[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 1984-1985]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS FOUNDATION AND 45TH 
             ANNIVERSARY OF THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS

  Mr. BOOKER. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the 40th anniversary 
of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Incorporated, CBCF. It is 
fitting that during the month we celebrate Black history, we 
commemorate the decades of service CBCF has rendered to the Nation by 
advancing policy issues that impact the global Black community.
  Black History Month is an ideal time to reflect on the ways the law 
has shaped the African-American experience. Our Nation has come a long 
way since the time when schools were segregated by law. No longer does 
the law bar African Americans from the voting booth. Today we have 
African-American Members of Congress who help craft the law; Yet the 
important work of civil rights remains unfinished.
  Since 1976, CBCF has been a critical partner with Congress in the 
fight for equal rights. As a nonpartisan nonprofit institute dedicated 
to eliminating racial disparities, CBCF has served as an inspiration to 
not just African Americans, but to people across the globe. However, 
its legacy and impact have been far from symbolic.
  From helping to make the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a 
Federal holiday, to rebuilding communities impacted by Hurricane 
Katrina, to working on major legislation like the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act, to building a virtual library project to shed 
a spotlight on the work of Black-elected officials, CBCF has stood 
alongside African-American elected leaders on some of the most critical 
policy issues of our time.
  As we move in 2016, the work of CBCF is more important than ever. 
Today people of color face disparities in the areas of criminal justice 
reform, voting rights, and economic development both at home and 
abroad. Its founders--Nira Hardon Long, Albert Nellum, and 
Congresswoman Yvonne Burke--envisioned CBCF as an important contributor 
in the quest for racial equality.
  The need remains. The vision lives on. And we have more work to do. I 
am confident CBCF will continue to serve our country admirably and 
protect African Americans vigorously. I salute CBCF for their service 
and celebrate their 40th anniversary.
  This year also marks the 45th anniversary of the founding of the 
Congressional Black Caucus, CBC. I express my appreciation to the 13 
founding members of the CBC in 1971 and the 17 members of the CBC class 
of 1976 for paving the way for African-American Members of Congress, 
like me, to follow in their footsteps. Their dedication to ensuring 
America fulfills the promise of equal justice for all serves as a 
constant inspiration. I stand on the shoulders of giants in CBC, and I 
salute their sacrifice.
  (At the request of Mr. Reid, the following statement was ordered to 
be printed in the Record.)

[[Page 1985]]



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