Celebrating the life and achievements of Lena Mary Calhoun Horne and honoring her for her triumphs against racial discrimination and her steadfast commitment to the civil rights of all people.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1362) celebrating the life and achievements of Lena Mary Calhoun Horne and honoring her for her triumphs against racial discrimination and her steadfast commitment to the civil rights of all people.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, Lena Horne has now left us, but she has been known around the world as an outstanding actress, singer, and civil rights advocate. And this resolution honors her pioneering success, her unwavering commitment to advancing the civil rights and human rights of all people.

She went on to break numerous racial barriers as a beautiful, talented, gifted artist, and there are very few people who don't remember her. She received four Grammy awards, a Tony award, the highest honor--the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Image award, in 1984 the Kennedy Center Honor, and she was a star at MGM studios. She used her own resources to travel during World War II to entertain troops. She did refuse at that time to sing before any segregated audiences.

She marched with Medgar Evers in Mississippi, and she was honored to know and work with Eleanor Roosevelt.

What a legend, what a life, and what a great contribution to this country she made.

Mr. Speaker, on May 9, the actress and civil rights advocate Lena Mary Calhoun Horne passed away at the age of 92. Today the House considers a resolution to honor her pioneering success and her unwavering commitment to advancing the civil rights of all people.

Born in Brooklyn in 1917, Ms. Horne began her prolific career at Harlem's famed Cotton Club at the age of 16 as a chorus-singer, and debuted on Broadway just a year later in the 1934 musical Dance With Your Gods.

She would go on to break numerous racial barriers in the 1940s American entertainment industry--including being the first African American woman to perform with a white band

ensemble, and among the first to sign a long-term Hollywood film studio contract.

Ms. Horne's films gained her national and international acclaim--her performance of the title song to the 1943 film Stormy Weather is still the standard rendition.

Ms. Horne won numerous accolades during her career, among them:

Four Grammy Awards, including the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989;

A Tony Award for her one-woman show, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music;

A National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Award in 1999; and

A Kennedy Center Honor in 1984.

But her success did not come without trial--Ms. Horne, like a generation of African American performers, had to overcome the entertainment industry's entrenched race-based discrimination.

Despite her groundbreaking contract with MGM studios, Ms. Horne was never featured in a leading role during the 1940s and 50s because her films had to be re-edited for theaters in the segregated southern States.

Her outspoken political views may also have landed her on Hollywood ``blacklists'' in the 1950s, further hindering her film and recording career.

Ms. Horne used her own money to travel during World War II to entertain the troops, and while she performed at Army camps with the U.S.O., she became an outspoken critic of how the military treated its black servicemen.

She refused to sing before segregated audiences, or groups in which German prisoners of war were seated in front of black American soldiers.

During the 1940s, she sued a number of restaurants and theaters for racial discrimination, and she participated in numerous civil rights rallies and demonstrations.

She marched with Medgar Evers in Mississippi, performed at rallies throughout the country for the National Council of Negro Women, and took part in the March on Washington in August 1963 at which the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his ``I Have a Dream'' speech.

She also worked with Eleanor Roosevelt to pass anti-lynching legislation.

Her courageous commitment to civil rights perhaps began as a toddler, when her grandmother--the suffragette and civil rights advocate Cora Calhoun--enrolled her as an NAACP member at the age of 2.

Actively recording and speaking into her 80s, she will forever be remembered as a consummate professional and trailblazer.

She helped to usher in the end of Hollywood's derogatory portrayals of African Americans as servants and African natives, and she did so with unwavering poise and grace.

She led the way for generations of women and African Americans, and I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution to recognize her achievements.

I reserve my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to Danny Davis, our dear friend from Chicago, Illinois, as much time as he may consume.

Mr. Speaker, we have no further requests for speakers. I know that there will be many Members that will be inserting their own statements in the Record.

I yield back the balance of my time as well.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1362, Celebrating the Life and Achievements of Lena Mary Calhoun Horne.

I want to first thank my friend, mentor, and co-author, Chairman John Conyers, Jr. working with me to craft this resolution and for bringing it to the floor for a vote.

I am here today to pay tribute to one of Brooklyn's most treasured gifts to American arts, culture, and civil society. On May 9, 2010, Hollywood actress, jazz singer, and civil rights activist Lena Horne passed away at the age of 92.

Ms. Horne was a trail-blazing performing artist whose life exemplified her commitment to social justice, peace, and civil rights. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Ms. Horne made her debut performance in the famous Cotton Club in Harlem at the age of 16, propelling her into a thriving career that took her from Broadway to Hollywood.

A major contributor to the arts, Ms. Horne's legacy as a Broadway star, movie star, and Grammy-award winning recording artist will never be forgotten. Her long career was punctuated by a number of notable firsts and industry accolades. She was the first African-American woman to perform with a white band ensemble, the first black performer to play the Copacabana nightclub, and among the first African Americans to sign a long-term Hollywood

film studio contract. Industry recognized her talents with four Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award, a Tony Award, and a Kennedy Center Honor.

A member of the NAACP since the age of two, Ms. Horne was an avid supporter of the civil rights movement. She participated in numerous civil rights rallies and demonstrations, including the March on Washington in August 1963. Joining Eleanor Roosevelt, Ms. Horne worked to pass anti-lynching legislation.

A major supporter of the troops, during World War II, Ms. Horne initially toured with the USO performers. After criticizing the treatment of African-American troops, Ms. Horne refused to perform for a segregated military audience. When her studio pulled Horne off the tour as a response to her act of defiance, she ultimately used her own money to finance trips to perform at Army camps. I admire her dedication to honoring our troops.

Ms. Horne left behind a legacy that has forever changed the opportunities available for female African-American performers. But even more important, Ms. Horne is a role model for young women of every race who are brave enough to follow their dreams or speak out against injustice.

One of Brooklyn's finest, Lena Horne will be truly missed, but her legacy will forever remain in our memory, like a sweet . . . sweet . . . melody.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I support House Resolution 1362 commemorating the life of Lena Horne who died earlier this month on Sunday, May 9, 2010.

Ms. Horne's many performances as a singer, dancer, and actress enriched countless lives and influenced the history of jazz, pop, Broadway musicals, films, and television. She also contributed in significant ways to the civil rights movement, as Mr. Conyers just stated.

Ms. Horne was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1917. Her father left the family when she was 3 and her mother was a traveling actress. At the age of 5, she was sent to live in Georgia with her grandparents. After returning to New York, she joined the chorus at the famed Cotton Club in Harlem in 1933. In the late 1930s and the early 1940s, she was primarily a nightclub performer, but she also appeared in a few low- budget movies and was the featured vocalist on NBC's popular jazz series ``The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street.''

During a nightclub performance in Hollywood in 1943, she gained the attention of some local talent scouts for the movies. She became the first black performer to sign a long-term contract with a major Hollywood studio. She performed in a number of movie musicals throughout the 1940s, including the MGM musical ``Cabin in the Sky.''

From the late 1950s through the 1960s, Ms. Horne appeared on many television variety shows, including ``The Ed Sullivan Show'' and ``The Dean Martin Show.'' In the 1970s and 1980s, she continued to perform in television shows, including appearances on ``The Muppet Show,'' ``Sesame Street,'' and ``The Cosby Show.''

In 1981, she received a special Tony award for a one-woman Broadway show, ``Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music,'' which ran for more than 300 performances on Broadway. She also received two Grammy awards for the cast recording of her show.

Ms. Horne again won Grammy awards in 1989 honoring her lifetime achievement, and in 1995, when she was almost 80, for best jazz vocal performance.

Throughout her illustrious career, Ms. Horne found time and energy to devote to the civil rights movement. In 1963, she spoke and performed on behalf of the NAACP and the National Council of Negro Women at the famous March on Washington.

I support this resolution's commemoration of Lena Horne's many contributions to music, television, theater, and civil rights. She brought grace and graciousness to every aspect of her work, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1362, which honors the tremendous accomplishments of the late Lena Mary Calhoun Horne, who passed away on May 9, 2010 at the age of 92. Born in 1917 in Brooklyn, NY, Lena Horne was one of the most prolific and accomplished performers of her time. At the young age of 16, Ms. Horne began her career when she joined the chorus line of the famous Cotton Club in Harlem. Over the years, her phenomenal talent garnered increasing critical acclaim and widespread recognition, as she became one of the most prominent figures in American entertainment.

I thank Chairman Towns for his leadership in bringing this bill to the floor. I also thank the sponsor of this legislation, Congressman Conyers for honoring the legacy of this superb American actress and songstress.

Despite the segregation-era law that prohibited African Americans from playing leading roles in white films or plays, Ms. Horne's talent attracted widespread national attention. She was beloved for her part in the 1943 musical Cabin in the Sky. Additionally, for her role in the Calypso musical Jamaica, Ms. Horne was nominated for a Tony Award for ``Best Actress in a Musical.''

Ms. Horne's musical career was equally impressive. In 1957, her live album entitled Lena Horne at the Waldorf-Astoria became the best selling album by a female recording artist in the history of the RCA- Victor label. In the 1950s, Ms. Horne appeared in a number of popular television shows including, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Dean Martin Show, The Judy Garland Show, and The Andy Williams Show.

Lena Horne's pursuits were not limited to the stage. She was an outspoken activist committed to fighting racism and Jim Crow. She attended the 1963 March on Washington where Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his famous ``I Have a Dream'' speech and performed on behalf of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and the National Council of Negro Women. During World War II, she refused to perform before segregated audiences and protested shows in which German Prisoners of War were seated in front of African American soldiers.

I salute the artistic talent and inspirational life led by Lena Horne. I commend her contribution to the richness of American performance art and vocal stances against oppression and discrimination. Lena Horne captivated and inspired a nation and she will be greatly missed.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 1362.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1362, which honors the tremendous accomplishments of the late Lena Mary Calhoun Horne, who passed away on May 9, 2010 at the age of 92. Born in 1917 in Brooklyn, NY, Lena Horne was one of the most prolific and accomplished performers of her time. At the young age of 16, Ms. Horne began her career when she joined the chorus line of the famous Cotton Club in Harlem. Over the years, her phenomenal talent garnered increasing critical acclaim and widespread recognition, as she became one of the most prominent figures in American entertainment.

I thank Chairman Towns for his leadership in bringing this bill to the floor. I also thank the sponsor of this legislation, Congressman Conyers for honoring the legacy of this superb American actress and songstress.

Despite the segregation-era law that prohibited African Americans from playing leading roles in white films or plays, Ms. Horne's talent attracted widespread national attention. She was beloved for her part in the 1943 musical Cabin in the Sky. Additionally, for her role in the Calypso musical Jamaica, Ms. Horne was nominated for a Tony Award for ``Best Actress in a Musical.''

Ms. Horne's musical career was equally impressive. In 1957, her live album entitled Lena Horne at the Waldorf-Astoria became the best selling album by a female recording artist in the history of the RCA- Victor label. In the 1950s, Ms. Horne appeared in a number of popular television shows including, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Dean Martin Show, The Judy Garland Show, and The Andy Williams Show.

Lena Horne's pursuits were not limited to the stage. She was an outspoken activist committed to fighting racism and Jim Crow. She attended the 1963 March on Washington where Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his famous ``I Have a Dream'' speech and performed on behalf of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and the National Council of Negro Women. During World War II, she refused to perform before segregated audiences and protested shows in which German Prisoners of War were seated in front of African American soldiers.

I salute the artistic talent and inspirational life led by Lena Horne. I commend her contribution to the richness of American performance art and vocal stances against oppression and discrimination. Lena Horne captivated and inspired a nation and she will be greatly missed.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 1362.