Date: 2016-02-01
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. this February we recognize and celebrate the 39th commemoration of Black History Month. This month we celebrate the contributions of African Americans to the history of our great nation. and pay tribute to trailblazers. pioneers. heroes. and leaders like Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr.. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. U.S. Senator Blanche Kelso Bruce. U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Jordan. U.S. Congressman Mickey Leland. Astronauts Dr. Guion Stewart Bluford Jr. and Mae C. Jemison. Frederick Douglass. Booker T. Washington. James Baldwin. Harriet Tubman. Rosa Parks. Maya Angelou. Toni Morrison. and Gwendolyn Brooks just to name a few of the countless number of wellknown and unsung heroes whose contributions have helped our nation become a more perfect union. The history of the United States has been marked by the great contributions of African American activists. leaders. writers. and artists. As a member of Congress. I know that I stand on the shoulders of giants whose struggles and triumphs made it possible for me to stand here today and continue the fight for equality. justice. and progress for all. regardless of race. religion. gender or sexual orientation. The greatest of these giants to me are Mrs. Ivalita "Ivy" Jackson. a vocational nurse. and Mr. Ezra A. Jackson. one of the first AfricanAmericans to succeed in the comic book publishing business. They were my beloved parents and they taught me the value of education. hard work. discipline. perseverance. and caring for others. And I am continually inspired by Dr. Elwyn Lee. my husband and the first tenured African American law professor at the University of Houston. Mr. Speaker. I particularly wish to acknowledge the contributions of African American veterans in defending from foreign aggressors and who by their courageous examples helped transform our nation from a segregated society to a nation committed to the never ending challenge of perfecting our union. Last year about this time. I was honored to join my colleagues. Congressmen JOHN LEWIS and Congressman CHARLES RANGEL. a Korean War veteran. in paying tribute to surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen and the 555th Parachute Infantry. the famed "Triple Nickels" at a moving ceremony sponsored by the U.S. Army commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The success of the Tuskegee Airmen in escorting bombers during World War Ilachieving one of the lowest loss records of all the escort fighter groups. and being in constant demand for their services by the allied bomber unitsis a record unmatched by any other fighter group. So impressive and astounding were the feats of the Tuskegee Airmen that in 1948 they persuaded President Harry Truman to issue his famous Executive Order No. 9981. which directed equality of treatment and opportunity in all of the United States Armed Forces and led to the end of racial segregation in the U.S. military forces. It is a source of enormous and enduring pride that my fatherinlaw. Phillip Ferguson Lee. was one of the Tuskegee Airmen. Clearly. what began as an experiment to determine whether "colored" soldiers were capable of operating expensive and complex combat aircraft ended as an unqualified success based on the experience of the Tuskegee Airmen. whose record included 261 aircraft destroyed. 148 aircraft damaged. 15.553 combat sorties and 1.578 missions over Italy and North Africa. They also destroyed or damaged over 950 units of ground transportation and escorted more than 200 bombing missions. They proved that "the antidote to racism is excellence in performance." as retired Lt. Col. Herbert Carter once remarked. Mr. Speaker. Black History Month is also a time to remember many pioneering women like U.S. Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm. activists Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks. astronaut Mae C. Jemison. authors Maya Angelou. Toni Morrison. and Gwendolyn Brooks. all of whom have each in their own way. whether through courageous activism. cultural contributions. or artistic creativity. forged social and political change. and forever changed our great Nation for the better. It is also fitting. Mr. Speaker. that in addition to those national leaders whose contributions have made our nation better. we honor also those who have and are making a difference in their local communities. In my home city of Houston. there are numerous great men and women. They are great because they have heeded the counsel of Dr. King who said: "Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love." By that measure. I wish to pay tribute to some of the great men and women of Houston: 1. Rev. F.N. Williams. Sr. 2. Rev. Dr. S.J. Gilbert. Sr. 3. Rev. Crawford W. Kimble 4. Rev. Eldridge Stanley Branch 5. Rev. William A. Lawson 6. Rev. Johnnie Jeffery "J.J." Robeson 7. Mr. El Franco Lee 8. Mr. John Brand 9. Ms. Ruby Moseley 10. Ms. Dorothy Hubbard 11. Ms. Doris Hubbard 12. Ms. Willie Bell Boone 13. Ms. Holly HogoBrooks 14. Mr. Deloyd Parker 15. Ms. Lenora "Doll" Carter As we celebrate Black History Month. let us pay tribute to those who have come before us. and pay forward to future generations by addressing what is the number one issue for African American families. and all American families today: preserving the American promise of economic opportunity for all. Our immediate focus must be job creation. and enacting legislation that will foster and lay the foundation for todays and tomorrows generation of groundbreaking activists. leaders. scientists. writers and artists to continue contributing to the greatness of America. We must work to get Americans back to work. We must continue to preserve the American Dream for all. Mr. Speaker. I am proud to stand here in celebration of the heroic and historic acts of African Americans and their indispensable contributions to this great Nation. It is through our work in creating possibilities for today and future generations that we best honor the accomplishments and legacy of our predecessors.