To direct the Joint Committee on the Library to obtain a statue of Shirley Chisholm for placement in the United States Capitol.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership and tenacity, and that of her coanchor, the Honorable Brenda Lawrence. They are so correct. This is the year of Black Woman Rising.

I can't help but celebrate the quote from the Honorable Shirley Chisholm, whom I had the privilege of introducing more than once as a younger woman. One will never forget that experience and never forget the experience of just being around the Honorable Shirley Chisholm and the Honorable Barbara Jordan. They both came from similar stock on opposite sides of the Nation, but they were strong, stern, committed, and ready to serve; and serve, I like to think, without foolishness.

So I love the quote of Congresswoman Chisholm that said: If there is no chair for you at the table, then bring a folding chair.

I am paraphrasing.

What a celebration. Let me be very clear, it can go for Black women today in the 21st century.

I do want to acknowledge and to thank all women in this Women's History Month for their leadership and service. I want to particularly take note of our lost, late colleague, the Honorable Louise Slaughter, and say that if there was ever a mighty woman of great leadership, tenacity, and strength, it was our dear friend, Louise Slaughter. We honor her now and as well in the months to come.

As we talk about women of color, and in this instance, Black women, let me tell my colleagues that was about 400 or 500 of my sorors on Saturday. I must make mention of Marsha Penn, our president, and we were talking about the famous number 98.

Let me make sure I note all of the sorors in different sororities. For those of you who are not familiar with the sorority, that is a particular unique and special part of Black women's lives. I know there are other sororities, but we take it very seriously. You can be many colors. I happen to be pink and green, but there are many colors. I call them all my sorors. They are my sisters.

But we were talking about the power, and I use the number 98. I used that same number when I spoke with Stacey Abrams in Georgia just a few weeks ago. She may, in fact, be the first African-American woman nominee for Governor. She is running for that position in Georgia. She may be one of the great leaders coming forward.

But the 98 number is, as my colleagues know, 98 percent of African- American women cast their vote that catapulted Senator Doug Jones into the United States Senate. They are change makers and tree shakers. That is what I want to say about Black Woman Rising. They are, in fact, those tree shakers.

Might I say and pay tribute to Ivalita Jackson, my mother; Valerie Bennett; Sarah Jackson; Sybil Gooden; Olive Jackson, my grandmother; Vannie Bennett, my grandmother; Mrs. Simms, my great-grandmother; Audrey Reed, my aunt; Vickie Bennett, my aunt; along with Valerie Bennett, my aunt. All of these women surrounded me and gave me the kind of tenacity and strength that I can be proud of.

I also want to acknowledge women like Dr. Alexa Canady, the first African-American woman neurosurgeon; Oprah Winfrey, a Mississippi native who has turned into a multi-multimillionaire and upwards of a billionaire; and the story of Sojourner Truth, who was left off of the suffragette statue; but women like myself gathered together. Senator Clinton carried the legislation, but C. Delores Tucker was the inspiration. She did not rest until Sojourner Truth found her place in the United States Congress.

There was Rosa Parks, who now sits in Statuary Hall in tribute to many members of the Congressional Black Caucus. I certainly thank our chairman, Mr. Richmond, for creating these opportunities for us to have this kind of experience.

Let me now get to the crux of what we need to do to be fair to Black women.

First of all, we need to quash, extinguish the stereotypes of welfare queens, incarcerated women, women with children and no spouses, and really talk about the mountains that Black women have climbed to raise children and to create heroes across the specter of leadership, from science to medicine, to education and, yes, to sports.

Let's make sure that we never have a President that says ``sons of a B'' to malign the many mothers, many of them African American, who are the mothers of sports persons who, only because of their upbringing, had a sensitivity to criminal justice reform.

Let us always characterize the mothers of the movement for what they are: not individuals who are against law enforcement or order, but mothers who have lost their children in an unfair way.

We need to work toward how things should change in criminal justice reform and improve police-community relations so we don't have mothers who have lost their children, such as Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Walter Scott, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, and Jordan Davis. Some of these were not directly police issues, but they were sons who lost their lives, African-American young men. Also, Sandra Bland. Her mother is a dear friend of mine.

They lost their lives in ways that should not have been. There are also the same mothers of those law enforcement officials who have lost their lives. They mourn. What about bringing them together? Many of the mothers of young African Americans are obviously people of color, but we have lost many in the law enforcement in the same way.

My point is that the pain of mothers, the pain of African-American mothers, should be treated with dignity. The idea of a mother being on assistance to provide for her children and living in public housing should carry no label. There should not be a definition of supplemental food stamps as a handout, as much as it is a hand-up.

No one should be trying to save money in the United States Congress by providing boxes of food versus a nutrition system that food stamps allow, which is to allow someone to go and buy what their family needs or buy the formula or what their child with allergies needs.

Let's, first of all, establish dignity. Then, of course, if young women who happen to be African American happen to be incarcerated, let's make sure that we are looking to end mandatory minimums so that for these young women who are caught up in a conspiracy where the law wraps everyone up because of some elements of a spouse or a significant other or a boyfriend, and they get caught up in the criminal justice system, we can respond to them as mothers and recognize that they should be having an opportunity to not be entrapped with mandatory minimums so that they are never able to return to their children.

What about women who are pregnant and incarcerated, many of them Latino and African-American women?

We should be able to have a situation where those women are not separated from those children.

I heard Mr. Payne mention the 64 cents per dollar that many African- American women make in those kinds of hourly wage jobs. Therefore, we must have an increase in the minimum wage, but, more importantly, an increase in wages for women working in all capacities so that the stagnant wages that have not been impacted positively by the $2 trillion-dollar tax cut, we must ensure that.

We must ensure the ability of all persons to vote without obstruction and without the dastardly voter ID laws that have been put in place specifically to stymie the vote of people of color: Latinos and African Americans. I would hope that the courts would find them unconstitutional.

Motherhood must be promoted, as I indicated, for those incarcerated, but also for those who are not. Also, the support of healthcare, which is what the Affordable Care Act was all about. It was to equalize and to give a protective system for our working mothers or our mothers who could not afford insurance in another way. It is unfortunate, though we have tried--the Republican Congress has attempted to unravel a very strong healthcare system.

There are women in the United States military. First, I salute them all, but I also salute those African-

American women who have served in the military and have become generals.

I do want to take note of an organization that I have a deep affection for, and that is NASA. I am going to make it very clear that I want NASA to be on notice that I am still going to focus on the precipitous removal of an African-American, well-qualified astronaut without any explanation. The only explanation is: We did this wrong, and we really need to fix it.

But it needs to be explained why this person is not put back on the astronaut list and what excuse you had to remove her, other than the fact she was an African-American woman. In this month and this time we are honoring women, if you have a reason, you need to come forward to discern or explain why an African-American woman with the credentials, who is an M.D., who has been in training for a large number of years, was precipitously removed with no explanation.

These are the kinds of challenges that we face. So, I guess my message is: Let us give dignity to these women who are characteristically different.

Sojourner Truth represents a powerful example of that. She was a tall, dark, regal women. The story goes that, when she was at the suffragette meeting in the Midwest, she either raised her hand or attempted to be recognized, and the person in the front said: Yes, sir, what do you want, the gentleman in the back?

She began this long statement that said: Ain't I a woman? I have born 13 children and seen most all sold into slavery. Although I may be strong looking and manly looking, you may not have recognized that I am a woman that has born children and had them snatched away from me.

So I think the underlying premise of what we need to do for girls is to stop having the bias of young boys and girls who are African American being expelled or suspended from school in larger percentages than others. We need to make sure that the schools in our communities that happen to be Latino and African-American neighborhoods are equal to other schools.

We need to invest in education. We need to invest in Historically Black Colleges and Universities. We need to invest in technology and coding. We need to invest in giving our young people opportunity.

I want to conclude my remarks by saying that this is an amazing array of outstanding women. I cannot recall all of their names, but I hope that, as I call their names, you understand my singular thing of dignity. Dignity doesn't write legislation, but it causes us to write legislation and policies that give women of color--in this instance, African-American women--as we honor them in Women's History Month, dignity and whatever the tools there are that give them dignity: better access to jobs, better access to housing, better respect for the work they do. We had the dismissal of an astronaut without any explanation and no explanation that they can find.

Tracey Norman is a model. Oprah Winfrey. Shirley Chisolm. Leontyne Price. Maya Angelou. We know them for their work in civil rights.

Aretha Franklin, a historic, wonderful artist in her own right. Hattie McDaniel. Marian Anderson. Ella Fitzgerald. Althea Gibson. Dorothy Dandridge. Chemist Marie Daly. Sarah Goode, an inventor. We know the wonderful movie that talked about NASA women.

Della Reece. Ms. Muhammad, an athlete. Ms. Butler, an author. Mae Jemison, my friend, a doctor and astronaut. Tyra Banks. Whoopi Goldberg. Loretta Lynch. Patricia Roberts Harris. Many of us are familiar with her work as a secretary in our United States. Mary Jane Patterson, an educator. Alice Coachman. There are so many.

I conclude by simply saying that what we want is dignity, respect, and the ability to serve and to be Americans, as we should.

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.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to anchor this Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour. I thank the Congressional Black Caucus chairman, Cedric Richmond, for his leadership in this effort.

For the next 60 minutes, we have an opportunity to speak directly to the American people about issues of great importance to the Congressional Black Caucus and the millions of constituents whom we represent. Tonight's Special Order hour topic is Women's History Month.

Mr. Speaker, during Women's History Month, we salute phenomenal women who refused to sit on the sidelines of history. After the passage of the 19th Amendment, millions of women have continued to march like the women who came before them.

For generations, women, particularly Black women, have been on the front lines fighting for key rights for America's women, including the right to equal pay, the right to equal access to educational opportunities, and the right to equal access to opportunities in the workplace.

In that spirit, I rise today on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus in reclaiming 2018 as the Year of the Black Woman. 2018, the Year of the Black Woman--I like the sound of that. Black women are a force to reckon with, and we shall not be moved.

New York, my hometown, has a longstanding and illustrious legacy of leading the way to advance women's rights, from Seneca Falls to the United States Congress, and even on the road to the White House. It was where Madam C.J. Walker and Billie Holiday laid down their roots. It was the home of the late great Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman to serve in this distinguished House and whose congressional district I represent today.

``I am not a candidate of Black America, although I am Black and proud. I am not a candidate of the women's movement of this country, although I am a woman, and I am equally proud of that. . . . I am the candidate of the people of America.'' These are the words she spoke.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Shirley Chisholm's election to the House of Representatives as the reformer from Brooklyn and the 46th anniversary of her historic bid for the Presidency. In doing so, Shirley Chisholm blazed a pathway for millions of girls and women to dream unthinkable dreams.

Shirley Chisholm's labor and contribution to Brooklyn, Congress, and the Nation continues to bear fruit today. She paved the way for many of the women, myself included, to run for elected office at all levels.

Shirley Chisholm opposed war, racism, sexism, and inequality. She stood up to Republicans and demanded more from her own party. She won; she lost; she never backed down.

Forty-six years ago, the unbossed and unbought Shirley Chisholm announced her candidacy for President of the United States, making her the first woman in history to run for the highest office in the land. I can because she did.

Congresswoman Chisholm used the authority of her experience to create nutrition assistance programs, expand healthcare services for parents and children, increase the minimum wage, support the veterans of our Armed Forces, and provide opportunities for women in college, graduate school, and collegiate and professional sports with the enactment of title IX.

But that is not all. Shirley Chisholm pushed this country forward. I can recall growing up in Brooklyn and just being so proud as a young girl growing up knowing that there was a woman who looked like me who came from my neighborhood, who came from my origins, sitting here in the House of Representatives. She was somewhat of a rock star in Brooklyn.

Her intellect, her ability, her savviness was something that she exuded in every environment that she found herself. She was pretty stylish as well. But it was, indeed, her strategic thinking and her ability to be a voice for the voiceless that really propelled Shirley Chisholm into the hearts and minds of all Americans.

Shirley Chisholm pushed this country forward, and for this and other reasons, she deserves a permanent place among other figures of United States history right here in the Capitol.

In January, I introduced H.R. 4856, what I have named the Shirley Chisholm Statue Bill. The bill would do just that, honor Shirley Chisholm's legacy with a permanent statue among those statues in our hollowed Halls. H.R. 4856 directs the United States Joint Committee on the Library, which is responsible for oversight of the operations of the Library of Congress and the management of Statuary Hall Collection, to obtain a statue of Chisholm

for permanent placement in the United States Capitol. I am very pleased to say that over 70 Members of the United States House of Representatives are cosponsors.

My sister, colleague, and friend, Senator Kamala Harris of California, in late February, introduced the companion bill. Among Senate cosponsors are the CBC members Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, in addition to Senators Warren and Sanders, and my Senators, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, as well.

Senator Harris and I agree, Shirley Chisholm created a path for Black women Members of Congress who have served after her. ``Her legacy encourages us to keep up the fight for our most voiceless and vulnerable,'' Senator Harris stated.

Mr. Speaker, Rosa and Sojourner, giant figures in American history and the only two African-American women cemented permanently here in the Capitol, are lonely. Mr. Speaker, I hope that you will join us in this effort. Let's pass the Shirley Chisholm Statue Bill right away.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Lawrence), one of the staunch supporters of women's rights here on Capitol Hill and co-chair of the Bipartisan Women's Caucus.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her extraordinary comments this evening, really highlighting the triumphs and the challenges of both race and gender when we talk about Black women.

This is Women's History Month. We want to bring a unique lens to the conversation of Women's History Month because oftentimes, indeed, Black women tend to be the hidden figures.

Having said that, it is now my honor to yield to the gentlewoman from California, the honorable Barbara Lee, one of the outstanding mentors and Black women here in Congress who has done extraordinary work, whether it is in leading the conscience of this Congress around the Iraq war or many other causes that we have seen her leadership as a north star to really making this Nation the best that it can be. It is my honor to yield to the gentlewoman from California.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California for her eloquent presentation this evening.

It is now my honor and privilege to bring to the floor the gentleman from the great State of Pennsylvania, the great city of Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection, the honorable Dwight Evans of the Second Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for really bringing to the fore all of these extraordinary Black women in Philadelphia. It is unfortunate that our history, when it comes to gender parity, does not extol the virtues of everyone who is really laboring in the vineyard, oftentimes trailblazers and making things happen for communities, municipalities, and States across this Nation. Again, we are illuminating hidden figures this evening, and I want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for doing such a tremendous job.

Mr. Speaker, it is now my honor and privilege to yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne), who is just across the river from the district that I represent in New York.

The gentleman has been an extraordinary advocate for communities of color in the State of New Jersey. He has done a tremendous job in work on the Committee on Homeland Security. I know he has been an advocate for promoting and putting forth Black women in leadership positions. He was responsible for electing the very first Black woman to be Lieutenant Governor of the State of New Jersey. The Honorable Donald Payne, Jr., represents of the 10th District of New Jersey.

Mr. Speaker, I, once again, thank the gentleman from New Jersey for highlighting all of the ways in which Black women have excelled beyond expectation, despite all the challenges and the obstacles that they have faced.

We continue to see Black women rise, and I want to thank the gentleman for his observations, for his experience, and his interactions as part of this Special Order hour. We know that, again, these are hidden figures, but today I say hidden no more. They are in the Congressional Record, and I thank the gentleman for adding such richness to the Record this evening.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee). The Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee will be sharing with us her insights

during this Special Order hour as we highlight the accomplishments and we speak to the concerns in the Year of the Black Woman.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for bringing to the floor so many of the issues that Black women have been in the lead on or have been fighting for, such as social justice and criminal justice reform, which is the hallmark of the leadership of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. We are grateful to her for expressing today all of these obstacles that we must overcome and that we are focused on here in the House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Lawrence).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Michigan for sharing those quotes with us this evening.

It is so important, in terms of inspiration and motivation, that we are able to pull from the work that is being done by Black women and those who have preceded us.

Mr. Speaker, I want to take this moment, because I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to honor another distinguished woman from New York, the dearly departed Congresswoman Louise Slaughter from New York's 25th District.

Words cannot adequately express the sense of sadness that I and many in my delegation feel to have received word of the passing of Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, the dean of the New York delegation.

Ms. Slaughter dedicated her life's work to the people of western New York and, indeed, all Americans across our great Nation. She embodied a spirit of strength, wisdom, grace, and beauty, inside and out.

She represented the very best of the American spirit, our values, and our ideals. She was a trailblazer. She was the first woman to serve as chair and ranking member of the powerful House Rules Committee. She commanded the respect and admiration of her colleagues.

Having had the honor of serving with her has enriched my passion for service and my commitment to fight for the most vulnerable amongst us. She is, indeed, a woman on whose shoulders I stand. The United States Congress has lost an esteemed leader, the New York delegation has lost a beloved dean, and I have lost a cherished friend and mentor.

My thoughts and my prayers are with her three daughters, Megan, Amy, and Emily; and her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In this time of their bereavement, we extend our deepest condolences.

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

Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentlewoman for those kind remarks, and also let me thank Congresswoman Lawrence for her tremendous leadership and all she has done not only through this Special Order, but through all of their work with the Congressional Black Women and Girls Caucus. They have really lifted up Black women and shown the world that Black women lead, and I am very proud of both of them for doing that. You know, hidden figures, we are not hidden anymore thanks to them.

Mr. Speaker, I want to just take a minute and begin by saying what a huge void it is on the floor of this House tonight without the presence of our beloved warrior woman Congresswoman Louise Slaughter. She was a brilliant and beautiful woman: the first woman to chair the Rules Committee and the only microbiologist in the House. My heart is broken tonight.

Louise sat right there. She encouraged us; she supported our agenda, whatever we were doing; and she was a true mentor. I know, on behalf of all of us, we are praying for her family and her constituents tonight, and it feels different without Louise being on this floor.

I am glad to be with my sisters this evening and Congressional Black Caucus member Mr. Evans because this is a moment that we have to kind of pull together in her absence.

Each year, in March, we pause to honor the countless contributions that women have made to this Nation. As a Black woman, I am uniquely aware that our stories tend, really, to be lost in the mainstream celebration of Women's History Month. That is why I am glad to be here with my CBC colleagues to declare that, yes, 2018, this is the year of the Black woman.

For generations, Black women have blazed trails throughout this Nation: Madam C.J. Walker, Mary McLeod Bethune, Ruby Bridges, Audre Lorde, Mae Jemison, and Michelle Obama. This list of historical Black girl magic, it could go on. It could go on and on because, in every chapter of American history, Black women have stood up, spoken out, and pushed this Nation closer to freedom and justice and equality for all.

Last year, we saw the clearest indication of the influence that Black women have on our society through the emergence of the Me Too movement against sexual assault and misconduct.

Many don't know this, but the Me Too movement was started by a Black woman 12 years ago to support victims and survivors of sexual violence. Tarana Burke's work and the phrase ``me too'' have revolutionized the way we approach sexual assault in this country. But as has been the case throughout American history, Tarana's story, the story of Black women, is often lost in mainstream coverage of this movement, and what a shame it is.

But, once again, 2018, this is the year of Black women, and thank you for giving us a chance to highlight some of these hidden figures.

Courageous, bold, and brilliant women like Tarana have been fighting for the soul of this country for generations. And despite being locked out of opportunity and left behind in consideration, like our beloved, brilliant, the late Dr. Maya Angelou said so wisely: And still we rise.

We rise in the spirit of Black women like Ida B. Wells, who happens to have been born on July 16, which is my birthday--different year, though, but July 16. She was a revolutionary journalist and crusader for justice who spoke truth to power and exposed the atrocity of lynchings across the country.

We rise with the hope and determination of Black women like my mentor--and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke has so boldly taken up her agenda, and she is standing on her shoulders--Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, the first major party African-American candidate and the first woman candidate who ran for the United States Presidency.

Miss C., as we called her, broke many barriers while tirelessly advocating for the most vulnerable in our Nation and our world. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Clarke for laying her record out.

I have to say, I got to know her very well. I was honored to have coordinated her northern California campaign, and I saw the many obstacles that she overcame as a Black woman in politics.

I happen to have been honored to have been a Shirley Chisholm delegate in Miami at the convention, and I have to just say, you talk about mentors, Congresswoman Chisholm encouraged me, and she was a catalyst for change, and she was unbought and unbossed.

I think Black women today are unbought and unbossed, and we are the catalyst for change, and so I can't help but honor Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm tonight and thank her for her contributions to our country, but also for being so special in my life, because I shared many, many, many moments with her.

So thank you again, and we want to recognize her on this floor.

Mr. Speaker, we also rise with the courage of fearless Black women like Anita Hill, who held her head high and spoke out against sexual harassment despite being humiliated by a committee of White male Senators.

I was reminded by Andrea Mitchell last week, on her show, that Congresswoman Slaughter was one of those House Members who marched over there to that committee and held that hearing up for a couple of days.

When we rise, when we stand up together. When we refuse to be silenced, Black women and women can change history.

Because Anita Hill refused to let the abuse she was subjected to dissuade her from working to create a world where other young female professionals wouldn't be made to accept sexual harassment as simply part of the job, a movement was begun because of that.

The movement led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1991 that allowed employees to sue for damages related to sex discrimination and harassment, and Anita reminded us that it was a Black woman who filed the first sexual harassment lawsuit in the mid-eighties.

Now, this movement led to more women being elected to office, tripling the number of women Senators from two to six; and because of that movement, there are now 22 women Senators and 104 Members of the House.

Make no mistake, we still have a long way to go to achieve full and lasting equality for Black women in this country. Black women still make only 60 cents for every dollar that White females make. We still have to fight for access to healthcare, and structural sexism continues to stand in the way of Black women being able to fully achieve the American Dream. But still we rise.

I am confident that, no matter what obstacles we face, as long as we stand up, speak out, and fight for what is right, we will win--because we are winning.

And let me just say as a Black woman who has been fighting for social justice and equality my entire life, the fight is worth it.

So I am proud to stand here with you tonight in memory of my mother, who was a fearless warrior woman, who taught me never to back down if I thought what I said or what I did was right.

Had Black women, like Ida B. Wells, my mother, Mildred Parish Massey, Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, and Anita Hill given up, I might not be standing here today. I am the 17th African-American woman in Congress, the 74th African American, and the 163rd woman to serve in the House of Representatives in the United States' history. I know I would not be here if it weren't for these phenomenal African-American warrior women.

Mr. Speaker, thank you again for giving us a chance tonight to talk about our great sheroes, and I hope we continue to educate the public and to lift up Black women so the entire country will really understand and value and know where we have been so they know where we are going, and that is to achieve liberty and justice for everyone in this country.

Mr. Speaker, let me first thank Representative Clarke and Representative Lawrence for hosting tonight's Special Order hour. These are two dynamic colleagues of mine. Ms. Clarke, as she stated, is right across the river from me and has really been a mentor to me since my arrival here in Congress. There is never anything that I have ever asked her to do that she hasn't done. I just want to acknowledge the great support that she has been for me since I have arrived at this body. She is a true leader from across the river.

Also, Mrs. Lawrence, who is from the great State of Michigan, has joined us in her second term here in Congress. She has demonstrated her leadership day in and day out as well.

Mr. Speaker, of course, every year is the year of the Black woman for me. Just as Black women like the late great Shirley Chisholm and Barbara Jordan paved the way for other Black women to run for office, the work that these gentlewomen do has inspired a new generation of Black women to change the course of our Nation. For that, we are all grateful.

Throughout American history, Black women have been undervalued and undercompensated. Nationally, Black women who work in full-time jobs make only 64 cents for every dollar a White man makes. In New Jersey, Black women only make 58 cents for every dollar a White man makes. Black women both in New Jersey and nationally make persistently less than White women, despite the fact that Black women have the highest labor force participation rate in the United States among women.

Regardless of their educational level, Black women are less likely than other workers to be employed in higher paying careers. They are more likely than other groups to be employed in service-industry jobs with low pay, no benefits, and outside the scope of the labor laws of this country.

Black women are key to building long-term success in our communities, yet they are disproportionately incarcerated. They are more likely to face employment discrimination and housing discrimination. They are more likely to be disciplined at school, and they are still undervalued and underrepresented in our society.

What should we be doing in Congress and in our communities?

First, we should be strengthening Black women's political participation. We need more Black women in office at all levels of government. Each of us should mentor young Black women who want to serve. We should uplift their voices, give them the microphone, and build infrastructure that gets them into office.

Secondly, we must protect the right to vote for Black women and all people of color. Over the past 5 years, the Supreme Court has gutted the Voting Rights Act. Legislators in States like Texas and South Carolina have passed voter ID laws that disproportionately restrict the right to vote for people of color, and Russian social media accounts have targeted the Black community to sow division and discord in our elections.

As Members of Congress, we have the power to restore the Voting Rights Act, protect the right to vote, and ensure our elections are secure from foreign interference.

Third, we need to support increased employment and higher earnings for Black women. That includes raising the Federal minimum wage to make it a liveable wage. That means strengthening collective bargaining.

Mr. Speaker, there are many examples of women in New Jersey who have made great accomplishments. Throughout 2018, the Year of the Black Woman, it is vitally important that we elevate Black women's voices and their experiences. Here are just a few Black women from my district who are making a difference.

Ibtihaj Muhammad, a Black woman from Maplewood, New Jersey, became the first American Olympian to wear a hijab during her event. She was also a model for the first hijab-wearing Barbie doll. Ibtihaj Muhammad is a trailblazer. She fenced in this year's past Summer Olympics.

Sheila Oliver, as Ms. Clarke intimated, a Newark native, just became the first African-American Lieutenant Governor in New Jersey's history. She had already broken the glass ceiling by becoming the first African- American woman to serve as assembly speaker in New Jersey, and only the second African-American woman in the country to lead a State legislature. The first, of course, was our colleague from California, Karen Bass. Sheila Oliver and Karen Bass are trailblazers.

Mattie Holloway from Hillside, New Jersey, has spent nearly 40 years helping young women in her community. For the past three decades, she has led Hope, Inc., a community service organization that helps pregnant teens and young mothers stay on track during and after their pregnancy. Mattie Holloway is a trailblazer.

In Bayonne, New Jersey, there is a young woman named Jae Wilson. She is 9 years old. Jae was at the mall one day when she noticed a homeless man wasn't wearing socks. Jae saw a need and stepped up to fill it. This young woman now spends her spare time collecting socks and shoes to distribute to people in need. Jae Wilson is a trailblazer.

There are countless Black women whose contributions to our collective freedom have gotten us to this point today. Too often, they have been sidelined and, as I stated, undervalued and disrespected. Let's do a better job to celebrate, uplift, and empower our sisters this year and every year.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Clarke for all of her strong leadership as a Member of Congress and also as a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls as she advocates for awareness, fairness, and equality for all.

Mr. Speaker, I stand here today during Women's History Month to acknowledge the impact and legacy of Black women in America. Black women have blazed trails, set standards, and broken barriers in every job sector, elected position, and civil rights movement in America.

I am especially proud of the strong leadership of African-American women during the suffrage movement. The suffrage movement was the demand and struggle for the right for all women to vote and run for office and was a very important part of the overall women's rights movement.

Faced with constant opposition and threats of violence, women of various social classes, economic classes, and race traveled across the country to make their proclamation loud and clear. They have a voice, and they deserved a vote.

As women fought and marched for their right to be treated as first- class citizens, in addition to their gender, African-American women were also faced with the barriers of racism in America. While women were united by gender, they remained divided by race. In the march for respect and dignity, Black women were asked to march at the back of the suffrage parade.

Despite being asked to go to the back of the parade, 22 founders of the amazing Delta Sigma Theta sorority marched. This sorority was the only African-American women's organization to participate in the parade. I am proud to say I am a proud member of Delta Signa Theta.

Another member of Delta Signa Theta sorority, Ida B. Wells-Barnette, marched for the right to vote. A journalist, antilynching crusader, and outspoken suffragist founded the first African-American women's suffrage organization, the Alpha Suffrage Club of Chicago. The members of the Ida B. Wells organization joined her in marching in the women's suffrage march parade in Washington in 1913.

Mr. Speaker, this is just one of the examples of how Black women have faced, head-on, the double barrier of being Black and being a woman in America. As a Black woman of Congress and as vice chair of the Democratic Women's Working Group and the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues, I stand on the shoulders of women who refused to accept the status of being a second-class citizen, a second-class woman, or a second-class race.

I stand on the shoulders of Shirley Chisholm, as my colleague has outlined this amazing woman being the first African-American woman of Congress.

I stand on the shoulders of women like Erma Henderson. She was a Detroit civil rights activist who became the first Black woman to be elected to the Detroit City Council. She was the first woman I was able to look up to as a little Black girl growing up in the city of Detroit. She inspired me to believe that one day I, too, could have a seat at the table.

Mr. Speaker, the legacy of Black women is far from over. I am proud of how far we have come, and I am encouraged by the hope of what is next. I am encouraged by my colleagues--White, Black, men, and women-- who continue to fight for fairness, justice, and equality for all women and for Black women in this country.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to close with some words of wisdom from Black women who absolutely have inspired me.

``It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it,'' Lena Horn.

``I did what my conscience told me to do, and you can't fail if you do that,'' Anita Hill.

``Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to the error that counts,'' Nikki Giovanni.

``Don't feel entitled to anything you didn't sweat and struggle for.'' That is the legendary Marian Wright Edelman.

And I close on an amazing woman we have talked so much about:

``Service is the rent that you pay for room on this Earth,'' Shirley Chisolm.

Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to be a woman in America and to be blessed by God with this beautiful, Black skin and to be a Black woman in America.