[Pages H752-H757]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          BLACK HISTORY MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2025, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Figures) is recognized 
for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.


                             General Leave

  Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on this Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Alabama?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to 
co-anchor this Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour along with 
my distinguished colleague from Oregon (Ms. Bynum).
  For the next 60 minutes, Members of the Congressional Black Caucus 
have an opportunity to speak directly to the American people about 
Black History Month, an issue of great importance not only to the 
Congressional Black Caucus but to Congress, the constituents we 
represent, and to all Americans.
  It is a privilege to be able to stand here today. Black History Month 
is not just an opportunity to reflect on our past, but it is certainly 
an opportunity to uplift our present and renew the cause to fight for 
our future.
  I begin with a story because Black History Month is often thought of 
as a time to recognize those historical figures that we all know: the 
Martin Luther Kings of the world, the John Lewises of the world, Rosa 
Parks, and others. Black History Month is about more than just those 
who are known. It is about a lot of those who are not known.
  I begin with a story of a few young men in the State of Alabama. 
Following what history has come to label as the end of the civil rights 
movement in 1968, in 1969, four young men had been intentionally 
recruited to break down a color barrier at the University of Alabama's 
law school.
  Eight young men walked through the doors of the University of Alabama 
School of Law in the fall of 1969. Among them was a young man named 
John, a young man named Ronald, a young man named Booker T., and a 
young man named Michael.
  This was a time when the civil rights movement had ended, the 
struggles to realize the progress that America has made throughout the 
decade-plus of fighting and protesting. It was about leveling those 
playing fields and equaling the opportunity and access for people like 
these young men.

  They walked through the doors as the first African Americans to come 
into the University of Alabama's law school, and they would all 
ultimately become lawyers: John England, Booker T. Forte, Ronald 
Jackson, and Michael Figures.
  Black history in America is a story of resilience and excellence and 
an unshakeable pursuit of justice, an unshakeable commitment to making 
this country, as Martin Luther King would say: ``Be true to what you 
said on paper,'' for all of us.
  From the Halls of Congress to the streets of our communities, Black 
leaders and educators and entrepreneurs and activists have shaped this 
Nation. Yet, we know that honoring this history isn't just about 
reflection. It is about action because that is what we owe people. That 
is what we owe people.
  I come from Alabama, the birthplace of the civil rights movement, a 
place at a time when this Nation and this world was experiencing 
injustices that we cannot fathom today; and a place where people, based 
simply on the color of their skin, could not eat in certain places, 
work in certain places, be educated in certain places, or live in 
certain places.
  The people of Alabama, particularly Montgomery, Alabama, stood up at 
a point when many cities and towns and people in those cities and towns 
across this country had a rightful fear of standing up in that way. 
Montgomery said: No.
  In 1955, when they launched a bus boycott, little did they know that 
they

[[Page H753]]

were giving rise to the greatest civil movement that the world has ever 
seen and that the world has ever known, led by a young minister who was 
a mere 26 years old at the time: Martin Luther King, Jr.
  This movement would give rise to what America proudly holds itself 
out to be today. That is that place of equal opportunity, that place of 
equal access, and that place of equal justice.
  This is a movement that was rooted in people. It was rooted in people 
who had a faith in a nation that, when we look back at history, we 
wonder: How could they? How could they? How could people who came from 
such a history of segregation and degradation, slavery and Jim Crow, 
how could they remain steadfast in a commitment to a country? How could 
they have that love for a country that history had shown them did not 
love them in the same manner?
  They held it because they knew that the greatness of America was 
really about what America could be and what it could be for them. Even 
if they came here in the bowels of slave ships, even if they slaved as 
laborers in cotton fields, they knew that America one day could be 
better for them and could be better for their children and their 
grandchildren.
  That is what Black History Month is about. It is about recognizing 
the unwavering faith that people, who had every reason not to have such 
faith, maintained in this Nation and the contributions that they made 
to making America be true to what it said on paper.
  When you have understanding and an appreciation where Black people in 
this country have come from, literally from the bottom, literally with 
nothing, literally as second- and third- and fourth-class citizens and 
noncitizens initially; when it is understood that when this building 
was built, people who looked like me could only be here for three 
reasons: To either build it, clean it, or serve food; when it is 
understood that when this country was formalized in a Constitution 
people who looked like me were not deemed to be an entire person--
barely just more than a half a person--three-fifths of a person is what 
Black people were counted as, then it is understood why many of us are 
very sensitive to efforts to attack things like diversity and efforts 
to attack things like equity and inclusion, because we know that we 
come from a culture and from a people who had to deal with adversity, 
inequity, and purposeful exclusion for centuries; when all we wanted 
was a level playing field; when all we wanted was the same 
opportunities as others.
  We never asked for special treatment. We never wanted to be 
recognized in any way that others were not recognized, but they held on 
to that faith for this Nation, and they led us to being a better place.
  Coming from that background, several actions of this administration 
strike a little bit differently. It stings a little bit more when 
things happen like the rolling back of an EEOC order that has been in 
place since 1962 that was meant to make sure that people were not 
discriminated against.
  It means something a little bit different when the administration 
hits a pause on funding to 1890 land-grant institution scholarships 
while not hitting a pause on that funding to 1862 land-grant 
institution scholarships.
  It hits a little bit differently when Auburn University, a 
predominantly White institution, is not impacted, but Alabama A&M 
University and Tuskegee University are impacted. One must ask: What is 
the difference between an 1862 school, a Texas A&M and Auburn 
University and LSU, and an 1890 school, an Alabama A&M and a Tuskegee?
  When one looks at the facts, it is the fact that the 1890s were 
historically Black colleges and universities. That stings a little bit 
differently. It hits a little bit differently when there is an 
understanding of the history of where people come from, that one of the 
first actions that had to be taken after the administration came in was 
going to bat to make sure that the Tuskegee Airmen remained a part of 
the curriculum in training our Nation's airmen--something so basic, 
something so nonpartisan, something that we should all be able to agree 
on--that a group of men who went and put their lives on the line for a 
world, for a country, that, when they returned home, they were still 
called the N-word.
  They were still forced to sit in the back of the bus. They were still 
told to take off their uniforms. They were still told that they were 
not good enough. They still could not send their kids to school in much 
of this country's public school systems. Yet, because of a diversity, 
equity, and inclusion ban, we had to go to bat for them.

  It wasn't just Democrats. There were Republicans, too, who saw that 
that was an issue that we should not have. Senator Katie Britt from my 
home State was there with us, as was the Congressional Black Caucus and 
other Members across this country.
  It is the attacks that we see on such things that hits a little bit 
differently during Black History Month because it is a failure to 
acknowledge the history. It is a failure to acknowledge a group of 
people who persevered through the worst of circumstances in this 
Nation, a group of people who literally emerged from bondage, a group 
of people who emerged from torture, from rape, from kidnapping, and 
from family separation.
  That is why it means so much to us. That is why it is important that 
we recognize Black History Month because contributions have been made 
by dozens of people, hundreds of people, thousands of people, millions 
of people who were not supposed to be in this country as citizens. Yet, 
here we are, and here we stand.
  Although, when this building was built, there were zero Members who 
looked like us, there now stands 62. We know that we have an obligation 
to stand up and respect that history because Black history is not just 
for me. It is not just my history.
  That young man named Michael Figures who walked into University of 
Alabama's law school, he would have a son. He would have four sons. One 
of them is named Shomari Figures, who stands here today as a Member of 
Congress because of the fights of him and the fights of those known and 
unknown before him.
  Black history is not only my history. Black history is your history, 
whether you like it or not. It is our history. Black history is 
American history. Black history is who we are. That is why we must 
continue the fight to make sure that we honor the contributions and the 
sacrifices that so many people have made.
  It is to make sure that we do not go back, to make sure that it is 
clearly understood that our efforts throughout the civil rights 
movement and since have only been to make sure that we have a level 
playing field, have only been to make sure that I can't be excluded 
when I have the exact same qualifications as you.

                              {time}  1945

  I stand here today as a proud son of a father and mother who have 
both made Black history in their own right. I stand before you here 
today as the proud grandson of men who set the stage.
  Most Black people in this country don't come from privilege. I 
consider myself to be blessed. I think here in Congress, a lot of the 
time, we see a lot of people born on third base thinking they hit a 
triple. That is the unfortunate reality of where we find ourselves--
people forgetting where they came from, people forgetting what we went 
through, people forgetting how we got here in the first place, people 
forgetting the struggle, people forgetting what we overcame, people 
forgetting what we could not have and why we fight so hard for what we 
do have and to be able to maintain it in the future.
  I don't forget. I won't forget. I cannot forget because every day I 
walk in here is a reminder of what was sacrificed for me. Every day 
that I have the privilege of calling myself a United States citizen, a 
United States Representative, is a reminder for me of what it took for 
myself and for people like me to be able to stand here.
  I know I was born on first base because my grandparents made 
sacrifices for my father to be able to step up to the plate and swing 
for the fences, and swing for the fences he did. He broke down color 
barriers in his own right. He gave his life to public service, and he 
died one day at a dinner table, but what did not die with him was an 
appreciation, an understanding, a recognition of where we have been, 
what we have been through, how we got here,

[[Page H754]]

and what we must do to ensure that future generations enjoy the same 
opportunity.
  Mr. Speaker, it is now my privilege to yield to the gentlewoman from 
Oregon (Ms. Bynum).
  Ms. BYNUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the first, but not the last, 
Black Member of Congress in Oregon's history to celebrate Black History 
Month in these hallowed Halls of Congress. Listening to Brother 
Figures' speech has me a bit choked up. We are the next generation.
  It is not lost on me that I am just one generation removed from 
segregation. My mother graduated from Whittemore High School in Conway, 
South Carolina, in the class of 1970, a segregated class, and graduated 
valedictorian without a future. That wasn't that long ago.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be a groundbreaker because of what that 
means not just for my children but for young people all across my 
State, for them to see that change is possible, and when something big 
has never been done before, it just might be because they haven't 
accomplished it yet.
  As a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, I am reminded that I 
am not in this fight alone. They were always there with me, 3,000 miles 
away, never leaving me alone. We are a community of leaders, Mr. 
Speaker, united in our goal to shape a more equitable, prosperous, and 
just society.
  Mr. Speaker, this Black History Month, we recommit ourselves to 
continuing to make progress together. We are here not just for our 
children but for our children's children.
  Mr. Speaker, happy Black History Month.
  Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York 
(Ms. Clarke), chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus.
  Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Janelle 
Bynum from the great State of Oregon and Congressman Shomari Figures 
from the great State of Alabama for co-anchoring tonight's 
Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour.
  I rise today with my colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus to 
commemorate Black History Month and to reflect on the innumerable 
contributions to our country that Black Americans have made throughout 
our Nation's history.
  During Black History Month, we celebrate the generations of Black 
Americans whose courage, advocacy, sacrifice, and patriotism have moved 
our Nation and the world forward. From Reconstruction and the Great 
Migration to the success of Black Wall Street, the jazz age, the Harlem 
Renaissance, the civil rights movement, and beyond, there is no time in 
history that Black people have not contributed to the vitality and 
success of our country.
  As chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, I am proud that as our 
caucus has grown from 13 visionary members in 1971 to a historic 62 
members in the year 2025, 4 of whom serve in the United States Senate, 
we have continued fighting to dismantle barriers, create opportunities, 
and protect the rights of our communities.
  Throughout our Nation's history, the Congressional Black Caucus has 
been called to confront countless threats to our communities, our 
educational attainment, our economic prosperity, and our health and 
well-being. Time and again, we have answered the call and stood in the 
breach on behalf of Black America and the values that make our country 
strong.
  Under the shadow of the Trump administration, we are being called to 
yet another unprecedented and consequential time in the history and 
life of our country that we must address head-on.
  With the creation of the 14th Amendment, America took one step toward 
rectifying its original sin of slavery and protecting the birthright 
citizenship of all Black Americans. Threats from President Trump to the 
14th Amendment have put Black America, once again, in a perilous 
position. Today, we are facing cruelty and threats to the very fabric 
of our democracy and existence.
  As the Trump administration seeks to continue to take our country 
back in time, the Congressional Black Caucus stands at the front lines 
of protecting our communities and calling out these and other thinly 
veiled attempts to erase centuries of progress for Black America.
  This administration's recent actions aimed at taking away critical 
tools of success and our fundamental freedoms will not go unanswered.

  On the shoulders of our Founders, we will continue to push back 
against efforts to impede our progress, erase our history, and cut off 
our access to capital and better opportunities in our communities.
  This month and every month, we will continue to make clear that the 
contributions of Black Americans will not and cannot be erased, 
undermined, or undone.
  We will continue to fight for access to the ballot box, fair 
representation, diversity initiatives, and our fundamental freedoms, 
which are, sadly, under threat each and every day.
  As the conscience of the Congress, we will not sit back and be silent 
as these attacks on our communities continue. Our history, Black 
history, is American history, and we are not going back.
  Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Georgia 
(Mrs. McBath).
  Mrs. McBATH. Mr. Speaker, I am so honored and privileged to be here 
tonight to speak on the Congressional Black Caucus, with our Special 
Order hour tonight specific to honoring Black History Month.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join tonight's Special Order hour 
honoring Black History Month, my Black history, my people, my 
community.
  As a second vice chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, it is 
vitally important to me that we commemorate the stories and triumphs of 
Black Americans all year long and especially during Black History 
Month.
  I am the daughter of civil rights leaders. My father was the Illinois 
branch president of the NAACP and served on its executive board for 
over 25 years. I grew up in the struggle. I grew up in the marches. I 
grew up in the rallies. I certainly learned how to sing ``We Shall 
Overcome'' because it is what I sang with my family all the time, for 
as long as I can remember.
  I draw upon the strength of these experiences, the experiences and 
strength of my mother and my father during a time which feels not 
unlike the uncertainty of the 1960s. Though there are those who may 
feel discouraged that we are fighting the same bigotry and the same 
hatred, going down the same road that my parents fought against, that 
Dr. King fought against, that Rosa Parks and Fannie Lou Hamer fought 
against, that our dear friend and beloved colleague John Lewis fought 
against, I continue to look to the civil rights movement as a reminder 
that we are not powerless.
  Our voices and our role as legislators in this body give us all the 
tools that we need to speak up, to stand up, and to fight back for 
Black America and for all of America.
  It is what my father did and what my mother did, even during a time 
when diners charged him more money for a cup of coffee than the White 
man sitting next to him.
  I can remember, as a child living in Chicago, Illinois, going into a 
local Walgreens. I remember standing there with my family, all of them 
fair-skinned, with red hair, brown hair, and freckles, and me, the 
brownest child in the family, being told I couldn't go sit with my 
family because they didn't believe I was a part of my family.
  It is these kinds of experiences that I will fight for the rest of my 
life to make sure that no child, no individual in this country, ever 
feels discriminated against. It is what my father did. It is what I did 
as a grieving mother when my son, Jordan, was killed by a White man who 
simply didn't like the loud music that he was playing in his car. It is 
what we must do now as a Presidential administration, emboldened by 
hatred and vengeance, seeks to weaken and dismantle Federal programs 
that support our veterans, care for our seniors, and defend our Nation 
from public health emergencies, just to name a few.
  What we must continue to do as we face threats of erasing Black 
history, American history, we must continue to fight from our 
classrooms and from our textbooks.

                              {time}  2000

  We must stand up. Black America must speak out. We must remember

[[Page H755]]

our responsibility to act--not just to react--in the best interests of 
all the American people. In the face of attacks on minority communities 
in a nation where our diversity is truly our strength, it is more 
important than ever that we celebrate the progress of this Nation--and 
Black history is part of this Nation--of every step which brings us 
closer to forming a more perfect Union.
  We have been promised that by this Constitution. We have been 
promised that by this country, and I know that we will continue to 
fight every step of the way to fulfill that promise.
  In my time in Congress, I have been privileged to represent a rich 
tapestry of this Nation, woven by the many threads which make us 
uniquely American. I have been proud to represent one of the most 
diverse congressional districts in America, and I am honored to 
represent so many talented local leaders who have blazed a trail and 
accomplished many firsts in their community.
  In my current district, eight mayors or county executives are the 
first Black people to ever serve in those positions. Cobb County 
Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, College Park Mayor Bianca Motley 
Broom, Douglasville Mayor Rochelle Robinson, Fairburn Mayor Mario 
Avery, Fayetteville Mayor Ed Johnson, Mableton Mayor Michael Owens, 
Palmetto Mayor Teresa Thomas-Smith, and Powder Springs Mayor Al 
Thurman.
  These leaders can be proud of the fact that they were the first, and 
I take pride in knowing that they will certainly not be the last.
  The fact that I was elected the first Black Representative of 
Georgia's Sixth Congressional District, the first Democrat to hold that 
seat since 1979, the first person of color to ever hold that seat in 
2018 is a testament to the progress in our State and to the work of 
leaders on the ground and Black America. I am grateful for all those 
who have paved the path of progress for me and all future leaders to 
follow in their footsteps.
  Mr. Speaker, we face extraordinary and unprecedented challenges in 
this moment, but this month and always, we will celebrate the strength 
of America's diversity, the unity of her people, and our unwavering 
determination to leave behind a brighter tomorrow for future 
generations, for our children. They deserve that. Because of the 
celebrations of African Americans that we are talking about during this 
Special Order hour, I have every confidence that my people will 
overcome.
  Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the great 
State of New Jersey (Mrs. McIver).
  Mrs. McIVER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives Bynum and Figures 
for organizing this Special Order hour.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate Black History Month and the profound 
and vibrant legacy of the many Black Americans who have made our 
country.
  Black history is a living, breathing narrative that enriches our 
Nation and influences our daily lives. It is a powerful testament to 
resilience, creativity, and the pursuit of justice.
  We think about those who came before us and fought for freedom, 
trailblazers like Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth, whose voices 
paved the way.
  As only the second Black woman ever elected to Congress to represent 
New Jersey, I stand on the shoulders of giants, including my colleague, 
mentor, and friend, Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman. We both are 
here because of the path that leaders like Shirley Chisholm blazed 
before us.
  With the highest ever membership to the Congressional Black Caucus, 
62 members strong, we have never been stronger. We represent the dreams 
of our ancestors, and those dreams are in danger by this 
administration's hateful policies that hurt Black people nationwide.
  Our hard-fought progress is threatened by the racist agenda pushed 
forward by this administration, but we will not back down. In the words 
of the late, great John Lewis: ``We have been too quiet for too long. 
There comes a time when you have to say something. You have to make a 
little noise. You have to move your feet. This is the time.''
  Together, we must make a little noise and create good trouble to 
protect the progress we have fought so hard for. Together, we can 
ensure that the stories and contributions of our community continue to 
inspire and uplift future generations.
  Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New Mexico 
(Ms. Stansbury).
  Ms. STANSBURY. Mr. Speaker, I stand before you tonight to honor and 
to celebrate Black History Month.
  Black History Month is not just a celebration, but a reminder of the 
struggles, achievements, resilience, and contributions of Black 
Americans throughout our Nation's history.
  In New Mexico, it is the opportunity to honor and celebrate that 
Black history is not only American history, it is New Mexico history, 
especially as so many Black leaders are blazing the way for future 
generations: Judge Shammara Henderson, the first Black judge to serve 
in the New Mexico Court of Appeals; Senator Harold Pope, the first 
Black State senator to serve in the history of the State of New Mexico; 
Councilor Nichole Rogers, the first Black woman to serve on 
Albuquerque's City Council; and Representative Pamelya Herndon, who is 
the first Black State house representative to represent New Mexico 
State House District 28, which is my State house representative in 
Albuquerque.
  These are just a few of the New Mexico leaders who are making history 
as we stand on this floor tonight, who are leading the way, whose 
voices are not only needed but necessary and who must be at all the 
tables where decisions are being made.
  As we know, these voices are currently being threatened by systemic 
attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion, as thousands of Federal 
employees have been fired and put on leave, funding for programs has 
been gutted, schools and public institutions have been threatened, and 
leaders like General Charles Q. Brown, Jr., who have proudly served 
this great country with the highest levels of distinction, have found 
themselves targeted and dismissed.

  We must be real about the moment that we face. These policies and 
cuts are not just policy decisions. They are about undermining the 
fundamental justice and equity of the United States, about erasing our 
history and turning back the clock on the progress of countless 
generations who have struggled and marched and fought to move this 
country forward.
  That is why we must and we will continue to fight back in Congress, 
in the courts, and in our communities, and to continue that work of 
bending the arc of the moral universe and this country toward justice 
because this is the work ahead for all of us and the work we will and 
must do.
  Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the great 
State of Ohio (Mrs. Beatty).
  Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to first say thank you to 
our co-anchors; only freshmen in this House but certainly seasoned in 
the life that they have led. I thank Congressman Figures and 
Congresswoman Bynum, and to our Madam Chair of the Congressional Black 
Caucus, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke.
  Mr. Speaker, tonight you will hear many stories of Black history, 
which is definitely American history. I rise today because Black 
sacrifice and excellence has shaped our Nation. We stand on the 
shoulders of many brave soldiers and Sojourners, but tonight I choose 
to salute living legends.
  I salute the 62 members of the Congressional Black Caucus, four Black 
Members for the first time serving in our United States Senate, and 58 
House Members in this Congress, the largest in our history. As we say 
in the Baptist church, we have come a mighty long way. From 1971, when 
13 Members sat on this House floor, 12 Black men from across this 
Nation and one brave, courageous, bad sister, Shirley Chisholm. My, 
have we come a long way.
  We come tonight, and we speak truth to power in this most 
unprecedented time in our Nation's history: a time when we are fighting 
for civil rights and justice, a time when we are fighting just to ask 
for an opportunity, for a broader talent base, something we call 
diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  Programs like Medicaid and Medicare, Consumer Financial Protection 
Bureau, FAA, and funding for HBCUs, historically Black colleges and 
universities, Federal jobs being taken away

[[Page H756]]

from individuals with little or no notice and promise of payment that 
has only fallen short or to be told that they would get it and found 
out only to be lies.
  Tonight, we will answer what the people are asking for: What are we 
doing?
  Well, I can tell you that the Congressional Black Caucus is standing 
up for justice.
  I can tell you that the Congressional Black Caucus is going back into 
our communities, and we are holding teletownhalls.
  I can tell you that we are responding to the American people because 
we know what is at stake. We know that if we will not stand up for them 
and fight for them that little might not happen. I can tell you that we 
are communicating. I can tell you that we are legislating. I can tell 
you that we are standing with the lawyers who are litigating. We are 
fighting to protect and pursue opportunities that give Black Americans 
the same advantages that White Americans have enjoyed since our 
Nation's founding.
  Our history is made stronger and more vibrant. Just when Black 
Americans think that we are equal, we are still fighting for equal 
rights.
  Here we are, from chaos and confusion with this administration, but 
we are still leading. Former chairs, now ranking members. If I did a 
roll call, Mr. Speaker, I would tell you that we have people like 
Maxine Waters,  Bobby Scott, Bennie Thompson, and   Gregory Meeks 
leading some of the most prestigious committees in this Congress.
  I would tell you that we have so many people who possess law degrees 
that it would be like having a roll call of Who's Who to tell you that 
even in our freshman class--if I started by saying: Turner, Fields, 
Bell, Conaway, Figures, Sykes, McClellan, Lee, Crockett, Johnson, 
Sewell, Meeks, Neguse, Jeffries, and Bishop, who all possess law 
degrees.
  We have some of the best orators in the country. I could say Ayanna 
Pressley, and I can tell you historians like Jim Clyburn. I could tell 
you that we are fighting because we possess those talents in fields 
because we have suffered along the way.
  You have heard the stories of our parents. You have heard the stories 
of our grandparents. We just don't come tonight for a Special Order to 
tell you our stories, but we want America to know that we are 
suffering. We want America to know that we stand with them in this time 
when we are in trouble.
  Just last night, I was on a call with Win With Black Women and Win 
With Black Men, a call that was prompted several months ago during the 
election when 44,000 Black women got on a call, and 50-some thousand 
Black men got on a call. Just as tonight, when a White woman joined us, 
White women and White dudes got on the call because we knew that 
America was in trouble.

                              {time}  2015

  Mr. Speaker, last night I am so proud to say, as I close, that we 
stood up for another sojourner, a sojourner who had been fighting for 
us as she went on air every night. We also say thank you to Joy Reid 
for what she has done and to let her know that we, too, are lifting her 
up.
  We are also celebrating those who, too, will give us a voice, whether 
it is on traditional media, legacy media, social media, or podcasts. We 
are coming after those who are coming after us, Mr. Speaker. We want 
America to know that we will not be silent even against this 
administration. We will not sit down. We will protest. We will resist. 
We will do all the things that our forefathers did. We will do all the 
things that those shoulders that we stand on did.
  What they did, we will do because this America belongs to us. We 
fight for justice, dignity, equity, diversity, and inclusion because 
we, too, are part of America. Black history is American history.
  Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I yield to another distinguished 
gentlewoman from the State of Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congressman from Alabama (Mr. 
Figures) and also Congresswoman Bynum from the State of Oregon and the 
chair of the Black Caucus, Yvette Clarke of New York, for inviting me 
to speak this evening.
  Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate Black History Month, I rise to honor an 
extraordinary American hero that I had the great pleasure to know from 
my home community in Ohio, Lieutenant Colonel Harold H. Brown. He was a 
Tuskegee Airman, and this is the bronze statue that was cast in our 
region as part of our Air Force museum, honoring his astounding life.
  He was a warrior for justice on many fronts and an unwavering 
patriot. He was always happy. His story is one of resilience, 
excellence, and service, embodying the very best of our Nation's 
ideals.
  From a young age, Harold dreamed of soaring through the skies. I 
don't know where he got that idea, but just at 19 years old, he turned 
that dream into reality as a pilot in the legendary Tuskegee Airmen. 
These were a heroic group of African-American aviators who defied both 
gravity and systemic racism to serve their country during World War II. 
As others have referenced tonight, we stand on their shoulders.
  Harold flew combat missions with unparalleled skill and valor. He 
loved to fly, taking on some of the most dangerous missions over war-
torn Europe. His service came at great risk. The plane we see there, he 
liked to fly privately also and would wear a scarf around his neck. He 
was a great teacher, and he managed community colleges after his 
service.
  During one of his many missions, his plane was shot down in battle, 
and he was captured as a prisoner of war. Even in captivity, Harold 
never wavered in his duty to his country.
  After the war, he continued to serve, answering the call again during 
the brutal Korean war. He answered the call. His legacy extended beyond 
the battlefield. He became an educator, beloved, a mentor and champion 
for the desegregation of the United States military.
  The impact of Harold Brown and his fellow Tuskegee Airmen is 
immeasurable in this country. The Red Tails, as they were known, flew 
more than--get ready for this--15,000 sorties between 1943 and 1945, 
earning a reputation as some of the most skilled pilots in the United 
States military.
  Bomber crews specifically requested their escort, knowing the 
Tuskegee Airmen would protect them against enemy attacks. They were 
angels in the sky. They were so brave. They fought not only against the 
forces of fascism abroad but, again, the deep-seated racism at home, 
paving the way for the desegregation of the Armed Forces with the 
leadership from Ohio, setting a precedent for generations to come.
  Right in my district of Toledo, the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen 
lives on. The area around us in northern Ohio--Ohio is known as the 
State of flight, and 58 of these brave aviators called Ohio home, with 
several hailing from the great Toledo area and Harold himself from Port 
Clinton and points east.
  Their contributions to our Armed Forces and to our communities remain 
an indelible part of our history. Institutions such as the Toledo-Lucas 
County Public Library, the National Museum of the Great Lakes, and the 
Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton, Ohio, where this photo was 
taken, have preserved their stories, ensuring that future generations 
will remember their courage and their sacrifice.
  These men were not just warriors in the sky. They were pioneers who 
shattered social and racial barriers, proving their excellence time and 
again, despite the discrimination they faced. Despite their heroism, 
their place in history has not always been respected. Just recently, 
sadly, we witnessed a shameful attempt to erase the legacy of Harold 
Brown and countless others who fought with him and for this country.
  Under the Trump administration, the U.S. Department of Defense, 
following a sweeping executive order, removed diversity, equity, and 
inclusion programs, including historical education on renowned figures 
including the Tuskegee Airmen and the Women Air Force Service Pilots.
  A training program that honored these heroes was halted. Their 
history was nearly erased in the name of a stupid and mean-spirited 
political agenda that sought to rewrite America's past

[[Page H757]]

to fit a narrow, exclusionary narrative. This was more than an insult 
to the African-American community. It was an insult to America itself. 
It was an affront to every soldier, airman, sailor, and Marine who 
fought not just for our country but for the ideals upon which it 
stands.
  The removal of these Department of Defense programs was a deliberate 
attempt to diminish the contributions of African Americans in the 
military and to erase the struggles they overcame in their fight for 
justice and equality.
  Let this be a lesson. The power of the America people is stronger 
than any one administration. When this erasure was exposed, when the 
outrage of everyday citizens--not just Black, not just Brown, but 
White--demanded justice, the American people forced a reckoning with 
the United States Department of Defense and the President of the United 
States. Public outcry led to the reinstatement of the course honoring 
the Tuskegee Airmen.

  Truth cannot be silenced, and history cannot be rewritten to serve 
the will of the few. We, the people, hold the power to safeguard our 
history. The legacy of Harold Brown and his daring, patriotic fellow 
airmen has been restored, not because those in power willingly chose to 
do so but because Americans of conscience refused to allow their 
contributions to ever be forgotten.
  This is a testament to the enduring power of truth and justice and a 
reminder that each American must remain vigilant in protecting both 
truth and justice. As we honor Harold Brown today--and he never wanted 
honor. The entire community, most of whom were Caucasian like myself, 
came out. There was music and joy, and there was happiness in his 
memory.
  We remember his service, but also we remember his fight. Let us carry 
forward his mission, not just in the skies but in every arena where 
justice is challenged, where history is threatened, and where the 
sacrifices of our ancestors and predecessors risk being erased.
  We owe it to Harold Brown and his family. We owe it to the Tuskegee 
Airmen and their families. We owe it to ourselves and to future 
generations of the American family. Harold Brown and the Tuskegee 
Airmen of northern Ohio changed the world for the better, and so can 
we.
  Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, as we bring this Special Order to a close, 
I again highlight the fact that the celebration of Black history is not 
a celebration of just a few individuals who did some notable things. 
Black history is about celebrating the faith that an entire people, an 
entire culture had and the potential of what this Nation could be: A 
faith that was unshakable. A faith in their God. A faith in this 
Nation. A faith that America could be America for them, too.
  They held on to this. We still hold to it. Through the darkest days 
of this country, when Black people could literally only hold onto the 
security and four walls of a church, where they could sing hymns like 
``I Will Trust in the Lord'' or ``Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior'' or 
``Take My Hand, Precious Lord.''

     Precious Lord, take my hand
     Lead me on, let me stand
     I am tired, I'm weak, I am worn
     Through the storm, through the night
     Lead me on to the light.
     That is where we come from.

  I stand here before you just three generational lines removed from 
slavery, and I know that sounds crazy. That is how close we are from 
where we came from. The faith that my great-grandparents had at that 
same generational line, where we had people born in my family into 
slavery, to come just three generations, it is that same faith that 
leads me here. It is that same faith that led my father to break down 
those color barriers at an institution where just a few years before a 
Governor stood and declared that segregation today, segregation 
tomorrow, and segregation forever. It is that same faith that led him 
to apply to that law school where just a few years before his older 
brother applied and was told send us a picture. He refused to do so.
  We celebrate that faith. We celebrate that resilience, that resolve, 
that perseverance. That is what Black History Month is about, and that 
is why we continue to hold on to that faith, because we, too, believe 
that America is still America for us, too. It is America for all of us.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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