[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 4908]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN SCIENTISTS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 12, 2003

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I commend my 
colleague, Mr. Cummings for reserving this special order to celebrate 
Black History Month, a commemoration that dates back to 1926 when Black 
Americans celebrated Negro History Week.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that the citizens of the United States, 
especially young African-Americans, recognize how we've grown and 
developed since then. And also realize and appreciate the important 
contributions of their forebears and contemporaries to the development 
of this nation and American society.
  I am proud to stand before you today to salute two outstanding 
citizens from my childhood home of Waco and congressional district of 
Dallas. James Andrew Harris was born on March 26, 1932 in Waco, Texas. 
As a graduate of Houston-Tillotson College in Austin with a chemistry 
degree, Mr. Harris worked in the Nuclear Chemistry Division of the 
Lawrence Radiation Laboratory at the University of California. There he 
was part of the team that discovered and identified elements 104-
Rutherfordium and 105-Dubnium on the Periodic Table of Elements.
  Dr. Otis Boykin was born in 1920 and raised in Dallas. His mother was 
a homemaker and his father a carpenter. Dr. Otis attended Fisk 
University and the Illinois Institute of Technology. Unfortunately, his 
parents could not afford his tuition and he dropped out of college 
after two years. Thereafter, Dr. Boykin built electrical devices used 
today in all guided missiles and IBM computers. He also developed a 
control unit for an artificial heart simulator (pacemaker) that helps 
millions of cardiovascular patients. Otis Boykin will be remembered as 
one of the greatest inventors of the twentieth century.
  Mr. Speaker, today I am worried that given the current educational 
settings of our country, future Otis Boykins and James Andrew Harrises 
will not have the opportunity to pursue their dreams or realize their 
talents.
  I want to focus briefly on what is going to happen in my State of 
Texas. It is reported that at least $2.7 billion must be cut from Texas 
public education over the next two years to balance the state budget 
without a major increase in taxes or fees. The University of Texas at 
Austin will hire fewer professors, forcing students to scramble for the 
classes they want. At Texas Women's University, fewer police officers 
may patrol the campus. Some intercollegiate sports may disappear from 
Collin County Community College. Tuition will probably rise at Dallas 
County Community Colleges. Universities, medical schools, community 
colleges and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board collectively 
must slash $343.8 million in the middle of the school year.
  Mr. Speaker, one University of North Texas official summarized the 
current situation very clearly: ``The monster came through our door, 
and now he's sitting on our lap.''
  I am further concerned as I read news stories, such as a Washington 
Post article which recently indicated that Oregon is on the verge of 
cutting as many as 24 days from its school year. The United States 
ranks 18th among the industrial nations in school year length. How can 
we expect American schoolchildren to learn in 180 days as much as 
Korean children learn in 220? They cannot!
  Just a couple of weeks ago we listened to President Bush's well-
written, well-delivered State of the Union address. Yes, it was nice to 
hear words about diversity, higher education, making college more 
affordable, and leaving no child behind. But words are cheap! What has 
been done to increase the diversity of our populations in higher 
education? What is being done to make higher education more affordable? 
And how will we ensure that no child is really left behind in our 
elementary and secondary public school education system?
  Mr. Speaker we should invest in the education of under-privileged 
young people here at home. It will improve not only our educational 
system, but our society as a whole. So many Otis Boykins and James 
Andrew Harrises will have the opportunity to revolutionize technology 
that affects people's everyday lives.
  Again, thank you to Congressman Cummings for organizing tonight's 
special orders.

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