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WHAT A LEGACY THEY HAVE GIVEN
AND CONTINUE TO CREATE FOR OUR
COUNTRY.
I THANK THE GENTLELADY FOR
YIELDING THIS EVENING.
WE APPRECIATE
YOU POINTING OUT SOME OF THE
INCONSISTENTS THAT ARE OCCURRING
IN OHIO AND PAYING TRIBUTE TO
TONE -- TONY MORRISON.
WE HAVE A GENTLEMAN JOINING US
AND THAT IS CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN
OF TEXAS, A LEADER IN HIS AREA
IN THE NAACP FOR MANY YEARS AND
LEADER IN THE CONGRESS AND A
LEADER OF OUR COUNTRY.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
FOR YIELDING TIME TO ME.
I GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.
AND I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE
MEMBERS OF THE C.B.C. FOR THE
STELLAR WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE
PUBLISHING THE
HISTORY OF AFRICANS IN THE
AMERICAS KNOWN AS AFRICAN
AMERICANS.
I WOULD LIKE TO TONIGHT ADDRESS
A VERY SIMPLE TOPIC THAT HAS A
LOT OF MEANING.
THE WHOLE NOTION THAT GREAT
PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS RISE TO THE
OCCASION.
HOWEVER, IT TAKES GREAT PEOPLE
TO MAKE THE OCCASION.
AND ON OCCASIONS SUCH AS THIS,
WE OFTEN MENTION THE GREAT ONES,
THE GREAT THURGOOD MARSHAL, THE
GREAT LITIGATOR THAT HE WAS,
WINNING MORE THAN 29 CASES I
BELIEVE, BEFORE THE UNITED
STATES SUPREME COURT OF AMERICA.
BUT IN TALKING ABOUT THE CASES
THAT HE WON, APPROXIMATELY 29 IS
WHAT I RECALL, WE ALSO SHOULD
REMEMBER THAT THERE WERE OTHER
PERSONS WHO HELPED TO MAKE THE
OCCASION FOR THE GREAT THURGOOD
MARSHALL WHO BECAME A JUSTICE ON
THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT
OF AMERICA.
ONE IS CHARLES HAMILTON HOUSTON.
HE WAS THE PERSON WHO PRODUCED
THE STRATEGY THAT THE HONORABLE
THURGOOD MARSHALL FOLLOWED TO
HELP THE NAA CRMP P LITIGATE THE
CASES THAT WENT BEFORE THE
SUPREME COURT, MORE
SPECIFICALLY, BROWN VERSUS BOARD
OF EDUCATION AND THERE IS A
STORY ABOUT THURGOOD THAT PEOPLE
ARE NOT AWARE OF.
HE APPLIED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF
MARYLAND, LAW SCHOOL AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND AND WAS
DENIED ACCESS BECAUSE OF HIS
COLOR.
AND I'M NOT ANGRY WITH THE
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT WAS
BECAUSE THEY REJECTED HIM THAT
HE WENT TO HOWARD UNIVERSITY,
WHERE HE MET THE HONORABLE
CHARLES HAMILTON HOUSTON.
AND IT WAS THERE THAT THEIR
FRIENDSHIP BLOSSOMED THAT
THURGOOD ACQUIRED INTELLIGENCE
ABOUT THE STRATEGY TO USE THE
CONSTITUTION AND LITIGATION TO
BRING ABOUT A MORE PERFECT
UNION.
THE INTERESTING STORY, HOWEVER,
IS NOT COMPLETE UNLESS WE GO ON
TO TALK ABOUT HOW THURGOOD, WHO
GRADUATED AT THE TOP OF HIS
CLASS, WENT ON TO PRACTICE LAW.
AND ONE OF HIS FIRST CASES
INVOLVED A PERSON WHO WAS DENIED
ACCESS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF
MARYLAND.
HE WON THAT LAWSUIT.
SO HISTORY HAS A WAY OF CAUSING
PERSONS WHO HAVE BEEN REJECTED
TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE
A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF
OTHER PERSONS WHO MAY BE
SIMILARLY SITUATED.
I'M SO HONORED THAT THURGOOD
MARSHALL BECAME CHIEF LITIGATOR
FOR THE NAACP, BUT ALL OF THIS
WAS PREDICATED UPON HIM HAVING A
GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH ANOTHER
PERSON WHO MADE HEADWAY AND DID
NOT NECESSARILY MAKE THE SAME
KIND OF HEADLINES, THE CHARLES
HAMILTON HOUSTON.
WE TALKED BILLION ROSA PARKS AND
HOW SHE TOOK A SEAT THAT IGNITED
A SPARK OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS
MOVEMENT.
AND THERE WAS ANOTHER PERSON WHO
TOOK A SEAT BEFORE ROSA,
HANDCUFFED, TOOK TO JAIL, A
15-YEAR-OLD GIRL.
HER NAME WAS CLAUDETTE COVIN.
SHE DIDN'T MAKE THE HEADLINES.
BUT DID MAKE HEADWAY THAT WHEN
THE HONORABLE ROSA PARKS WAS
ARRESTED, IT BECAME A STORY.
ROSA PARKS WAS A HEAD OF A
COMMUNITY AND THAT WAS NO SMALL
DID.
WAY TO THE CONTRIBUTION THAT SHE
AND ROSA PARKS WASN'T JUST
TIRED, SHE WAS TIRED IN THE
SENSE THAT SHE WAS TIRED OF
INJUSTICE.
AND SHE TOOK A STAND AGAINST
INJUSTICE BECAUSE SHE WAS TIRED
.
OF INJUSTICE.
THE BUS BOYCOTT DIDN'T END
BECAUSE OF THE BOYCOTT ALONE.
I THINK THAT HAD SOMETHING TO DO
WITH IT, BECAUSE IT PROBABLY
HELPED TO SHAPE PUBLIC BEEN --
OPINION.
BUT THERE WERE THREE OTHER
FEMALES WHO FILED A LAWSUIT THAT
MADE ITS WAY TO THE SUPREME
COURT OF THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA.
ROTOR, MCDONALD AND SMITH.
IT WAS THAT LAWSUIT THAT THEY
WON, THEY MADE HEADWAY, THEY
DIDN'T MAKE THE LASTING
HEADLINES, BUT THEY MADE THE
BOYCOTT.
DIFFERENCE IN THE MONTGOMERY BUS
AND OF COURSE WE ALWAYS TALK
ABOUT DR. KING AND WE SHOULD
BECAUSE HE PAID THE ULTIMATE
PRICE, HE MADE THE ULTIMATE
SACRIFICE.
BUT WE SHOULD NOT FORGET THAT
BEFORE DR. KING MARCHED FROM
SELMA TO MONTGOMERY THERE WERE
OTHERS WHO SET OUT TO MARCH FROM
SELMA TO MONTGOMERY.
AND THEY DID NOT MAKE IT ACROSS
-- WELL, THEY MADE IT ACROSS THE
BRIDGE, BUT THAT WAS WHERE THEY
MET STRONG RESISTANCE FROM
OFFICERS WHO HAD CLUBS AND THEY
RESISTED THE MARCHERS, THEY
DIDN'T RESIST THEM, THEY
ACTUALLY TOOK THEM ON AND THEY
BEAT THEM ALL THE WAY BACK TO
THE CHURCH WHERE THEY STARTED.
I ENJOY HEARING JOHN LEWIS TELL
THE STORY, NOT BECAUSE OF THE
SUFFERING BUT BECAUSE HE TELLS
IT IN SUCH A WAY AS TO CAUSE ME
TO HAVE SOME DEGREE OF
APPRECIATION FOR WHAT THEY WENT
THROUGH ON BLOODY SUNDAY.
AND HOW THEY PAID A PRICE.
THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE THERE ON
BLOODY SUNDAY.
THE HONORABLE JOHN LEWIS WAS
AMONG THEM.
THEY MADE HEADWAY, THEY MED
HEADLINES.
BUT THEIR NAMES HAVE NOT BEEN
MENTIONED AND THESE ARE THE
PEOPLE WHO MADE THE OCCASION
SUCH THAT THE HONORABLE DR.
MARTIN LUTHER KING COULD COME TO
SELMA AND TO PROCEED WITH THE
MARCH THAT EVENTUALLY TOOK THEM
FROM SELMA TO MONTGOMERY.
HEADLINES.
MADE HEADWAY, DIDN'T ALWAYS MAKE
BUT THEY MADE A GREAT
CONTRIBUTION.
AND OF COURSE WE KNOW OF THE
HONORABLE BARACK OBAMA, FIRST
AFRICAN-AMERICAN PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
WHO DID NOT GET THERE BECAUSE OF
HE'S PRESIDENT BECAUSE HE'S
HIS COLOR.
CAPABLE, COMPETENT AND
QUALIFIED.
BUT BEFORE HE RAN THERE WAS A
WOMAN WHO RAN, THE HONORABLE
SHIRLEY CHISHOLM.
SHE WAS THE FIRST
AFRICAN-AMERICAN TO RUN FOR
PARTY.
PRESIDENT FROM A MAJOR POLITICAL
SHE DIDN'T GET THE NOMINATION OF
THE PARTY BUT SHE DID RUN FROM A
MAJOR POLITICAL PARTY.
SO WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT FOR
EVERY MARTIN KING THERE WERE
PERSONS WHO WERE IN THE SHADOWS,
WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE.
JOHN LEWIS WAS ONE OF THEM.
FOR EVERY THURGOOD MARSHALL
THERE'S A CHARLES HAMILTON
HOUSTON WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE IN
THE LIFE OF A THURGOOD MARSHALL
SUCH THAT HE COULD GO ON TO DO
THE GREAT THINGS THAT HE DID.
FOR EVERY ROSA PARKS THERE'S A
PERSON WHO WAS IN THE SHADOWS
WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE, WHO
HELPED TO MAKE THE OCCASION SUCH
THAT ROSA PARKS COULD RISE TO
THE OCCASION BY TAKING A SEAT
AND IGNITING A SPARK THAT
STARTED THE CIVIL RIGHTS
MOVEMENT.
LET US REMEMBER NOT ONLY THE
PERSONS WHO MADE THE GREAT
HEADLINES THAT WE CONTINUALLY
RECOGNIZE BUT LET'S REMEMBER
THAT THERE WERE OTHER PERSONS
WHO MADE GREAT HEADWAY, WHO
DON'T GET THE RECOGNITION TODAY
THAT THEY MERIT BUT THEY WERE A
PART OF THIS GREAT MOVEMENT FOR
LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR
AFRICAN-AMERICANS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
LENGTH AND BREADTH OF THIS
AND AT SOME POINT I SHALL TALK
ABOUT PERSONS WHO WERE OF MANY
HUES WHO ALSO PARTICIPATED IN
THIS GREAT MOVEMENT.
BECAUSE WE DIDN'T GET HERE BY
OURSELVES.
THERE WERE MANY PERSONS OF MANY
COLORS WHO MARCHED AND
PROTESTED, MANY OF THEM GAVE
LIVES TO THIS MOVEMENT AS
WELL.
JOHN CHERLADY COMES TO MIND WHO
WAS BEATEN IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
HE LOST HIS LIFE.
HE WAS ANGLO.
OF COURSE WE KNOW ABOUT GOODMAN
AND CHENEY AND SHWARNER AND TWO
OF THEM OF COURSE WERE NOT
AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
SHWARNER AND GOODMAN.
SO I THINK THAT ON OCCASIONS
LIKE THIS WE SHOULD ALWAYS
CELEBRATE THE GREAT AND NOBLE
AFRICAN-AMERICANS WHO MADE GREAT
SACRIFICES, REMEMBER THOSE WHO
WERE IN THE SHADOWS AND ALSO
REMEMBER THAT THERE WERE OTHERS
OF MANY HUES, OF MANY
ETHNICITIES AND MANY RELIGIONS
WHO WERE RIGHT THERE WITH US TO
HELP US ARRIVE AT THIS POINT IN
OUR HISTORY AND I THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR THIS TIME, TO MENTION
SOME OF THE GREAT ONES, AND SOME
OF THOSE WHO WERE GREAT BUT DID
NOT RECEIVE THE ACCLAIM THAT
THEY RETCHLY DESERVED AND I --
RICHLY DESERVED AND I THANK YOU
AGAIN AND GOD BLESS YOU AND GOD
BLESS AMERICA.
THANK YOU,
THANK YOU, CONGRESSMAN GREEN,
AND THANK YOU FOR REMINDING US
OF THE MANY UNSENG HEROES AND
HER WINS ON WHOSE SHOULDERS WE
ALSO STAND TODAY.
THIS IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND
ON MANY OCCASIONS THROUGHOUT
FEBRUARY THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK
CAUCUS WILL BE HERE ON THE FLOOR
TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE ONES
THAT WE KNOW AND THOSE THAT WE
DON'T HEAR MUCH ABOUT.
THERE'S A LOT OF OUR HISTORY
THAT OF COURSE WE'RE VERY PROUD
OF, THE LONG MARCH TO FREEDOM,
THE MARCH TO THE RIGHT TO VOTE
AND TODAY WHERE WE NOW HAVE 43
MEMBERS OF THE CONGRESSIONAL
BLACK CAUCUS.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE HISTORY THAT
WE'RE NOT GOING BACK TO AND
SHEILA JACKSON LEE, WHEN SHE WAS
SPEAKING EARLIER, REMINDED US OF
SOME OF THAT HISTORY.
TOMORROW THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK
CAUCUS, GOING BACK TO THE OTHER
TOPIC OF OUR SPECIAL ORDER, THE
RIGHT TO VOTE AND PROTECTING
THAT RIGHT TO VOTE, TOMORROW THE
CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS, LED
BY OUR CHAIRMAN, REVEREND
CONGRESSMAN EMMANUEL CLEAVER,
WILL BE SUBMITTED A HOUSE
RESOLUTION CONDEMNING THE
PASSAGE OF LEGISLATION THAT
WOULD UNDULY BURDEN AN AMERICAN
CITIZEN'S ABILITY TO VOTE AND
OPPOSING ANY STATE ELECTION LAW
OR PROPOSED LEGISLATION THAT
WOULD HAVE A DISPROPORTION
IMPACT ON VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES
ACROSS THIS COUNTRY.
AND WHEN WE INTRODUCED THIS, I
THINK THIS IS CLEARLY A
RESOLUTION THAT WOULD SIGNIFY
THE SENSE OF CONGRESS IT SHOULD
BE A RESOLUTION THAT EVERY
MEMBER, REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRAT,
SHOULD SUPPORT, SUPPORTING THE
RIGHT OF EVERY AMERICAN CITIZEN
TO VOTE FREELY AND TO HAVE THAT
VOTE COUNTED.
AND WE WOULD INVITE ALL OF THE
MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE TO JOIN US
IN THAT RESOLUTION, TO BECOME
CO-SPONSORS AND TO -- WE WOULD
ASK THE LEADERSHIP TO BRING IT
TO THE FLOOR FOR A VOTE.
AGAIN IT CONDEMNS THE PASSAGE OF
LEGISLATION THAT WOULD UNDULY
BURDEN AN AMERICAN CITIZEN'S
ABILITY TO VOTE AND OPPOSES ANY
OF THOSE STATE ELECTION LAWS OR
PROPOSED LAWS THAT WOULD HAVE A
DISPROPORTION AT IMPACT.
WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE OF COLOR
HAVE BEEN BARRED FROM VOTING.
THE PASSAGE OF RESTRICTION --
THESE RESTRICTIVE VOTING LAWS,
THE RESOLUTION REMINDS US IS
REMINISCENT OF THE JIM CROW ERA
POLL TAXES AND LITERACY TESTS
THAT DISENFRANCHISED THOUSANDS
OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
IT ALSO REMINDS US THAT THESE
LAWS DO MORE TO SUPPRESS THE
RIGHT TO VOTE THAN TO PROTECT
OUR ELECTORAL SYSTEM.
THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT
THESE LAWS BEING PASSED AND
PROPOSED BECAUSE OF FRAUD IN THE
ELECTION SYSTEM BUT THERE'S NO
PROOF THAT THERE IS ANY FRAUD
AND SO THESE LAWS ARE REALLY
ABOUT SUPPRESSING THE RIGHT TO
VOTE.
WITH THAT, MR. SPEAKER, I'M
GOING TO -- I'M GOING TO YIELD
BACK THE BALANCE OF MY TIME BUT
BEFORE I DO I'D LIKE TO ASK
UNANIMOUS CONSENT THAT ALL
MEMBERS MAY HAVE FIVE
LEGISLATIVE DAYS IN WHICH TO
REVISE AND EXTEND THEIR REMARKS
AND INCLUDE EXTRANEOUS MATERIAL
ON THIS SUBJECT OF THE SPECIAL
ORDER.
WITHOUT
OBJECTION, SO ORDERED.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER.
AND THANK YOU, COLLEAGUES.
THE
GENTLELADY YIELDS BACK.
THANK YOU.
FOR
WHAT PURPOSE DOES THE GENTLELADY
FROM THE *** ISLANDS RISE?
MR. SPEAKER, I MOVE
--
MR. SPEAKER, I
MOVE THAT THE HOUSE DO NOW
ADJOURN.
THE
QUESTION IS ON THE MOTION TO
ADJOURN.
THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
THOSE OPPOSED, NO.
THE AYES HAVE IT.
THE MOTION IS ADOPTED.
ACCORDINGLY THE HOUSE STANDS
ADJOURNED UNTIL 10:00 A.M.
TOMORROW FOR MORNING HOUR