Date: 2010-02-22
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Let me thank the Congresswoman from Cleveland. Ohio. Congresswoman FUDGE. for her leadership on providing for the the history of African American people and for particularly highlighting the notables of her congressional area. I rise today to join as a participant in the Congressional Black Caucus special hour celebrating black history. Its interesting that my friend and colleague started out with Dr. Woodson. who is called the "father of black history." I was sitting in church. at the Greater St. Matthew Church. where Pastor Gusta Booker is the presiding minister and pastor. In their black history program. a young man stood up and recounted the history of Carter G. Woodson. That is what black history is aboutthe carrying on of the story. the embedding of the history of a people who are part of this American landscape into the hearts and minds of our young leaders. That is what our purpose should be today. as our message will be forever embedded in the CONGRESSIONAL RECORDthat on this day. February 22. 2010. we stood to honor those who made a difference. In my congressional district. let me simply call the roll: Mr. John Chase. one of the first African American architects and. clearly. a person who paved the way for architects to follow. Dr. John B. Coleman. one of the first African American doctors. He has a highway named after him. His son is Representative Garnet Coleman. who is a leader in his own right and who is a senior member of the Texas legislature. The legacy continues. Dr. Zeb Poindexter. Sr.. one of the first African American dentists who built a building and who began serving our community. and now his legacy is passed on to his son. Dr. Edith Irby Jones. one of the first graduates from the University of Arkansas Medical School. who has been in the practice of medicine in Houston. Texas. for 50 years. E.M. Knight. one of the champions of political advocates and social justice advocates. now passed. who advocated for the right of African Americans in Houston to vote. Christie Adair. of whom I had the privilege of sitting. in essence. at her feet as the first secretary of the NAACP. which was a real accomplishment for women during those days. Moses Leroy. a union fighter. an advocate for social justice. The Reverend C.L. Jackson. who followed a great pastor at the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church and who really was the first pastoral architect of the largest church in our community. a dome church. built when others said it could not be built. The Reverend Jack Yates. who organized and led the Fourth Ward/Freedmans Town. who our Jack Yates High School is named after. This pastor was a social activist as well. The Reverend Bill Lawson. who came to Texas Southern University as a young pastor and led those students through the civil rights movement. Then I would like to emphasize the fact that out of these leaders comes so much. and much of it is done by members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Let me continue in the roll call: Constable A.B. Chambers. in Texas. the first African American constablelaw enforcement officer in the history of the State of Texas. since passed. Constable May Walker. the first African American woman law enforcement officer and constable in the State of Texas. Chief Lee P. Brown. the first African American chief of police in Houston. Texas who came after a rough and often violent experience between the African American community and those who did not understand diversity. The chief of police brought such grand opportunities. Let me just finish so that I can show the nexus between these leaders in Houston. Texas. and the leaders whom I want to honor in the Congressional Black Caucus: Adam Clayton Powell. who chaired one of our most important committees. who was one of the architects of Medicare and Medicaid and who fought for the establishment of the Department of Labor and who fought for the opportunity for people to work. The Honorable Shirley Chisholm. who reminds us that she was unbossed and unbought and who reminded all of us that. even if named to the Agriculture Committee as the new freshman Congresswoman. she rose to be a fighter for justice but also to be an architect of legislation that helped her constituents in a place called Brooklyn. as she would say. Then my colleagues who were my predecessors: The Honorable Barbara Jordan. who said that she didnt mind being called a "politician" as long as she could be called a "good politician." We will never forget her words "we the people" as she sat on the impeachment proceedings of Richard Nixon. She established the vitality of the Constitution. and we will be forever indebted to her voice and her words. Then. of course. the Honorable Mickey Leland. of which so much in this Congress is named after. But more importantly. he left a spirit of humanitarianism that has never been overcome. Mickey cared for those who could not care for themselves. He died on the side of an Ethiopian mountain. trying to feed those who were starving in Ethiopia. but he left in his memory many things. including the Mickey Leland Kibbutzim program. the Mickey Leland Internship and the Mickey Leland Hunger Center. because hunger has not been stamped out. Mickeys memory continues to be part of that. My immediate predecessor. the Honorable Craig Washington. 25 years in the Texas State senate. At that time. he was known as the single champion for justice. As the Congresswoman from the 18th Congressional District. it is important to note that we are part of a synergism. That is what black history is about. So. when we talk about black radio. it was a creature of the advocacy of African Americans. When we talk about cable and about the expansion of diverse programming. it is a creature of African Americans in the United States Congress. When we now talk about health care reform and about speaking to the issues of disparities and of making sure that health care reform fits our communities. it is. in fact. a creature of the United States Congress and members of the Congressional Black Caucus. In conclusion. let me pay tribute to one Member whom I had the privilege of working with. Juanita Melinda McDonald. She passed. I am reminded that she became the first African American chairwoman of the House Administration Committee. What she did as a member of that committee was. again. to focus this Congress on the wide diversity of the Congress. helping to put the first portrait of an African American woman Congresspersonthat had never been done. She helped to work with me and C. Delores Tucker on establishing the opportunity for the Sojourner Truth Bust to be placed in the United States Congress. We have so many giants. and this is a very important time to be able to say "thank you" to them. I stand with a great appreciation. and for this CONGRESSIONAL RECORD to reflect that. as we have had those who have gone on. what they have done has generated opportunities for so many today. I thank my colleague. and yield back.