 1893-
     1895, 1896-1897. George Washington Murray was born in slavery 
     near Rembert, South Carolina on September 22, 1853. In 
     addition to his Congressional service, he was a 
     schoolteacher, inspector of customs at the port of 
     Charleston, South Carolina, a realtor, writer and lecturer, 
     and a delegate to several Republican National Conventions.
       Charles Edmund Nash--Member of Congress (R-LA), 1875-1877. 
     Charles Edmund Nash was born in Opelousas, Louisiana on May 
     23, 1844. A bricklayer by trade, Congressman Nash also served 
     as Inspector of Customs and Postmaster.
       James Edward O'Hara--Member of Congress (R-NC), 1883-1887. 
     James Edward O'Hara, the son of an Irish merchant and a West 
     Indian woman, was born in New York City on February 26, 1844. 
     He studied law in North Carolina and served as clerk for the 
     Constitutional Convention of North Carolina in 1868. In 
     addition to his Congressional service, he served in the North 
     Carolina House of Representatives, as chairman of the board 
     of commissioners for Halifax County, and a member of the 
     State Constitutional Convention in 1875.
       Joseph Hayne Rainey--Member of Congress (R-SC), 1870-1879. 
     Joseph Hayne Rainey was born in slavery in Georgetown, South 
     Carolina on June 21, 1832. A barber by trade, he escaped to 
     the West Indies and remained there until the close of the 
     Civil War. He served as delegate to the State Constitutional 
     Convention in 1868, a member of the State Senate, and 
     Internal Revenue Agent of South Carolina. Rainey was the 
     first Black American to be elected to the U.S. House of 
     Representatives, and in 1874 became the first Black Member to 
     preside over a session of the House.
       Alonzo Jacob Ransier--Member of Congress (R-SC), 1873-1875. 
     Alonzo Jacob Ransier was born to free parents in Charleston, 
     South Carolina on January 3, 1834. In addition to his 
     Congressional service, he served as a member of the State 
     House of Representatives, as a member of the State 
     Constitutional Conventions in 1868 and 1869, as

[[Page 14415]]

     Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina, as Chairman of the 
     Republican State Central Committee, as delegate to the 
     Republican National Convention in 1872, and as Internal 
     Revenue Collector.
       James Thomas Rapier--Member of Congress (R-AL), 1873-1875. 
     James Thomas Rapier was born to free parents in Florence, 
     Alabama on November 13, 1837. A cotton planter, he was 
     appointed a notary public, was a member of the first 
     Republican Convention held in Alabama, and member of the 
     State Constitutional Convention at Montgomery in 1867. In 
     addition to his Congressional service, Rapier served as 
     Assessor of Internal Revenue, Alabama Commissioner to the 
     Vienna Exposition in 1873, and U.S. Commissioner to the 
     World's Fair in Paris.
       Hiram Rhodes Revels--U.S. Senator (R-MS), 1870-1871. Hiram 
     Rhodes Revels was born to free parents in Fayetteville, North 
     Carolina on September 27, 1827. A barber and ordained 
     minister, he assisted in recruiting two regiments of Black 
     troops at the outbreak of the Civil War. Revels served as 
     chaplain of a Black regiment in Vicksburg, Mississippi, 
     organized Black churches in the State, and was a member of 
     the State Senate. He was Secretary of State Ad Interim of 
     Mississippi, and president of Alcorn University in Rodney, 
     Mississippi. Hiram Revels was the first Black American 
     elected to the United States Senate.
       Robert Smalls--Member of Congress (R-SC), 1875-1879, 1882-
     1883, 1884-1887. Robert Smalls was born in slavery in 
     Beaufort, South Carolina on April 5, 1839. He became an 
     expert pilot of boats along the coasts of South Carolina and 
     Georgia and learned the Gullah dialect of Sea Islanders. In 
     addition to his Congressional service, Smalls was a member of 
     the State Constitutional Convention 1868, served in the State 
     House of Representatives and in the State Senate, and was 
     twice a delegate to Republican National Conventions. 
     Representative Smalls is currently featured in the Great 
     Blacks in Wax Museum.
       Benjamin Sterling Turner--Member of Congress (R-AL), 1871-
     1873. Benjamin Sterling Turner was born near Weldon, North 
     Carolina on March 17, 1825. Raised as a slave, he moved to 
     Alabama and was elected Tax Collector of Dallas County and 
     Selma City Councilman. He was the first Black Member of 
     Congress from Alabama. Following his Congressional service, 
     Turner was a delegate to the Republican National Convention 
     in 1880.
       Josiah Thomas Walls--Member of Congress (R-FL), 1871-1873, 
     1873-1875, 1875-1876. Josiah Thomas Walls was born in 
     Winchester, Virginia on December 30, 1842. He moved to 
     Florida and was a delegate to the State Constitutional 
     Convention in 1868, and served in the State Senate prior to 
     his election to Congress.
       George Henry White--Member of Congress (R-NC), 1897-1901. 
     George Henry White was born in Rosindale, North Carolina on 
     December 18, 1852. He was the last former slave to serve in 
     Congress. In addition to his Congressional service. White was 
     Principal of the State Normal School of North Carolina, a 
     member of the State House of Representatives and the State 
     Senate, a solicitor and prosecutor, and was twice a delegate 
     to Republican National Conventions.

           Discovery and Settlement: Black American Pioneers

       Current Exhibits--The following exhibits are currently on 
     display in the Great Blacks in Wax Museum collection:
       Matthew A. Henson (1866-1955) was an international explorer 
     and the first person to reach the North Pole as a member of 
     Commodore Robert E. Peary's 1909 expedition. He later 
     chronicled his experiences in the book A Negro Explorer at 
     the North Pole (1912). President William Howard Taft 
     appointed Henson to the position of Clerk in the U.S. Customs 
     House in New York City, a position Henson held until 1936, 
     when he retired. In 2000, the National Geographic Society 
     posthumously awarded Henson the coveted Hubbard Medal for 
     Distinction in Exploration and Discovery.
       James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938), renowned writer, poet and 
     statesman, and NAACP executive director, observed: ``Your 
     West is giving the Negro a better deal than any other section 
     of the country. There is more opportunity for my race, and 
     less prejudice against it in this section of the country than 
     anywhere else in the United States.''
       Bill Pickett (1870-1932), born to former slaves in Texas, 
     was one of the greatest cowboys that ever lived. Known to 
     tackle a steer and other beasts without a lariat, he is 
     credited with originating the rodeo sport known as ``steer 
     wrestling.'' Pickett was the first Black cowboy to appear in 
     Western movies, and the first Black inductee into the 
     National Cowboy and Rodeo Hall of Fame.
       Future Exhibits--The following exhibits are planned for the 
     National Great Blacks in Wax Museum and Justice Learning 
     Center:
       Henry Adams (1843-?), born into slavery, led the ``Black 
     Exodus,'' a migration of 40,000 African Americans to the Free 
     State of Kansas. ``Exodusters'' settled all-Black towns and 
     were able to achieve a significant measure of economic and 
     political freedom.
       All-Black Towns. All-Black towns were established in 
     Western states and territories during the late 1800s. In 
     California, these include Kentucky Ridge (Placerville), Negro 
     Bar (part of Folsom), Negro Slide (in Pumas County), Negro 
     Tent (located between Comptonville and Goodyear), and Negro 
     Hill (near Sacramento). In Oklahoma, they include Bernon, 
     Boley, Brooksville, Clearview, Grayson, Langston, Lima, 
     Redbird, Rentiesville, Summit, Taft, Tatums, and Tullahassee.
       James Pierson Beckwourth (1798-1866), who escaped from 
     slavery, played a major role in the exploration and 
     settlement of Western states. Beckwourth fought in the 
     California Revolution in 1846, and became chief scout for 
     General John C. Fremont. The town of Beckwourth, California 
     was named after him, as was Beckwourth Trail, an overland 
     route he charted from Sparks, Nevada across the Sierra Nevada 
     to Lake Oroville, California. He was the only Black 
     frontiersman to record his life story.
       George Bonga (1802-1880) was a renowned fur trader and 
     trapper born in Minnesota. The grandson of Jean Bonga, the 
     first Black settler in the Northwoods (1782), he could speak 
     English, French and Ojibwa. In 1820, he served as interpreter 
     for Minnesota Governor Lewis Cass at a council held in Fond 
     du Lac territory. In 1837, Bonga successfully apprehended 
     Che-Ga Wa Skung, a Chippewa Indian wanted for murder. The 
     subsequent trial at Fort Snelling became the first trial for 
     a criminal offense held in Minnesota.
       Clara Brown (1800-1885), born into slavery, traveled to 
     Denver, Colorado as a cook on a wagon train. Brown was the 
     first Black woman to cross the plains during the Gold Rush. 
     She settled in Central City, Colorado, established its first 
     laundry, accumulated wealth, and brought freed slaves to 
     Colorado. She was made an honorary member of the Society of 
     Colorado Pioneers.
       Buffalo Soldiers--In the late 1800s, the all-Black 9th and 
     10th U.S. Army Cavalry Regiments and 38th Infantry served in 
     New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Kansas, 
     Oklahoma, Wyoming, Montana, Texas, and the Dakotas. They 
     built forts and roads, strung telegraph lines, protected 
     railroad crews, escorted stages and trains, protected 
     settlers and cattle drives, and fought outlaws. Indians 
     called them ``Buffalo Soldiers,'' and the soldiers wore the 
     title proudly.
       Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable (1745-1818) established the 
     first permanent settlement of Chicago, Illinois in 1790. He 
     owned a highly profitable trading post which became the main 
     point of supply for traders and trappers heading West. His 
     granddaughter born in 1796 was the first child born in 
     Chicago.
       Estevanico (1503-1539), an African enslaved by the Spanish, 
     led an expedition from Mexico into the territory of the 
     American Southwest in 1538 and is credited with the discovery 
     of the area that became the states of Arizona and New Mexico.
       Mary Fields (1832-1914), born a slave, became a renowned 
     figure on the American Western frontier known as pistol-
     packing ``Stagecoach Mary.'' In 1895, she was hired as a U.S. 
     Mail coach driver for the Cascade County region of central 
     Montana, becoming the first Black woman to drive a U.S. Mail 
     route. She and her mule Moses never missed a day, and thus 
     she earned her nickname ``Stagecoach'' for her unfailing 
     reliability.
       Henry O. Flipper (1856-1940) was the first Black graduate 
     of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and the first 
     Black Army commissioned officer. A Buffalo Soldier, Flipper 
     was stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and Forts Concho, 
     Elliott, Quitman and Davis, Texas. He was a signal officer 
     and quartermaster, installed telegraph lines, and supervised 
     road building. Flipper directed construction of a drainage 
     system at Fort Sill that prevented the spread of malaria. 
     ``Flipper's Ditch'' is a National Historic Landmark.
       Thomas ``O.T.'' Jackson (1846-1906), a barber from 
     Watsonville, California, was a tenor in several 
     internationally prominent Black minstrel groups in the late 
     1800s. He headlined numerous engagements, including 
     performances before King Edward VII of England. His 
     improvisational musical technique influenced various music 
     styles in the West in the 20th century, as well as the 
     development of Jazz and other African American music forms.
       William A. Leidesdorff (1810-1848), the son of a Danish 
     sailor and a Black woman from St. Croix, Virgin Islands, came 
     to Yerba Buena (San Francisco) in 1841. Within three years he 
     owned waterfront property and the largest house in San 
     Francisco. Leidesdorff built San Francisco's first hotel, 
     helped establish its first public school, launched the 
     state's first steamship, and staged its first horse race. He 
     also acquired a 35,000-acre parcel of land encompassing 
     modern Folsom, California. Leidesdorff died just after his 
     neighbor and trading partner John Sutter discovered gold.
       Nat Love (1854-1921), better known as ``Deadwood Dick,'' 
     was born into slavery in Tennessee and moved to Dodge City, 
     Kansas. He became a rugged cowpuncher, champion rodeo rider 
     and roper, and cattle driver. In 1907, Love wrote a highly 
     romanticized autobiography portraying a life filled with 
     Indian fights, famous outlaws, and amazing feats. In so 
     doing, he sought to become accepted as the prototype of the 
     dime novel ``Deadwood Dick'' series.

[[Page 14416]]

       Bridget (``Biddy'') Mason (1818-1891), born a slave in 
     Mississippi, trekked with her owner's family to San 
     Bernardino County, California. Once in California, Mason 
     petitioned the courts for freedom, which was granted in 1856. 
     Business and real estate transactions enabled her to 
     accumulate a substantial fortune, and she gave generously to 
     charities, providing food and shelter for the poor of all 
     races. In 1872, she founded and financed the first African 
     American church in Los Angeles.
       George Monroe delivered mail in the mid-1800s by Pony 
     Express between Merced and Mariposa, California. He became a 
     stage driver, and was chosen to drive President Ulysses Grant 
     to Yosemite, where an area called Monroe Meadows is named 
     after him.
       Mary Ellen Pleasant (1814-1904), known as the ``Mother of 
     Civil Rights'' in California, spent most of her life in San 
     Francisco where she provided shelter for fugitive slaves. In 
     1866, she petitioned the California courts by suing to 
     overturn the Mission and Northbeach Railway Company's policy 
     segregating the races, and she later won a judgment of $600.
       Bass Reeves (1824-1910), born to slave parents in Texas, 
     became the first Black commissioned U.S. Deputy Marshal west 
     of the Mississippi River. Reeves lawfully killed 14 notorious 
     outlaws in the performance of his duty over 32 years. He was 
     honored with the ``Great Westerner'' award by the National 
     Cowboy and Rodeo Hall of Fame.
       William Robinson delivered mail by Pony Express from 
     Stockton, California to gold miners.
       Jeremiah B. Sanderson (1846-?) opened the first Black 
     schools in Oakland, Sacramento, San Francisco and Stockton, 
     California.
       Cathay Williams (1842-1924), born a slave, is believed to 
     be the only woman to serve as a Buffalo Soldier. In 1866 she 
     joined the 38th Infantry, one of four all-Black military 
     units, pretending to be a man (William Cathay). She served at 
     Forts Riley and Hacker in Kansas, and Forts Bayard, Union and 
     Cummings in New Mexico, until military medical personnel 
     discovered that she was a woman. Her commander reported her 
     to be a ``good soldier.''
       ``York,'' a slave, was a member of the 1804-1806 Lewis and 
     Clark Expedition and served as William Clark's lifelong 
     servant and companion.

                  Great Blacks in the Executive Branch

       The following great Black Americans are planned for future 
     exhibits in the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum and 
     Justice Center:
       Clifford L. Alexander, Jr., a native of New York City, was 
     Foreign Affairs Officer in the National Security Council 
     during President John F. Kennedy's administration and 
     Secretary of the Army during President Jimmy Carter's 
     administration. He was the first Black to lead a Branch of 
     the United States Armed Services.
       Mary Frances Berry, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, was 
     Assistant Secretary for Education, U.S. Department of Health, 
     Education and Welfare, during the Carter administration, and 
     Chair, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, during President 
     William J. Clinton's administration.
       Mary McLeod Bethune, a native of Mayesville, South 
     Carolina, was a member of the Advisory Committee on National 
     Youth Administration during President Franklin D. Roosevelt's 
     administration; member of Roosevelt's ``Black Cabinet.'' She 
     is currently featured in the Great Blacks in Wax Museum.
       Ralph Bunche, a Detroit native, was Senior Social Science 
     Analyst, Office of Secret Service, during the Franklin D. 
     Roosevelt administration. He also served as Undersecretary in 
     the United Nations Secretariat, and Undersecretary for 
     Special Political Affairs during the Eisenhower 
     administration. The recipient of the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize, 
     Bunche's record of service and honors received is extensive.
       William Coleman, Jr., a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native, 
     was Secretary of Transportation during President Gerald R. 
     Ford's administration. He was the second Black cabinet member 
     ever appointed.
       John P. Davis, together with Ralph Bunche, founded the 
     National Negro Congress during the 1930s. Davis was a member 
     of Franklin D. Roosevelt's ``Black Cabinet.''
       Drew S. Days III, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, was 
     Solicitor General of the United States and Assistant Attorney 
     General for Civil Rights during the Carter administration.
       Patricia Roberts Harris, Secretary of Housing and Urban 
     Development and Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare in 
     the Carter administration, was born in Mattoon, Illinois. She 
     was the first Black female cabinet member ever appointed, and 
     the first Black person appointed to two cabinet positions.
       William H. Hastie, a Knoxville, Tennessee native, served as 
     Attorney, Office of the Solicitor, U.S. Department of the 
     Interior, in the Franklin D. Roosevelt, and was a member of 
     Roosevelt's ``Black Cabinet.''
       Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks is a native of Memphis, Tennessee. In 
     1972 President Nixon named Hooks, a lawyer and Baptist 
     minister, to the Federal Communications Commission, making 
     him its first Black member. From 1977 to 1993 he was 
     executive director of the NAACP. Dr. Hooks is currently 
     featured in the Great Blacks in Wax Museum.
       Kay Coles James, of Virginia, served as head of the 
     National Commission on Children during the Reagan and Bush I 
     administrations, and as Associate Director of the Office of 
     National Drug Control Policy under the first Bush 
     administration. She currently serves as director of the 
     Office of Personnel Management under President George W. 
     Bush.
       Eugene Kinckle Jones, a native of Richmond, Virginia, was a 
     member of Franklin D. Roosevelt's ``Black Cabinet.''
       Gwendolyn S. King, a native of East Orange, New Jersey, was 
     Commissioner of Social Security in the George H.W. Bush 
     administration.
       Thurgood Marshall, a native of Baltimore, Maryland, was 
     Solicitor General of the United States in President Lyndon 
     Johnson's administration. He subsequently served as Associate 
     Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
       Frederick D. McClure, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, was 
     Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs, the White 
     House, during the George H.W. Bush administration, and 
     Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan for Legislative 
     Affairs.
       Wade H. McCree, Jr., a native of Des Moines, Iowa, was 
     Solicitor General of the United States in the Carter 
     administration.
       E. Frederic Morrow was Speechwriter and Administrative 
     Officer for Special Projects, the White House, during the 
     Dwight D. Eisenhower administration. Morrow was the first 
     Black person to serve in an executive position on a 
     president's staff at the White House. He chronicles his 
     experiences in the book, ``Black Man in the White House'' 
     (1963).
       Azie Taylor Morton, a native of Dale, Texas, was a member 
     of the Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity in the 
     Kennedy administration. Morton also served as National 
     Director of the U.S. Savings Bonds Division and Treasurer of 
     the United States, U.S. Department of the Treasury, in the 
     Carter administration.
       Constance Berry Newman, was Director, Office of Personnel 
     Management, in the George H.W. Bush administration and Under 
     Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in the George H.W. 
     Bush and Clinton administrations. Newman has also served as 
     Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and 
     Urban Development, Director of VISTA, and Commissioner and 
     Vice-Chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. She is 
     currently Assistant Administrator for Africa, U.S. Agency for 
     International Development, in the George W. Bush 
     administration.
       Condoleezza Rice, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, served 
     as Senior Director for Soviet and East European Affairs, 
     National Security Council, and Special Assistant to the 
     President for National Security Affairs, in the George H.W. 
     Bush administration. She currently serves as National 
     Security Advisor in the George W. Bush administration.
       Samuel R. Pierce, Jr., a native of Glen Cove, New York, was 
     Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under the Reagan 
     administration.
       Colin L. Powell (1937-), a native of New York City, served 
     as National Security Advisor under the Reagan administration 
     and Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, under the George H.W. 
     Bush administration. He currently serves as Secretary of 
     State in the George W. Bush administration. Secretary Powell 
     is currently featured in the Great Blacks in Wax Museum.
       Louis F. Sullivan, M.D., an Atlanta, Georgia native, was 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services under the George H.W. 
     Bush administration.
       Terence A. Todman, a native of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin 
     Islands, was Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American 
     Affairs under the Carter administration.
       Robert Weaver, a Washington, DC native, was a member of 
     Franklin D. Roosevelt's ``Black Cabinet''; Special Assistant 
     for Negro Affairs, Office of the Administrator of the U.S. 
     Housing Authority, in the Kennedy administration; and 
     Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under the Johnson 
     administration. Weaver was the first Black cabinet member 
     ever appointed.
       Clifford R. Wharton, Jr. was Deputy Secretary of State in 
     the Clinton administration.
       Walter White, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, was member of 
     Franklin D. Roosevelt's ``Black Cabinet.''
       J. Ernest Wilkins, Sr., a native of Chicago, Illinois, was 
     Assistant Secretary of Labor for International Affairs under 
     the Eisenhower administration.
       Andrew Young (1932-), a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, 
     was appointed U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations by 
     President Jimmy Carter. He previously served three terms in 
     Congress as a representative from Georgia.

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