Jennifer L. McClellan
Representative for Virginia · Democratic · United States
“Our children and their children will ask us, What did you do? What did you say? For some, this vote may be hard, but we have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history.'' I watched with tears in my eyes as he listened and wept. He said that was the first time he had heard it but that the words were still true. Mr.”
“Our children and their children will ask us, What did you do? What did you say? For some, this vote may be hard, but we have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history.'' I watched with tears in my eyes as he listened and wept. He said that was the first time he had heard it but that the words were still true. Mr.”
“His legacy continues to inspire not only this caucus but our country, serving as a blueprint for protecting and expanding democracy, defending the right to vote, advancing the unfinished work of justice and equal representation, the unfinished work of making liberty and justice for all apply to all.”
“His legacy continues to inspire not only this caucus but our country, serving as a blueprint for protecting and expanding democracy, defending the right to vote, advancing the unfinished work of justice and equal representation, the unfinished work of making liberty and justice for all apply to all.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Georgia. As we reflect on Congressman Lewis, I often ask myself what would he say about what is going on today? I have to start with his final words to us, which I want to share now.”
“``Though I was surrounded by two loving parents, plenty of brothers, sisters, and cousins, their love could not protect me from the unholy oppression waiting just outside that family circle.”
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“Today, the very ideals that Congressman Lewis spent his life fighting to protect are under sustained and unprecedented attack. As we speak, extremist Republicans at the local, State, and national levels are using every tactic in their arsenal to disenfranchise Black and minority communities. To date, hundreds of bills to restrict voting access have been introduced in States around the country with the aim of closing polling locations, curbing early voting and mail-in ballots, and imposing stricter national voter ID requirements. Right now Republicans in the Congress are fighting to jam through voter suppression legislation, like the so-called SAVE America Act and the Voter ID Act, ushering in a national ID program.”
“Yvette Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus for the 119th Session of Congress, proudly representing New York's Ninth Congressional District in central and southwest Brooklyn. I thank my dear colleague Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan for anchoring this Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour and really setting the table for a conversation that we are having this evening. I rise tonight with my colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus to honor the life and legacy of our dear friend and former colleague, the conscience of this Congress, Congressman John Lewis. For more than 30 years in the United States House of Representatives and over the course of his life, Congressman John Lewis never stopped fighting for justice, equality, and the right to vote.”
“I see a President and his congressional enablers dismantling the right to vote, putting on the floor not once, not twice, not three times--at least four times a modern day poll tax that makes a mockery of the Voting Rights Act and the 15th Amendment that it was intended to enforce. I see a Secretary of Defense who is systematically firing very qualified, very distinguished, decorated generals and leaders, admirals, because they are Black or women. He thinks that, because of that, they must only be there because of DEI. I see that that is wrong, and I am saying something. I will continue to say something because that is what John Lewis would have me do. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke), the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I am Representative D.”
“Our children and their children will ask us, What did you do? What did you say? For some, this vote may be hard, but we have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history.'' I watched with tears in my eyes as he listened and wept. He said that was the first time he had heard it but that the words were still true. Mr. Speaker, we take tough votes here. We take votes that sometimes are the difference between life and death. We take votes to try to stop the rollback of progress. We take votes to make ``liberty and justice for all'' apply to all. For me, my North Star are the words I just read from John Lewis: When you see something that is not right, say something. There is a lot I see that is not right. I see a President, in the name of a war on wokeness, dismantling the very civil rights protections that allowed me to be here.”
“Each of these actions galvanized change: the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, and more. For me, the most memorable moment I got to witness: In 2019, he came to Richmond. He was the keynote speaker at a ceremony to rename the Boulevard after tennis great, Arthur Ashe. After his speech, I had the privilege of escorting him to an exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. In a former Confederate chapel, the exhibit included a recording of the speech that he gave in response when he opposed the impeachment of President Clinton. I sat in a pew next to John Lewis and watched him as he listened to that speech for the first time since he gave it. What stuck out to me were the following words: ``When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, to do something.”
“{time} 1950 In May of 1961, Congressman Lewis, then a student, was severely beaten by a White mob at a Greyhound bus terminal in Rock Hill, South Carolina, during the Freedom Rides. Fifty years later, one of his attackers, Elwin Wilson, came to Washington to ask for his forgiveness. Together, in a very emotional meeting in his office, they listened to another recording of the mob that beat John Lewis nearly to death that day. John Lewis forgave him. In August of 1963, he was the youngest speaker at the March on Washington, representing one of the Big Six civil rights group. Then, in March of 1965, he led another March, in Selma, where he was again beaten, along with 600 other peaceful protesters walking across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, who were brutally attacked by State troopers.”
“As a college student, he participated in the national sit-in, a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement, where he and his fellow students targeted segregated lunch counters in downtown Nashville where my father was from. They were arrested, beaten, and jailed. My grandfather actually served as one of the members of the legal team to those students. This act of peaceful protest in the face of violent reaction led to the desegregation of the city stores in Nashville. I will never forget watching a video of Congressman Lewis sitting at the lunch counter, in an exhibit in the Smithsonian Museum of African American History, listening in the headsets to the recording of what the Greensboro Four heard at the Woolworth counter. As it triggered his own memory, he wept.”
“``Though I was surrounded by two loving parents, plenty of brothers, sisters, and cousins, their love could not protect me from the unholy oppression waiting just outside that family circle. Unchecked, unrestrained violence and government-sanctioned terror had the power to turn a simple stroll to the store for some Skittles or an innocent morning jog down a lonesome country road into a nightmare. If we are to survive as one unified nation, we must discover what so readily takes root in our hearts that could rob Mother Emanuel Church in South Carolina of her brightest and best, shoot unwitting concertgoers in Las Vegas and choke to death the hopes and dreams of a gifted violinist like Elijah McClain.'' At 15 years old, John Lewis decided to do something about it.”
“I want to reflect on what John Lewis meant to me. Born in 1972, I am the first generation, but hopefully not the last, to benefit from him literally putting his life on the line to extend the promises of our founding documents to all of us. I studied his history, and I was particularly inspired by how at a young age as a college student, John Lewis put his faith into action. He said in an op-ed he wrote toward the end of his life that Emmett Till was his George Floyd. When Emmett Till was killed at age 14, John Lewis was only 15 years old. He said: ``I will never ever forget the moment when it became so clear that he could easily have been me. In those days, fear constrained us like an imaginary prison, and troubling thoughts of potential brutality committed for no understandable reason were the bars.”
“His legacy continues to inspire not only this caucus but our country, serving as a blueprint for protecting and expanding democracy, defending the right to vote, advancing the unfinished work of justice and equal representation, the unfinished work of making liberty and justice for all apply to all. The Supreme Court's recent decision in Louisiana v. Callais underscores the enduring importance of safeguarding the Black vote. The Trump administration's efforts to prioritize the disenfranchisement of our communities and its efforts to roll back progress made in making equality apply to all [[Page H4676]] galvanizes the Congressional Black Caucus to double down and further his life's legacy. Today, we commemorate the memory of Congressman John Lewis while we continue to hold the line against ongoing attacks to our right to representation.”
“Speaker, this week's Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour is in honor of the life and legacy of civil rights leader and our former colleague, Congressman John R. Lewis, as we mark the sixth anniversary of his passing last week. Congressman Lewis led our community fearlessly through many pivotal moments in our Nation's history. From his time as a student organizer to marching in Montgomery alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., up until the end of his career in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Lewis was a beacon of light in our darkest times.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 118 (Monday, July 20, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 118 (Monday, July 20, 2026)] [House] [Pages H4675-H4679] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS (Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Ms. McClellan of Virginia was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.) General Leave Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the subject of this Special Order. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Virginia? There was no objection. Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr.”
“I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the City of Colonial Heights on its Centennial Anniversary and in wishing its residents continued prosperity, opportunity and success for the next one hundred years. ____________________”
“As part of this historic milestone, the City is hosting Americana Fest, a signature centennial celebration that highlights the music, craftsmanship, culture, and traditions that have shaped Colonial Heights over the last one hundred years. By bringing together residents and visitors from across the Commonwealth, the celebration not only honors the city's rich heritage but also showcases the local businesses, artists, and organizations that continue to drive its success. One hundred years is a testament to the vision, perseverance, and community spirit of generations of residents who have built a city worthy of pride and admiration.”
“Officially incorporated as an independent city in 1926, Colonial Heights has grown from a small community into a thriving city that proudly serves as an economic, cultural, and civic anchor for Virginia's Tri-Cities region. Throughout the past century, the city has demonstrated resilience and a steadfast commitment to preserving its history while embracing opportunities for the future. Colonial Heights has long been distinguished by the dedication of its public servants, educators, first responders, military families, small businesses, faith communities, and countless volunteers whose service has strengthened the fabric of the community. Their contributions have helped create a city known for its strong neighborhoods, excellent schools, vibrant local economy and exceptional quality of life.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E692] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE CITY OF COLONIAL HEIGHTS ON ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY ______ HON. JENNIFER L. McCLELLAN of virginia in the house of representatives Wednesday, July 15, 2026 Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the City of Colonial Heights, Virginia, as it celebrates its 100th Anniversary and to congratulate its residents, businesses, and community leaders on a century of remarkable history, growth, and service.”
“I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the City of Colonial Heights on its Centennial Anniversary and in wishing its residents continued prosperity, opportunity and success for the next one hundred years. ____________________”
“As part of this historic milestone, the City is hosting Americana Fest, a signature centennial celebration that highlights the music, craftsmanship, culture, and traditions that have shaped Colonial Heights over the last one hundred years. By bringing together residents and visitors from across the Commonwealth, the celebration not only honors the city's rich heritage but also showcases the local businesses, artists, and organizations that continue to drive its success. One hundred years is a testament to the vision, perseverance, and community spirit of generations of residents who have built a city worthy of pride and admiration.”
“Officially incorporated as an independent city in 1926, Colonial Heights has grown from a small community into a thriving city that proudly serves as an economic, cultural, and civic anchor for Virginia's Tri-Cities region. Throughout the past century, the city has demonstrated resilience and a steadfast commitment to preserving its history while embracing opportunities for the future. Colonial Heights has long been distinguished by the dedication of its public servants, educators, first responders, military families, small businesses, faith communities, and countless volunteers whose service has strengthened the fabric of the community. Their contributions have helped create a city known for its strong neighborhoods, excellent schools, vibrant local economy and exceptional quality of life.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E692] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE CITY OF COLONIAL HEIGHTS ON ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY ______ HON. JENNIFER L. McCLELLAN of virginia in the house of representatives Wednesday, July 15, 2026 Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the City of Colonial Heights, Virginia, as it celebrates its 100th Anniversary and to congratulate its residents, businesses, and community leaders on a century of remarkable history, growth, and service.”
“I invite my colleagues to join me in recognizing the remarkable contributions of the Eta Tau Chapter over the past 55 years and in celebrating the unveiling of this significant monument. May the chapter's legacy continue to inspire and guide efforts toward community enrichment and empowerment. ____________________”
“Over the past five and a half decades, its members have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to uplifting underserved communities, empowering youth, and advocating for social justice. Through a myriad of initiatives, including educational programs, health awareness campaigns, and civic engagement efforts, the chapter has consistently worked to effect positive change. The dedication of the new monument serves as a tangible testament to the chapter's rich history and its ongoing dedication to community betterment. This monument not only honors the past achievements of Eta Tau but also inspires future generations to continue the chapter's mission of service and advocacy.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 70 (Monday, April 28, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 70 (Monday, April 28, 2025)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E344] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE 55TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ETA TAU CHAPTER OF DELTA SIGMA THETA, INC. ______ HON. JENNIFER L. McCLELLAN of virginia in the house of representatives Monday, April 28, 2025 Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the Eta Tau Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and to celebrate the dedication of a new monument honoring the chapter's enduring legacy and profound impact on the community. Established in 1970, the Eta Tau Chapter has been a steadfast pillar of service, scholarship, and sisterhood.”
“Tomorrow, when my daughter turns 10 and I think back at how I almost became that statistic but how we are also coming up on the 1-year anniversary of when her uncle became the statistic of a Black man more likely to die because of a heart attack, I am going to follow the theme of the 2025 National Minority Health Awareness Month: Advancing Commitments to Eliminate Health Disparities. I am going to fight any effort by our President or my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to put barriers in our way and to remove the very policies that help save lives to begin with. [[Page H1676]]”
“This is people are dying, and our Declaration of Independence that we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of next year says that: All men--and I would add women--are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Life is number one. When the Federal, State, and local governments work together with the private sector, our research hospitals, the nonprofit community, when we work together to identify the reasons for the disparities and put policies in place that address them, people's lives are saved. When we strip those policies away, when we strip away the very workforce implementing them, people will die. That is why I am proud to stand here as a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and say we will fight to protect those policies that save our people's lives.”
“The Congressional Budget Office it says can't do that unless there are cuts to Medicaid. I have heard some of my colleagues say, well, we are not going to address vulnerable populations, and they include pregnant women in that. The healthcare disparity doesn't start the day you get the positive pregnancy test. It starts when you aren't getting access to the care that you need to address diabetes or hypertension or the cardiovascular issue that is bubbling. As we see Medicaid expansion at risk, all of the progress we began to make to address these disparities is at risk. Mr. Speaker, this is not politics. This is not theoretical debates over the role of the Federal Government.”
“In the very month we are supposed to reaffirm our commitment: ``File not found.'' Well, I shouldn't be surprised because with the President's war on diversity, equity, and inclusion and DOGE going through and finding every web page that had certain words without actually looking at what are those web pages doing, that they would take these pages down. Imagine my dismay when I discovered that the Office of Minority Health at both HHS and CMS are now gone. The very employees who collect the data, who look at the underlying causes of why these women are dying anyway, let alone at three times higher rates than White women, they are gone. Well, at least we can continue to fight for the policies. I am on the Energy and Commerce Committee that was told in a markup on March 7 to find $880 billion worth of cuts.”
“I went to the web page expecting to pull down those resources that I could share with the communities that I represent. ``File not found.'' Then I thought, well, maybe the Office of Minority Health at CMS has something. ``File not found.'' Well, maybe the National Institutes on Minority Health and Health Disparities has something. ``Page not found.'' That is what the website said in the very month that we are supposed to renew our commitment to addressing healthcare disparities that cause Black women to be three times more likely to die in childbirth than White women, that cause Black men to be more likely to die of prostate cancer than White men. I could go down the entire list of the statistics. You heard some of them earlier today.”
“As I got ready to prepare my social media posts, as I got ready to prepare the topics that I would have if I had a roundtable, I thought, well, the Office of Maternal Health, the Office of Minority Health, they usually announce a theme every year. I went to the Office of Minority Health website, and sure enough, in January they did announce a theme for 2025: Advancing Commitments to Eliminate Health Disparities. Then in the January post on their Facebook page they invited the public to join them all year as they shared resources to help address health disparities impacting racial and ethnic minority groups. I thought, great, that is exactly what I want to do during National Minority Health Awareness Month and Black Maternal Health Week.”
“We looked at expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act and how would that address the maternal health crisis. We did expand Medicaid in Virginia, and we began to see that for many Medicaid expansion patients they ended up healthier because they were connected to medical help, getting regular checkups to catch things before they became deadly. All of that now is under attack. As we approach April every year, I like to commemorate National Minority Health Awareness Month through some sort of roundtable, but I especially like to commemorate Black Maternal Health Week because as I said when I started, that one is personal. As I got ready for Black Maternal Health Week, I wanted to first figure out is there a theme this year on which we should focus our efforts.”
“Many pregnant women, as I began talking to them, many Black, pregnant women had their first heart attack either while they were pregnant or shortly thereafter. Oh, by the way, the disparities in cardiovascular care for Black women and men: The death rate is higher than for White men and women. I began to look at how do we put policies in place that address the maternal mortality crisis as a whole, but the disparities in particular. I also noticed that many Black women died within the first year of childbirth, yet Medicaid for many of these women didn't cover the first year, so they didn't have health insurance when their first cardiac event or pregnancy-related event that led to their death occurred. We looked at expanding Medicaid to cover the first 12 months after birth, which we did here at the Federal level, as well.”
“I was on the Joint Commission on Health Care, and I began to really look into the maternal mortality crisis that we have in this country. We have higher death rates for women than many other Third World countries. I started looking at the data of why women were dying. Many of these deaths were preventable. There were differences. There were differences in the rate at which Black women died compared to White women, and there were differences in the reasons. In Virginia, the data showed us that for White women they were more likely to die due to postpartum depression leading to suicide or other mental health-related issues leading them to take their own life or to self-medicate and die of drug overdoses. For Black women in Virginia, their deaths were more likely caused by co-morbidities, mostly cardiovascular issues.”
“We rushed to the hospital, and I remember hearing the doctor in the emergency room saying that everything looked fine. Then less than three seconds later he said that we have got to go right now because both of our heart rates dropped. I remember thinking as the oxygen mask came on my face, please let me be asleep before my doctor starts cutting, and I was. I woke up a few hours later, and I had a baby girl, but I didn't get to see her until the next day. As I waited those 24 hours to see if she would make it, I realized that I almost became one of the Black women who are three times more likely to die due to pregnancy-related complications than White women. I was a State legislator at the time. This was my second child.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Clyburn for yielding. I am honored to be here tonight on behalf of [[Page H1675]] the Congressional Black Caucus to commemorate National Minority Health Awareness Month, but I am also here for personal reasons. Mr. Speaker, 10 years ago today, I was 31 weeks pregnant. I was excited. I was expecting a girl. I had placenta previa, so I knew we were going to have to schedule a C-section. We had just scheduled it. She was due June 30, but we had scheduled a date in early June because my doctor did not think it likely that we would make it to June 30. I went to bed still planning out are we going to get to go on a babymoon before she arrives. I woke up the next morning, and my placenta ruptured. I started bleeding. I was panicked. My husband called the ambulance. He said I was as white as this piece of paper.”
“Every Member of Congress in this body was privileged enough to get a good education to get here, but not every child we represent has that same ability. The Congressional Black Caucus, as the conscience of Congress, will fight for every child no matter their ZIP Code, race, creed, or background to get that education. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for your attention tonight and I yield back the balance of my time.”
“As a mother of two children in public school who has spent almost 20 years in public service, I have dedicated my life to making sure that every child has that same opportunity. The Department of Education doesn't run schools. They don't set the curriculum. They fill the gaps that State and local governments have been unwilling or unable to. Without the Department of Education, there is going to be a little girl [[Page H1454]] somewhere in this country as brilliant as my mother was, as dedicated as my father was to public education, as passionate about it as I am now, who will not be able to succeed because their school lacks a quality teacher or a principal who knows what he is doing or the school lacks the resources to provide a student with disabilities the tools they need to succeed.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to end where I began and that is with the story of my mother who lived to be 94. She was the third youngest of 14 children in the Gulf Coast of Mississippi where the only school available to her was the Catholic church because Mississippi did not deem Black children important enough to educate. She wanted more than the life that was available to her siblings, her parents, her great-grandparents, and her grandparents. She had to move to go to high school. She ended up running the Federal TRiO programs at Virginia State University to ensure that a little girl, whether she is in Petersburg, Virginia, or a little boy on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, would have the same access to an education, no matter their parents' financial situation, no matter the obstacles in their way.”
“Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Harrigan). The gentlewoman from Virginia has 5 minutes remaining.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Georgia for speaking. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore), who represents the State's Fourth District.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the Honorable Mr. Clyburn for his speech. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Mrs. McBath), who represents the State's Seventh District.”
“We owe it to our parents, our grandparents, and our great- grandparents to protect and build upon the progress that they have made. We owe it to our children and theirs to fight efforts to roll back that progress now. Mr. Speaker, it is now my privilege to yield to the gentleman from the great State of South Carolina, the Honorable James Clyburn.”
“In my own State of Virginia, State and local officials and educators right now fear that local agencies and the Virginia Department of Education will not have the funding or the staff to handle the workload, especially in areas like special education. The block grant funding that the Trump administration promises comes with little accountability, making it unclear whether the funds will actually reach the students and schools that need them the most: children with disabilities in rural and low-income communities. Education lays the foundation for a strong future. Our Founding Fathers understood that. Today's students are the entrepreneurs, civic leaders, teachers, doctors, lawyers, engineers, and Members of Congress of tomorrow.”
“It measures and tracks academic progress across the country and helps those school divisions that lag behind address areas of concern. It manages student loan and grant programs that ensure children without financial means can go to and succeed in college without incurring more debt than they could ever pay off. The Trump administration's illegal actions to dismantle the Department of Education will ensure that these gaps remain. The administration claims that it is just returning control of public education back to States and localities. States and localities have always had that control, but they have not always had the will or the ability to ensure that every child can get a good education.”
“For the past 20 years, first as a State legislator and now in Congress, I have worked to ensure that every child in Virginia could have a good education. As the mother of two children in public schools, I know that, even with bipartisan and Herculean efforts, there are still gaps in Virginia and across the country. The Department of Education was created to fill those gaps. The Department protects students' civil rights, particularly those with disabilities who often need special accommodation to learn. It provides support to attract, train, and retain the best and brightest teachers, school administrators, support personnel such as counselors, nurses, and mental and behavioral health specialists, especially in hard-to- staff rural or urban schools.”
“These are federally funded programs run by the Department of Education to work to ensure that children like her have the support they need to go to and graduate college. My parents understood how important a good education is not only to individual opportunity, but to a thriving, healthy economy, community, and democracy. Like my grandparents and great-grandparents before them, they dedicated their lives to ensuring not only that their children had a good education but every child did. Not every child is so lucky. The legacy of 300 years of slavery and Jim Crow, massive resistance, and chronic underfunding have created too many obstacles to the ability of States and local governments to give every child an opportunity for a good education.”
“In the 1930s, my father and his sisters attended that school because the State [[Page H1448]] of Tennessee did not provide a good education to Black children. Like his father and his grandfather, my dad became an educator himself, ultimately teaching the next generation of educators at Virginia State University. In the 1950s, my mother had to move away from her hometown because the State of Mississippi did not provide a good education for Black children. The only school that did was run by the Catholic church, but only up until the eighth grade. As the third youngest of 14 children, she wanted more than the domestic and laborer jobs that were available to her parents, her grandparents, and her siblings. She had to move to go to high school, becoming an educator herself, eventually running the TRiO Programs at Virginia State University.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to co-anchor this CBC Special Order hour along with my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn). For the next 60 minutes, members of the CBC have an opportunity to speak directly to the American people on education, an issue of great importance to the Congressional Black Caucus, Congress, and the constituents who we represent. Mr. Speaker, in the 1880s, my great-grandfather founded a school in his rural community because the State of Alabama did not provide a good education to Black children. As explained in his autobiography, he wanted to teach children, whose parents and grandparents had been enslaved on plantations nearby, to be of better service to themselves, their employers, and the community in which they lived.”
“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 the subject of this Special Order hour. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Haridopolos). Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Virginia? There was no objection.”