Mr. President, I rise today to talk about Black History Month, which has its roots with Carter G. Woodson as early as 1915 and has been officially recognized since 1976. Black History Month is an opportunity for celebration and discovery.…
Mr. President, I rise today to talk about Black History Month, which has its roots with Carter G. Woodson as early as 1915 and has been officially recognized since 1976.
Black History Month is an opportunity for celebration and discovery. It is a time to share the successes and
contributions of Black Americans that are woven deeply into the fabric of American history.
Over the last year, we Marylanders made exciting history as Wes Moore became our State's 63rd Governor, the first person of color to hold that office and the only currently serving Black Governor in the Nation. We also elected Anthony Brown, former Member of the House of Representatives and a former Lt. Governor of Maryland, to be attorney general. He, too, is the first Black to hold this position in our State. They join Adrienne Jones, the first Black and first woman to serve as Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates, who has held that post since 2019.
Nationally, the Senate made history by confirming Justice Jackson as the first Black woman to serve as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States.
Mr. President, we are making progress. Representation matters. When young girls and young boys of color see women and men who look like them holding positions of power, it makes a real, important difference in the expectations and aspirations they set for themselves.
As Bernice King, the youngest daughter of the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Chief Executive Officer of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center of Nonviolent Social Change, said:
If you don't think representation matters, you are probably
well-represented.
Representation matters in history as well. Throughout our country's history, we have seen blatant attacks on the teaching of African American history as well as gaping omissions. Today, unfortunately, we continue to see these tactics playing out across our Nation.
Let me share a little of that history with you. The first Africans arrived in North America in the 16th and 17th centuries. A group of former Spanish slaves, freed by Englishman Francis Drake, arrived in California in 1579 during his first voyage to circumnavigate the world.
The first recorded group of enslaved Africans arrived in Virginia in 1619. They would be the first of hundreds of thousands brought here against their will and forced into servitude in North America. In 1641, Mathias de Sousa was elected to the colonial Maryland legislature. He was the first person of African descent to hold elected office in British North America.
By 1776, at the time of the American Revolutionary War, estimates are that about 20 percent of the population of the British colonies was of African descent--20 percent.
By 1788, when our Constitution was ratified, the Founding Fathers thought it appropriate that each of these men, women, and children were only counted as three-fifths of a person.
After the Civil War, with the abolition of slavery, Reconstruction meant opportunities for African-Americans in the South and the North, including the right to vote and be elected to office, to own land, and to participate in business.
In 1870, Mississippi elected the first African-American U.S. Senator, Hiram Rhodes Revels, a one-time minister and school principal in Baltimore. He was followed by Senator Blanche K. Bruce, who served in this body from 1875 to 1881. African Americans were regularly elected to Congress until 1901. From there, it would be 28 years until another Black man served in the Congress.
The years between were turbulent and regressive. The summer of 1919 was dubbed ``Red Summer'' as White-on-Black violence exploded in dozens of cities across the country and continued thereafter. On May 21, 1921, Greenwood, a prosperous Black neighborhood in Tulsa, OK, known as Black Wall Street, became the site of one of the most violent attacks on Black freedom and progress in our Nation's history: the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. A White mob killed an estimated 300 people and destroyed more than 1,400 homes and businesses. Thousands of people were left homeless.
Despite its severity and destructiveness, however, the Tulsa Race Massacre was barely mentioned in the history books until the late 1990s when the State formed the commission to document the incident. Tulsa is but one example. Regrettably, there are many more instances of White mob violence that also never made it into the history books.
Black history is American history, and attempts to whitewash or ignore the role that African Americans have played in this Nation, even before our founding, is an immense disservice. Slavery and segregation and racism are ugly and dehumanizing, but they are part of America's history.
For too long, our history lessons failed to acknowledge the African- American experience and the role that African Americans have played in American history. We should all learn about the inventors like George Washington Carver, who popularized crop rotation. Henry Blair, the second African-American inventor in U.S. history to be issued a patent, was born a free man in Glen Ross, MD, in 1807. His farm machinery revolutionized planting. Garrett Morgan patented the first traffic safety signal and developed the first gas mask. We should all learn about the entrepreneurs like Madam C.J. Walker, whose hair care and cosmetic business made her the first female self-made millionaire in the United States. Robert Johnson cofounded Black Entertainment Television on his way to becoming America's first Black billionaire.
We should all learn about scientists like Maryland's own Benjamin Banneker, a largely self-taught mathematician, astronomer, and surveyor. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson furthered our knowledge of star and galaxy formation and evolution and has done as much as Carl Sagan to popularize science, especially astronomy. All of these individuals should take their place in our history books alongside Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Dr. King.
Unfortunately, instead of expanding the teaching of Black history, we are seeing a retrenchment. In Florida, we have seen one of the most brazen attacks on the teaching of African-American history and culture with the Governor's rejection of the College Board's new Advanced Placement African-American studies course. For more than a year, Florida officials pressured the College Board to change its curriculum.
College Board officials have since denied they capitulated, but on the first day of Black History Month, they released a revised curriculum that deleted certain topics related to Black history. It appears the board was eager to keep selling its program to Florida. This past Saturday, board officials issued a statement saying:
We deeply regret not immediately denouncing the Florida
Department of Education's slander, magnified by the DeSantis
administration's subsequent comments that African-American
studies ``lacks educational value.'' Our failure to raise our
voice betrayed Black scholars everywhere and those who have
long toiled to build this remarkable field.
Florida is not acting alone. According to the Brookings Institution, nearly 20 States have introduced legislation to ban any discussion about conscious bias, privilege, discrimination, and oppression. At least nine have succeeded in passing such legislation.
These efforts are aimed at suppressing the discussion of uncomfortable truths about our past and even our present. They eliminate responsibility for the collective work that we all must do not only to acknowledge the centuries of harm done to Black communities but also remedy the lasting effects of these harms.
The continued suppression of history happens in many more places than schools alone, and we are all poorer for it. So much of what we have learned for generations about history, music, culture, and more has diminished or even extinguished the role of African-American creators, writers, musicians, and others. We must teach our children and learn for ourselves the full breadth of the American story--the good, the bad, and the ugly--if we truly aspire to form a more perfect Union.
Philip Graham, the former president and publisher of the Washington Post, is credited with saying ``Journalism is the first rough draft of history.'' This is especially true with regard to Black history.
For decades, White newspapers barely acknowledged the African- American communities in their readership, except when there were negative stories to tell. Brent Staples, an editorial writer at the New York Times recently
described the culpability of White newspapers:
Newspapers that championed white supremacy throughout the
pre-civil rights South paved the way for lynching by
declaring African Americans nonpersons. They embraced the
language once used at slave auctions by denying Black
citizens street courtesy titles Mr. and Mrs. and referring to
them in news stories as ``the negro.''
One year ago, the Baltimore Sun declared:
We are deeply and profoundly sorry: For decades, The
Baltimore Sun promoted policies that oppressed Black
Marylanders; we are working to make amends.
The newspaper founder, Arunah S. Abell ``was a Southern sympathizer who supported slavery and segregation.'' As the Sun editorial stated:
Instead of using its platform, which at times included both
a morning and evening newspaper, to question and strike down
racism, The Baltimore Sun frequently employed prejudice as a
tool of the times. It fed the fears and anxiety of white
readers with stereotypes and caricatures that reinforced
their erroneous beliefs about Black Americans. Through its
news coverage and editorial opinions, The Sun sharpened,
preserved and furthered the structural racism that still
subjugates Black Marylanders in our communities today.
As White newspapers perpetrated lies and negative stories, Black journalism emerged to fill the void. Freedom's Journal, the first Black-owned and -operated newspaper, was founded on March 16, 1827, in New York City. The newspaper's inaugural broadsheet powerfully declared:
We wish to plead our own cause. Too long others have spoken
for us.
The Maryland-based Afro-American newspaper began publishing in 1892. As the firm that owned the paper fell into bankruptcy, John H. Murphy, Sr., a former slave who worked at the newspaper, borrowed $200 from his wife and purchased its equipment in 1897. In 1922, the Afro was the third largest Black-owned newspaper on the east coast, behind the Chicago Defender and the Negro World.
The Afro-American, headquartered in Baltimore, now is the oldest Black business in Maryland and the longest running, African-American family-owned newspaper in the United States. John Sr.'s great- granddaughter, Dr. Frances ``Toni'' Draper, is the current publisher.
This Monday, I was privileged to join Dr. Draper and other leaders from the local community to unveil a $2.2-million earmark for the AFRO Charities, alongside my colleagues, Chris Van Hollen and Representative Kweisi Mfume. These funds will be used to preserve the archives of the Afro-American and develop a permanent home and research center for these materials, the largest collection of its kind in our country.
The Afro-American has been published for more than 130 years. I have seen a small fraction of these archives, and I can tell you that there is so much history that needs to be preserved for the community, the State of Maryland, and the Nation. The project will be digitized. There are approximately 3 million photographs, several thousand letters, back issues of the AFRO, personal audio recordings of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and Dr. King, and so much more.
Since its inception, the Black press has played a critical role in the struggle for freedom for African-Americans by highlighting issues that mainstream media ignored or misrepresented. As Dr. Draper of the Afro-American wrote recently:
If there were no Black press, would America draft its story
honestly and equitably, and in a way that bends--however
slowly--towards justice? We think not. The Black press in
America plays a crucial role shaping and preserving our
community's history from the perspective of our people and
advocating for a better, brighter day.
Today, so many Black journalists continue to walk boldly in this tradition, uncovering the stories of our time with an eye towards justice and civil rights. At the forefront of these media professionals is the National Association of Black Journalists, which is headquartered at the University of Maryland, College Park. This organization was founded in 1975. It is a nonprofit association with more than 4,000 members in the United States and worldwide. The organization advocates for diversity in newsrooms, works to create strong ties among Black journalists, and expands job opportunities for Black media professionals. The organization provides scholarships and works with high school students to encourage Black students to pursue journalism careers. Black history is America's history. Black journalism is essential to telling the American story.
On March 31, 1968, Dr. King gave his last Sunday sermon--this one was at Washington National Cathedral. He said:
We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is
long but it bends toward justice.
The obstacles we face are harmful and hurtful. But they are temporary stumbling blocks.
On February 1, I was proud to join my friend Representative Mfume in introducing the National Council on African American History and Culture Act of 2023. Our legislation would create a 12-person National Council on African American History and Culture to advise the National Endowment of the Humanities in the best ways to amplify the work of black creators, strengthening teaching and learning in schools to ensure Black history and culture is recognized, and provide critical resources dedicated to preserving Black history.
On February 7, I was proud to invite Governor Moore to be my guest at President Biden's State of the Union Address. Seated behind President Biden was Vice President Kamala Harris, a woman of color and the first female Vice President.
Before the State of the Union Address on February 4, the Senate Curator removed the bust of former Chief Justice Roger B. Taney from the Old Supreme Court Chamber in the Senate wing of the Capitol Building. We are making progress. The removal was in accordance with legislation I am proud to introduce with Representative Steny Hoyer. Taney, a Marylander, authored the infamous Dred Scott decision in 1857, ruling that African Americans could not be considered U.S. citizens and that Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in the U.S. territories. Our legislation directs the Joint Committee on the Library to commission a bust of Thurgood Marshall, another Marylander, for display in the Capitol Complex, preferably near the Old Supreme Court Chamber.
One Justice sought to prolong slavery; the other--the first African- American to sit on the Nation's highest Court--helped to advance civil rights in this Nation due to his successful Supreme Court argument in Brown v. Board of Education, which held that the doctrine of ``separate but equal'' has no place in American society.
Removing the Taney bust from the Old Supreme Court Chamber is making the right decision about whom we choose to honor. Across the Nation, monuments to enslavers are coming down.
In Requiem for a Nun, William Faulkner famously wrote:
The past is never dead. It's not even past.
Black history is America's history. Black History Month is so important because it forces us to face who we are and where we are going. In doing so, it helps us respect and ultimately aspire to be a more perfect Union.
national children's dental health month
Mr. President, I rise today to recognize February as National Children's Dental Health Month. Since 1981, this month has afforded us the opportunity to acknowledge the importance of children's dental health, recognize the significant strides we have made, and renew our commitment to ensuring all children in our country have access to affordable and comprehensive dental services. To echo Former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, ``There is no health without oral health.''
Despite recent encouraging reductions in tooth decay, also known as dental caries, particularly among younger children, dental caries remains one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood. About one in four preschool children experienced caries in primary teeth, and at least one in six children aged 6 to 11 years experienced dental caries in permanent teeth. Deferring routine preventive and restorative dental care increases the need for more advanced and expensive dental services, which are even less accessible, further widening the inequalities.
There is a persistent pattern of disparities in which children from lower
income and minority racial and ethnic groups generally experience more disease and have less access to treatment. Children from low-income households are twice as likely to have cavities, compared with children from higher income households. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, for children aged 2 to 5 years, about 33 percent of Mexican-American and 28 percent of non-Hispanic Black children have had cavities in their primary teeth, compared with 18 percent of non-Hispanic White children. For children aged 12 to 19, nearly 70 percent of Mexican-American children have had cavities in their permanent teeth, compared with 54 percent of non-Hispanic White children.
Tooth and gum pain can impede a child's healthy development, including the ability to learn, play, and eat nutritious foods. Children who have poor oral health often miss more school and get lower grades than children who have good oral health.
Untreated cavities can cause pain, infections, and can lead to problems eating, speaking, and learning. In some cases, they can even be fatal. In 2007, Deamonte Driver, a 12-year-old Prince George's County resident, tragically died. Deamonte's death was particularly heartbreaking because it was entirely preventable. What started out as a toothache turned into a severe brain infection that could have been prevented by an $80 extraction. After multiple surgeries and a lengthy hospital stay, sadly, Deamonte passed away 16 years ago this month.
Since the tragic death of Deamonte, we have made significant progress in improving access to pediatric dental care in our country, particularly in my home State of Maryland. For example, in 2009, Congress reauthorized the Children's Health Insurance Program, CHIP, with an important addition: a guaranteed pediatric dental benefit. Research shows that CHIP generally offers more comprehensive benefits at a much lower cost to families than private coverage.
Additionally, the Affordable Care Act, ACA, has significantly improved the affordability of and access to healthcare, including dental care, for millions of Americans. The ACA required most insurers to cover essential health benefits, EHB. I was particularly pleased that pediatric services, specifically pediatric dental care, were identified as part of the 10 categories of healthcare services included in the EHB package. As a result, pediatric dental insurance coverage is available for purchase on all State-based insurance marketplaces, like in Maryland, and the Federal marketplace. The dental coverage offered through ACA plans in all States covers a minimum set of benefits to ensure children have coverage for essential dental services.
Expansion of dental insurance coverage has enabled early intervention for more children from low-income households. Today, 9 in 10 children in the United States have dental insurance. Dental care is also a mandatory benefit in Medicaid for children since it is provided through the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Program. Still, research has found that although State Medicaid Programs cover children's dental services, fewer than half of all publicly insured children get recommended care.
Therefore, there is more work to be done to ensure that once children have access, they actually get the care they need. This week, I was proud to join Senators Lujan and Collins in introducing the Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act. The legislation would create an oral health literacy campaign, leveraging existing healthcare programs, to ensure that children start off strong and develop important oral health habits for the rest of their lives.
Additionally, in January, I was pleased to introduce, along with Senator Stabenow and Congresswoman Barragan S. 109, the Ensuring Kids Have Access to Medically Necessary Dental Care Act. Our legislation would eliminate lifetime and annual limits for dental care for children under CHIP. The bill would also require States to provide ``wraparound'' CHIP dental coverage, meaning CHIP would cover dental services for eligible children who are not enrolled in CHIP. Currently, if a child is eligible for CHIP but instead has coverage under a group health plan or employer-sponsored insurance, States have the option of providing dental-only coverage to this child through CHIP. This bill requires that dental coverage be offered.
In addition to dental insurance coverage for children, improving oral health care for the parents and communities can improve children's oral health outcomes. For example, a recent study found that Medicaid adult dental coverage was associated with a reduction in the prevalence of untreated tooth decay among children after parents had access to coverage for at least 1 year. The study found that all children saw improvements in oral health, and non-Hispanic Black children experienced larger and more persistent improvements than non-Hispanic White children. A Medicaid dental benefit for adults would enhance the progress for children and provide much needed dental care and improve oral health outcomes for adults.
That is why I am proud to champion legislation, the Medicaid Dental Benefit Act, which would extend comprehensive dental health benefits to tens of millions of low-income Americans on Medicaid. The legislation would also provide States with a 100-percent Federal match for the dental benefit for 3 years. This investment of Federal funds would support States to set up or improve their dental benefit and includes funding for culturally competent and linguistically appropriate provider education in addition to outreach efforts to better connect enrollees to oral health care. I was particularly pleased that, last year, Maryland extended access to dental care fo adult Medicaid beneficiaries, providing access to over 740,000 Marylanders.
Oral health is an integral part of overall health. It should not be a luxury or reserved for the most privileged. Access to affordable dental care is essential to preventing tragedies like the death of Deamonte Driver from ever happening again. So, as we celebrate, we must also recommit to expanding access to afford care to all children. I urge my colleagues to join me in this effort. Let us continue to building upon the progress made to date in advancing the access of oral health to protect individuals around the country.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.