[Pages H124-H125]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING JOHN WILLIS MENARD

  (Mr. FIELDS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FIELDS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the profound legacy of 
Mr. John Willis Menard, who in 1868 became the first African American 
elected to Congress.
  Even after winning 64 percent of the vote, Members of this body 
denied him the rightful opportunity to take his seat by a vote of 57-
130. Nevertheless, Mr. Menard bravely defended his right to represent 
the people of Louisiana and became the first African American to speak 
on this floor. His fight for representation, even when denied his 
dignity and his seat, paved the way for people like me.
  While in 1868 there was not a single African American in Congress, 
today there are 67 African Americans serving in the 119th Congress, a 
record number, largely due in part to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and 
heroes like John Willis Menard.

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