[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 2170-2171]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          BLACK HISTORY MONTH

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, each year, during the month of February, 
America celebrates the achievements, contributions, and history of the 
African-American community.
  In previous years, I have had the honor of joining my colleague 
Congressman John Lewis on his civil rights pilgrimage to Alabama and 
Tennessee.
  It is an extraordinary journey that changes all who partake.
  It connects us to our history, our geography, our shame and 
redemption, and to the astonishing bravery and commitment of the civil 
rights leaders who fought for America's honor: Martin Luther King, Jr., 
his wife Coretta Scott, Rosa Parks, the Greensboro Four, to name a few.
  Their willingness to face violence and intimidation, injustice and 
oppression, with steadfast love and bravery transformed America.
  Indeed, it led to a great awakening that continues to reverberate 
around the world.
  This year, as we celebrate those extraordinary individuals and 
events, let us also recognize the exceptional leaders in our midst who 
toil every day for justice and racial reconciliation.
  This year, I have the pleasure of presenting Mr. Jeffrey T. Higgs of 
Memphis, TN, with my office's first ever American New Trailblazer Award 
in honor of Black History Month.
  In January, my office sent out requests to over 200 recipients of our 
African-American leader's newsletter. We asked our readers to nominate 
individuals of extraordinary character and achievement.
  We received the nominations of published authors, clergy, local 
community leaders, and business professionals. All were deserving 
candidates and I am both humbled by and proud of their example of 
service.

[[Page 2171]]

  After culling through the nominations, we chose Mr. Higgs for his 
outstanding work as executive director of LeMoyne-Owen College 
Community Development Corporation.
  For over 15 years, Mr. Higgs has been involved in urban community 
housing, economic development and micro lending.
  As CEO of the multi-million-dollar organization, he has led the 
efforts to revitalize the community surrounding LeMoyne-Owen College.
  Among his many development projects, he led the renovation of the 
historic JE Walker House. Today, the building serves as a community 
resource center for housing development, computer training, economic 
development and investment.
  Currently, Mr. Higgs is leading the charge for 2 major capital 
projects generating over $25 million in economic activity.
  His sponsor for the award, Bridget Chisolm, President and CEO of BBC 
Consulting, wrote to tell us that Mr. Higgs is, ``truly a Renaissance 
man and community trailblazer. We are blessed to have such a leader 
striving to make a good city great.''
  Indeed, America is blessed to have individuals like Mr. Higgs 
selflessly serving his fellow citizens.
  I congratulate Mr. Higgs for his contributions to his community. And 
I thank him for carrying forward the torch of social justice.
  As we close this month of celebration, let us remember that the 
movement is not over. So much has changed in so very short a time. But 
the great hope of the movement has yet to be realized: full equality 
not only before the law, but in the lives of every citizen.
  It is citizens like Mr. Higgs who are working to make that happen.
  I close with a quote from the great Dr. King.
  In his historic speech following the march to Selma, the Reverend 
told his fellow freedom marchers,
       We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at 
     peace with itself, a society that can live with its 
     conscience. And that will be a day not of the white man, not 
     of the black man. That will be the day of man as man.

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