Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and commend Congressman Danny Davis for his leadership in launching the State of the African American Male Initiative (SAAM). This is a much needed initiative to improve the conditions of Black men and boys who continue to be marginalized in communities throughout the U.S. Their condition in this country is currently in a state of emergency and requires governmental, community, and corporate solutions to this crisis.

The SAAM initiative facilitates dialogue between individuals and organizations addressing the issues significantly affecting African Americans males. These issues center around health, education, economic empowerment, criminal justice and civic participation. The initiative will have regional meetings and conferences in New York, NY; Houston, TX; Chicago, IL; Miami, FL; Memphis, TN; Detroit, MI; Atlanta, GA; Los Angeles, CA; and Oakland, CA. In addition it seeks to ensure a national impact through its website and the creation and utilization of partnerships with Members of Congress, grassroots organizations, and individuals throughout the country.

Young Black males in contemporary American society face major challenges to their development and well-being. I applaud the efforts of my colleague in taking an active role in reaching back to other Black men and boys to address the issues most affecting them.

Black males in this country are facing a state of emergency and the social and economic indicators of Black male development provide profiles of individuals whose quality of life is in serious jeopardy. Essentially Black males are becoming an endangered species and more must be done to ensure the survival of future generations.

The SAAM initiative is a good start. It is a positive way for we as lawmakers to take a hands on approach in making our communities better and safer places. As an African American male this initiative is particularly special to me. I know how important it is to have strong Black leaders, fathers, activists, and mentors to guide, develop, and structure the community and its future generations. I think it is incredibly important to equip African American males with the tools they need to affect positive change in world events.

The tireless efforts of Congressman Danny Davis and his staff for organizing this effort are to be commended. The SAAM initiative is a positive step in moving our country closer to the day when African American males will no longer be the first to drop out of school, last to become employed, first to get arrested, last to get a quality lawyer, first to die, last to see a doctor, first to be homeless, and last to get a house.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the life and legacy of the publishing mogul Mr. John H. Johnson, who died on August 8, 2005 at the age of 87. Mr. Johnson rose from extreme poverty to become founder and chairman of Johnson's Publishing Company, the world's largest African-American owned publishing Company. Mr. Johnson is one of America's most distinguished entrepreneurs, whose publications have helped to change the landscape of American history.

Mr. Johnson was born on January 19, 1918, in Arkansas City during southern segregation, which played an integral role in shaping his successful future. Another element that helped shape his path was his mother. When Mr. Johnson was 8 years of age, his mother moved the family up to Chicago with the belief that the Jim Crow south was no place to nurture and raise a Black child from whom she expected greatness. Like so many other blacks from the South, his mother believed that the North provided better economic and social opportunities for African Americans. Therefore, Johnson's family took part in The Great Migration of the early 1900's and moved north.

During his high school years, Mr. Johnson worked part time for the Supreme Liberty Life Insurance Company (he would later become chairman of the board). Part of his duties was to prepare a digest for the company president of Black or Black-oriented stories in the American press. This gave inspiration to the establishment of his first magazine the ``Negro Digest''. After being refused business loans from banks and other financial institutions, Mr. Johnson used his mother's furniture as collateral for a $500 loan. In 1942, Negro Digest

was first published and became an instant success. This became the first of his many future capital ventures. Subsequently, in 1945 Mr. Johnson launched his most successful magazine Ebony, which sold 25,000, making it the largest circulated Black magazine of the time. Today, with its 60 year history, Ebony is still a success with a circulation of 1.6 million.

In 1951, 10 years after the start of Ebony, Mr. Johnson started Jet magazine, which became the number one Black newsweekly. Subsequently, he invested in book publishing and Fashion Fair Cosmetics, which was designed to fit the needs of African American women by offering a complete line of high-quality beauty and skin care products for a wide variety of skin tones. Moreover, he has invested in several radio stations, and has majority ownership in the company that inspired it all, Supreme Liberty Life Insurance.

The success of his magazines and other business endeavors were supported by Johnson's objective to show ``not only to the Negroes, but also white people that Negroes got married, had beauty contests, gave parties, ran successful businesses, and do all the other normal things of life.'' His publications became a vehicle for his civil rights activism. Mr. Johnson purposefully presented positive imagery of blacks as professionals, movie stars, activists, and more, to combat the many negative stereotypes that permeated throughout the collective conscience of this country, which was overwhelmingly manifested through mainstream media. Ebony magazine highlighted the success and achievements of African Americans, taking a more glamorized prospective of Black America, while Jet magazine focused on the politics, entertainment, business, and sports. President Clinton, observed that Mr. Johnson ``gave African-Americans a voice and a face, in his words, `a new sense of somebody-ness,' of who they were and what they could do, at a time when they were virtually invisible in mainstream American culture.''

John Johnson made history when he published the unedited and notorious 1955 pictures of the mutilated body of 14 year old murder victim Emmett Till, who was slain in Mississippi for allegedly whistling at a white girl. Johnson published the pictures to show the world the cruel reality of Jim Crow, and the violent results of legal segregation. As a result, the images of Emmett Till became the catalyst that sparked the flame that fueled the Civil Rights Movement. It was the pictures that Mr. Johnson published that inspired Rosa Parks to refuse to acquiesce and relinquish her seat to a white man, which in turn led to the kindling of the Civil Rights Movement.

As a result of Johnson's success, both in his publishing and activism, he has received many accolades and awards. In 1982 he was the first African American ever to be on Forbes Magazine's 400 Richest Americans. He was a member of the Publishing Hall of Fame, the National Business Hall of Fame, the Advertising Hall of Fame and the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame. He also received the Spingarn Medal, the highest honor from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In addition, he received the Salute to Greatness Award, the highest award for the Martin Luther King Jr. center for Nonviolent Social Change. In 1972 he was named Publisher of the Year by the Magazine Publishers Association. Lastly in 1995 he was awarded America's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Clinton.

As a visionary, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civil rights activist, Mr. Johnson's life has become one of the greatest ``American dream'' success stories of all time. Through his publications and other media ventures, Johnson has managed to transform the mainstream image and self-image of African Americans throughout the world. The legacy Mr. Johnson leaves is one of constant challenge. Throughout his life he has challenged and overcome the validity of old norms and has presented new ones that have helped to change both the face of African-Americans, as well as the face of our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to outline how President Bush's policies contribute to the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe that took place in the Gulf Coast area of our nation. Just as in Iraq, the President's policies and unbelievable mismanagement on the domestic front have brought pain and suffering to American people.

Thousands of people may have been killed by Hurricane Katrina and many more could die in its aftermath because of the President's refusal to heed the calls of the governors for help in repairing the infrastructure in their states. In Louisiana, everybody knew that the levees that hold back flood waters were in disrepair. But instead of listening to the governors, the President cut funding for this purpose. Again and again vital domestic priorities have been sacrificed in order to pay for the occupation and rebuilding of Iraq, and these choices are now being revealed as harmful to our nation and people.

In addition to depriving the affecting areas of the funding that would have enabled them to prepare for Hurricane Katrina. The President's commitment to Iraq has impaired the response to the crisis. It is this commitment that has contributed to the slow response of federal troops who should have been on alert before the hurricane struck. Now, as bedlam reigns in New Orleans, 35 percent of Louisiana's and 37 percent of Mississippi's National Guard troops are in Iraq. The hurricane is clear evidence of how the war directly affects the domestic security of our country.

The President is destroying the fabric of America with a combined policy of war, tax cuts for the wealthy, and reductions in spending for domestic needs. These policies are supported by the Republican- dominated Congress. Even so, it was shocking to read reports that Dennis Hastert, the Speaker of the House, said that rebuilding New Orleans made no sense to him.

The President's policies have not only made us less secure, they have widened the chasm between the well-to-do and the poor. The people who couldn't get out of New Orleans to escape the storm were predominantly Black and poor. They stayed behind not because they wanted to risk the danger of the hurricane, but because they don't have cars or any other means of escape. No one is even talking about the poor in more rural areas--Blacks and Whites--who have not even been reached by rescue teams.

President Bush has tried to turn this tragedy into a political victory by flying in on a helicopter to examine the damage. But he is in store for more genuine outrage resulting from his failed policy in Iraq and the anger of the U.S. governors whose constituents are paying the price for the domestic policies of the ``war president''.

Please find below my letter to President Bush about the Federal Government's response to Hurricane Katrina.

September 2, 2005.

President George W. Bush,

The White House,

Washington, DC.

Dear President Bush: I am writing to strongly urge you to

use your power and leadership to provide the most aggressive

possible response to the humanitarian crisis taking place in

Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The response so far has

been unsatisfactory.

Food, water, medicine and emergency housing is in critical

need. In addition, with the crisis seemingly affecting poor

people most, arrangements should be made for emergency short

term grants and loans to individuals, particularly those who

head families and are taking care of children and the

elderly.

Further, while we are all dismayed by television pictures

of looters, we must not allow the focus of our humanitarian

efforts to be diminished in any way by those actions. While

criminal activity that threatens lives should not be

tolerated, we must use maximum discretion in the use of force

against individuals who may be motivated by poverty and

hunger.

I have received many calls from constituents as well as

Americans across the country, who believe that the victims of

this catastrophe are receiving a lesser government response

than would be provided for people of means. True or not, this

perception will be aggravated if in coming days Americans do

not see a more forceful and creative response to this crisis,

whether it means using large military planes to bring in

supplies, including temporary housing and the use of hotels

or even cruise ships.

Mr. President, we must raise the level of response to this

crisis, the greatest natural disaster in the nation's

history, and it must be done immediately.

Thanks for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Charles B. Rangel,

Member of Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and legacy of legendary Cuban musician Ibrahim Ferrer, who died Saturday August 6, after suffering multiple organ failure.

Ibrahim Ferrer was at the center of the Buena Vista Social Club, a phenomenon that brought long delayed international fame to a group of older Cuban musicians thanks to a Grammy-winning 1997 album produced by Ry Cooder and a subsequent film by Wim Wenders, both by that name. Besides offering American audiences a musician's-eye view of Cuba, the film created a recognition of Mr. Ferrer as an unlikely musical icon.

Mr. Ferrer's story is particularly inspiring to me because it speaks to the limitless possibilities of talent and chance. He was a gifted musician but of all the larger-than-life personalities that make up the Buena Vista Social Club, Ibrahim Ferrer seemed the least likely to emerge as an international superstar. Yet within three years of his first international tours with the Afro-Cuban All Stars outside of Cuba in 1996, Mr. Ferrer was filling the world's great venues and receiving rapturous ovations from audiences for whom he had become the embodiment--the heart and soul--of the multimillion-selling Buena Vista phenomenon.

Mr. Ferrer, a bolero singer who was compared to Nat King Cole, was born in Santiago in eastern Cuba on February 20, 1927, and began singing professionally in 1941. In the 1950s, he was an established singer who performed with well-known Cuban bands, including that of the legendary Benny More. But sadly, Ferrer was a forgotten name by the mid-1990s, supplementing a meager state pension by shining shoes. He was lifted from obscurity by the 1997 Buena Vista Social Club recording brought together by Texas guitarist Ry Cooder that shot a group of vintage Cuban musicians to international fame and an unexpected second career.

Mr. Ferrer was a man who was full of life and energy. Even in his seventies he could still salsa dance with the best of them. He was a musical powerhouse and an animated figure that clearly enjoyed performing Cuba's traditional ``son'' music of the 1940s and 1950s for new generations of fans.

I extend my condolences to his lovely wife and six children. Mr. Ferrer and his music are truly an inspiration to both Cubans and people throughout the world. His life and music are a testament to the vibrancy and resilience of Cuban people.

Creating some of Cuba's most rhythmic and dynamic music, Mr. Ferrer accomplished an enormous feat because despite the constraints of the U.S. embargo, his music was able to break through and Americans responded to it with overwhelming enthusiasm. His life legacy as a musician demonstrate the kind of beauty and musical genius that can come out of a relationship with Cuba and it is my hope that the failed U.S. embargo against Cuba will be lifted soon to permit the enrichment of an enhanced cultural exchange to the benefit of the people

of Cuba and the U.S. Mr. Ferrer paved the way for generations of Cuban singers to come and it is my hope that their music will continue to reach the hearts of Americans and people throughout the world.

I would like to submit for the Record an obituary from the August 8th edition of the New York Times.

[From the New York Times, August 8, 2005]

Ibrahim Ferrer, 78, Cuban Singer in ``Buena Vista Social Club,'' Dies

(By Ben Ratliff)

Ibrahim Ferrer, the Cuban singer whose life included one of

popular music's most triumphant second acts, died on Saturday

in Havana. He was 78. The cause was multiple organ failure,

his manger, Carmen Romero, announced.

Mr. Ferrer was at the center of the Buena Vista Social

Club, a phenomenon that brought long-delayed international

fame to a group of older Cuban musicians thanks to a Grammy-

winning 1997 album produced by Ry Cooder and a subsequent

film by Wim Wenders, both by that name. Besides offering

American audiences a musician's-eye view of Cuba, the film

set up Mr. Ferrer as a particularly sympathetic figure--tall,

distinguished and lively, an excellent bolero singer who used

space and silence in his relaxed elegant delivery to increase

the drama, a man who had been rolled over by history and was

now simply trying to enjoy an absurdly lucky situation.

At the time that he war enticed out of retirement to make

the album, Mr. Ferrer was living on a small state pension and

shining shoes in Havana for extra money.

He was not interested in recording anymore; he had retired

from singing in 1991.

``An angel came and picked me up and said, `Chico, come and

do this record,' ``he said in 1998. ``I didn't want to do it,

because I had given up on music.''

Born in 1927 at a social club dance in the eastern city of

Santiago de Cuba--his mother went into labor on a night out--

Mr. Ferrer's first professional involvement with music came

at age 13, a year after he became an orphan, when he joined a

band, Los Jovenes del Son.

Later he sang with groups that included Conjunto Sorpresa,

the Orquesta Chepin Choven (with which he had a local hit,

``El Platanal de Bartolo,'' in 1955) and the Beny More

orchestra, with which he was a background vocalist; in 1953

he began working with Pacho Alonso's band, Maravilla de

Beltran, in Santiago. The band later moved from Santiago to

Havana and called itself Los Bocucos.

For most of his career Mr. Ferrer generally sang uptempo

numbers, guarachas and sones, not the slow romantic boleros,

even though he loved them. But his chance finally came on

``The Buena Vista Social Club,'' when Mr. Cooder and Juan de

Marcos Gonzalez, the album's musical director, persuaded him

to sing songs like ``Dos Gardenias,'' which he had learned

decades before when singing with More.

In 1998, the Cuban Egrem label released ``Tierra

Caliente,'' an album of older songs he had made with Los

Bocucos. In 1999 the British World Circuit label (with

Nonesuch in the United States) released Mr. Ferrer's first

solo album, and in 2003 his second, ``Buenos Hermanos''; both

were produced by Mr. Cooder. In ``Buenos Hermanos'' Mr.

Cooder took more artistic liberties, stirring the very un-

Cuban accordion and the gospel singing group the Blind Boys

of Alabama into the mix.

Though by this time he was in his 70's, Mr. Ferrer won a

Latin Grammy for Best New Artist in 2000. ``Buenos Hermanos''

won a Grammy for Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album of

2003, but Mr. Ferrer was denied a visa to enter the United

States for the awards ceremony last year.

His last performance in New York was in April 2003. He was

on a European tour in the week leading up to his death.

Mr. Ferrer is survived by his wife, Caridad Diaz, 6

children, 14 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren, Ms.

Romero said.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the tremendous contributions that Jamaican Americans have made to our society and to join with them in celebrating their 43rd anniversary of independent rule on August 6, 2005.

Jamaicans have been immigrating to the United States for centuries and have undeniably left their mark on cities throughout our Nation. Their contributions can be seen at the center of our neighborhoods and industries, everywhere from New York to California. They are skilled business people, engineers, doctors, lawyers, and have produced some of our Nation's greatest leaders including former Secretary of State, General Colin Powell, and basketball star Patrick Ewing.

Despite the many challenges that this group has faced both in Jamaica and the U.S. they continue to hold fast to the Jamaican spirit of perseverance and continue in an extraordinary way to defy the odds. Theirs is a history of an effort that while marked with a host of successes and some failures, just like all nations, has shown that Jamaica is in a much better position today than when it became the first English-speaking Caribbean nation to assume the responsibility of nationhood.

Jamaica's record has proven that a relatively small but powerful nation can take charge of its own affairs and be a vital and vibrant member of the international community. Instead of tearing itself apart as other developing and developed nations have done, Jamaica and Jamaicans have held firm through thick and thin.

Having earned its place among the best-known developing countries at the United Nations, whether in international diplomacy, culture or excellence in sports Jamaica has been able to move far forward. Today, its people enjoy some of the longest life spans in the Western Hemisphere, about 74 years, poverty has dropped dramatically in recent years, educational opportunities continue to escalate, demonstrating the nation's commitment to invest in its people's future.

Jamaica has come so very far in the last 43 years and I look forward to its continued growth and prosperity in the future. Jamaica and Jamaicans will always hold a special place in my heart. It is impossible to imagine New York or Harlem without the contributions of Jamaicans. They are an ever-present and important part of our community from whom a great deal of our Nation's diversity is derived.

I would like to submit the following statement from Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson to commemorate this historic occasion.

Independence Day Message From the Most Hon. P.J. Patterson, ON, PC, QC,

MP Prime Minister

August 6, 2005

My Fellow Jamaicans:

Every year at this time we pause to reflect on the progress

we have made as a people in this great country we call home.

In our National Anthem, we ask for the blessings and guidance

of the Eternal Father on this land.

We know so well that God helps those who help themselves,

but that none but ourselves can free our minds. We realize

that it is by our own efforts we can rid ourselves not only

from the obstacles of the past, but also dissipate the

inertia that would prevent us from overcoming present

difficulties. We have to create our own path to the future of

which we dream--the future which we would want our children

and their children to inherit.

More and more we have come to appreciate that Independence

is not simply a single event that took place in August 1962

but a process which allows us to build a nation for

ourselves.

Our Founding Fathers based the pursuit of Independence on

the firm conviction that we can be the creators of our own

destiny. In this changed, and still rapidly changing world of

this twenty-first century, it becomes even more urgent that

we hold on to that conviction.

We are, after all, a people of proven grit and resilience

whether we reside at home or abroad. We must use these

attributes to creatively explore our potential and the

opportunities that exist for economic, social and spiritual

growth and development. To do otherwise, is a defiance of

commonsense and a devaluation of the gift of life we have

been given.

Fellow Jamaicans:

You have a right to expect from your leaders and the

society at large: proper healthcare; affordable housing; a

sound education that can facilitate and ease the journey

from childhood to adulthood.

You are right to expect opportunities for gainful

employment which is sustained and adequate to meet the

vicissitudes of life.

And it is right that you should want to have the assurance

of individual safety and collective security since all such

rights herald the great freedoms from hunger, from ignorance,

from disease and from fear.

But none of these can be achieved without the strategic

alliances we must make between each other with all the

caring, trust and compassion that a civilized society demands

of all who inhabit it.

Forty three years in the life of a nation is short compared

to the four and more centuries of degradation and

deprivation. Through the struggles, the wisdom, foresight and

example of our Founding Fathers, we have developed, and

continue to develop, even greater self-esteem and self-

confidence.

We have seen over the years that, despite the challenges

and inherited disadvantages, we are not only fit to rule

ourselves but also able to make a remarkable contribution on

the regional and international stage.

In today's competitive global economy comparative advantage

rests on intellectual skills and the mastery of technology.

It is for this reason, that I have been stressing the

importance of investing in our human resources--in

ourselves--through education.

Today, education is the most effective means of shaping

values, attitudes, behaviours and skills. Education is the

key driver of economic transformation. It is our solemn

responsibility to equip the future generation with the

thinking skills that will assure their individual growth and

development and the creation of a habitable society.

It is for this reason, that I have been stressing the

importance of investing in our human resources--in our young

students and adults--through education and training.

To do so, we are harnessing the resources to create an

education system that is viable and relevant in the global

marketplace.

The challenge is immense!

It is indeed a challenge for all Jamaicans: civil society;

our private sector; the Church; the family in whatever form;

our energetic and talented youth population; our workers and

their trade unions; and, of course, our elected

representatives.

Let us view ourselves as custodians of our nation's

resources which we must invest in a broader purpose--the

betterment of all our people.

This is a time for both celebration and renewal.

On this 43rd anniversary of our Independence, I once again

summon every Jamaican in town or country, at home or

overseas, to re-commit yourselves to giving to this our

beloved country the loyalty, caring, dedication it so richly

deserves from us all.

I wish everyone a peaceful and reflective Independence.

May God bless us all and bless Jamaica, this beautiful land

we love.

Mr. Speaker, on August 17th a very important occasion will be observed--the 118th birthday of Marcus Garvey. Marcus Garvey is widely considered a monumental figure in world and American history. In the 1920's, his message of unity, cultural pride, and self-sufficiency inspired millions of people around the world.

In this country, Garvey's message of pride in heritage and identification with African roots inspired African Americans at a time when we were oppressed by the impact of slavery and segregation. The Harlem based movement he started with the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) during the early 1900's is still the largest that the modern Black world has ever seen.

His efforts would be a major impetus in the later movements that would free black peoples from the shackles of colonization and legalized discrimination. Indeed, his life and philosophy were embraced by influential Black leaders of the 20th century such as Kwame Nkrumah, Malcom X, and Martin Luther King. He is a national hero of almost mythic proportions in his native Jamaica, and was an inspiration for the Rastafarian movement in Jamaica during the 20th century. Indeed, his praises have been sung in reggae songs up to the present day.

Despite his future impact, the America in which he lived was a much different place then it is today. African Americans did not have rights, and were expected to accept their inequitable position in society. Many became threatened by the size and implications of Marcus Garvey's movement, and he soon became the target of significant government harassment, led by a young J. Edgar Hoover. Eventually, Mr. Garvey was convicted on a single charge of mail fraud--a charge that experts agree was spurious.

Marcus Garvey has been an inspiration to me since I was a child. I was born, raised, and still live in Harlem, where Garvey established the Headquarters for the Universal Negro Improvement Association. Though I was born three years after Garvey was, deported from the United States, his imprint on Harlem was still evident throughout my childhood and adolescence. I often met followers of Garvey's movement, known as Garveyites, who would preach his philosophy. Their words encouraged me to do my own research. As I grew older, I came to fully understand the importance of Garvey and the injustice of his wrongful conviction.

Since 1987, I have endeavored to restore the good name of Marcus Garvey, and my effort is continuing in the 109th Congress. I now have the support of an ever-increasing number of individuals, organizations, constituencies and legislators. Cities from Hartford, Connecticut to Lauderhill, Florida have passed resolutions calling for Mr. Garvey's exoneration, and Rep. Rangel's current Marcus Garvey resolution, H. Con. Res. 57, has garnered the most House support since it was first introduced in 1987.

A Presidential pardon is the final and most important step in restoring the good name of Marcus Garvey and preserving his legacy for future generations. To that end, I sent an official request to President Bush this week urging the granting of a posthumous Presidential pardon to Marcus Garvey. It is my hope that President Bush will take the time to investigate the merits of my request, as such consideration on behalf of Marcus Garvey is long overdue. I will also attend a ceremony in St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica--the birthplace of Marcus Garvey--in August, to commemorate the 118th anniversary of Mr. Garvey's birth.

We here in the House recently passed a resolution, H. Con. Res. 175, which acknowledged African descendants of the transatlantic slave trade in all of the Americas and recommended that the United States and the

international community work to improve the situation of Afro- descendants in our hemisphere. That was one of the goals of Marcus Garvey--the improvement of Afro-descendents. As we continue to make progress on that front, we must continue to remember Marcus Garvey, and restore to him the honor which he deserves.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join in the Caribbean celebration of the 167th anniversary of their emancipation from slavery, which was achieved on August 1, 1838. This day of celebration and love for freedom is commemorated by the former British colonies in the Caribbean in appreciation of their collective independence. No longer were the inhabitants of Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, or the rest of the West Indies held in bondage as slaves in their homeland. No longer were they unjustly enchained at the hands of the European colonists.

Emancipation Day in the Caribbean is akin to Juneteenth Day for African-Americans. It is a time to recognize and celebrate our independence and freedom. Emancipation Day provided the Caribbean people with opportunities to direct and control their daily lives and to live and strive for greater independence.

I have long believed that the struggles for freedom of African- Americans and Afro-Carib-beans were connected. Slavery and injustice have been our common experience. Slavery drew lines between slaves and masters that would be difficult to break. We--African-Americans and Afro-Caribbeans--still struggle with breaking those barriers, stereotypes, and misperceptions that are the vestiges of the transatlantic slave trade. The major difference is the history and mechanisms at our disposal for the erosion of these ill effects.

For Afro-Caribbeans, Emancipation Day has emerged as an important reminder of their struggle and a significant enforcer of their dreams to be a better people. It is a reminder of their strength, determination, and willpower in fighting against their oppressor.

There is a famous story in the Caribbean that I like to tell around this time. It is about a young lady who was brought to the shores of Jamaica to work as a slave by the British in the early 1700s. Like the Caribbean countries themselves, her roots were African. Her name was likely Ashanti as she hailed from that great African kingdom, but upon arriving she was stripped of her given name and was known among her fellow slaves simply as ``Nanny.'' The lost of name, heritage, and history is a practice that has long afflicted Africans in the Americas as a result of the brutal and tragic transatlantic slave trade.

While slavery existed outright in the Caribbean until 1834, and then under the name of ``apprenticeship'' until 1838, Nanny resisted it at every opportunity. Soon, after her arrival in Jamaica, she displayed that Caribbean proclivity for cutting her own path and escaped from her master's plantation with her five brothers. Granny Nanny of the Maroons, as she is popularly referred to today, traveled around the countryside organizing free Africans in the towns of Portland, St. James, and St. Elizabeth. She eventually established Nanny Town and based the community's governance on the Ashanti society. She held fast to her culture and incorporated into her new world.

Nanny was small and wiry, like many of the Caribbean nations. She was also singularly focused in her pursuit of self-determination. The vast British military presence on the island launched numerous attacks on Nanny and her comrades, hoping to force them back into slavery. For nearly 20 years, Nanny evaded the British and withstood their aggressions. She placed guards at lookout points, sent spies to live among the slave populations, and ordered her fighters to dress like trees and bushes to avoid detection. Slave resistance and rebellions were not just an American phenomenon.

In 1737, the British offered Nanny a truce. The maroons would be given land and rights as free men, but only if they promised to help capture and return runaway slaves, assist the government in putting down revolts, and cease their battles with the British. Their alternative would be to continue in their campaign against the massive British military, pitting 800 former slaves against the strongest army in the world at the time.

To proud, determined, and resourceful Nanny, this was an easy decision. She flatly turned down the British offer. Her freedom and the freedom of her people could not be bought. It would not be traded. It would not be negotiated away. She fought to her dying breath for that freedom and remains a powerful legend and force in the Caribbean today.

In that same vein, the nations of the Caribbean will not and have not wavered from their commitment to freedom. Go to Barbados, Nevis, the Bahamas, Antigua, Barbuda, Montserrat, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent, Grenada and St. Lucia. There you will find the tales of Granny Nanny and her fight for freedom.

For centuries, the people of these countries refused to accept colonialism and fought stubbornly for their freedom in hideaways in cities, mountains, and forests. In 1838, the British gave up and emancipated the peoples of the Caribbean. The love of the Caribbean people for their freedom and the strength of majesties, like Granny Nanny, was too much to overcome.

When I think of the importance of Caribbean Emancipation Day, I think of the struggle and actions of individuals like Granny Nanny of the Maroons, the hero who typifies the spirit of these great nations. They remind me of American warriors such as Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman. Caribbean Emancipation Day belongs to the people of the Caribbean, but the celebration is truly an African celebration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to draw attention to the crisis taking place now in the nation of Niger. Niger is currently facing one ofthe worst hunger crises in its history following severe drought and the country's worst locust invasion in 15 years.

The World Food Program maintains that 3.6 million of Niger's 11.5 million people face food shortages, while 2.5 million are on the brink of starvation. Some families are trying to survive by eating leaves and wild roots. The most vulnerable are young children, with 800,000 ``at risk'', according to WFP. Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) reports that 10-15 are dying every week.

The United Nations' initial efforts to address the food crisis have been severely hindered by the slow response of the international community. It first alerted the international community to Niger's food shortages in November 2004. Subsequent appeals in March and May were both left unfulfilled. By July 2005 its $30.7 million appeal had still not been fully funded. Government officials in Niger and international aid workers say a slow response from donor countries to months of appeals has allowed the situation to spiral to emergency status.

Recent images coming from Niger over the last few days, along with increased calls from media and aid groups, has elicited an international response. Desperately needed food aid is now starting to get into the hands of the people, but more is needed. The U.S. announced on Tuesday, that it would be sending $7 million of food related assistance to the region, in addition to $1.6 million in emergency assistance it gave in May, and $4.6 million in overall 2005 assistance.

While this is welcomed, the slow pace of the response is cause for concern, especially after the Bush Administration announced in June that it would allocate $674.4 million in emergency food aid to Africa in 2005. Aid experts have asserted that the cost per person of addressing the Niger crisis has increased nearly 100 fold because of the delay in assistance.

Unfortunately, the situation in Niger had to deteriorate to a point where the world was again seeing emaciated children on the brink of death before it acted. This simply cannot continue to happen if we are to end the unnecessary occurrence of famine. Indeed, leaders in the field of humanitarian assistance are asking for a shift in the way that the world responds to such challenges.

A July 26th article in USA Today entitled ``Aid Workers Say Niger Crisis Illustrates Need For Reform'', includes the opinions of Clare Godfrey, head of humanitarian advocacy for the aid group Oxfam.

Ms. Godfrey argues that the United Nations should establish a $1 billion emergency famine relief fund to quickly respond to potential famine crises at the very first signs of trouble. Such a system would be much more cost effective, and prevent the unnecessary loss of life that we have seen in Niger. Ms. Godfrey further argues that such a mechanism could be agreed to at the upcoming U.N. Summit in September.

One could also argue that the famine fund approach may be a more efficient use of the $674.4 million in African emergency food aid which President Bush pledged in June. All one can say for sure is that the current international response to famine crises is inadequate--the people of Niger can attest to that.

[From USA Today, July 26, 2005]

Aid Workers Say Niger Crisis Illustrates Need for Reform

(By Francis Temman)

London--Repeated U.N. appeals for money for Niger to save

starving children were not answered until the situation

became desperate, showing why the world needs to change the

way it responds to humanitarian crises, aid workers say.

Donations have jumped dramatically in the last week because

of increased media attention and TV images of the famine,

U.N. humanitarian chief Jan Egeland has said.

Mike Kiernan, a spokesman for Save the Children USA, said

children are especially vulnerable when food is in short

supply, so the world must respond quickly.

``We believe that governments and the United Nations must

and can do more to help protect children in every stage of a

humanitarian esponse,'' Kiernan said Tuesday.

A key, he said, was mobilizing public opinion. He said Save

the Children had seen an extraordinary response from

Americans to appsals made on its behalf by actor Brad Pitt

for another African country, Ethiopia.

John O'Shea, chief executive of the Irish aid agency Goal,

said one way of shocking the world into action might be for

the United Nations to declare itself incapable of responding.

He said the international community too often sits back and

expects the United Nations to act as its ``fire brigade''--

which ``it isn't.''

``It's a collection of organizations, some good, some

reasonably good, some bureaucratic, some full of corruption,

some wasteful,'' O'Shea said. ``The bottom line is they are

not doing the job.''

The United Nations first appealed for help for Niger in

November and got almost no response. A March appeal for $16

million got about $1 million. A May 25 plea for $30.7 million

has received $7.6 million--about 25 percent of the amount

requested'' U.N. officials say.

The British aid agency Oxfam said the United Nations should

instead have a $1 billion emergency fund to draw on when it

sees situations like the one in Niger developing.

Oxfam said the emergency fund should be adopted at a summit

in September at which U.N. states are to consider proposed

reforms.

``It's a real opportunity to change things around . . . how

the world responds to crises like Niger,'' Clare Godfrey,

Oxfam's head of humanitarian advocacy, said in an interview.

If the fund had been in place in November when the U.N.

first pleaded for help for Niger, the money could have been

drawn from it immediately, Godfrey said.

Hilary Benn, Britain's Cabinet minister for international

aid, proposed such a fund last year, Godfrey said.

``The Nigers of the world won't happen again if there's

commitment behind the rhetoric,'' Godfrey said.

Mr. Speaker, August 31st marks the 43rd anniversary of the independence of Trinidad and Tobago. The Caribbean nation gained independence from Great Britain in 1962, and has since gone on to become prosperous and influential member of our hemisphere, and a loyal ally to the United States.

Trinidad is a country of immense ethnic diversity. People of African, East Indian, European, Chinese, and even Middle Eastern descent coexist peacefully on this island of over 1.3 million. Many of Trinidad's citizens have migrated to the United States over the years, and have established sizable communities in many cities around the country, especially in the New York City area. This community has given much to our Nation by their presence.

Trinidad has also given much to the United States in other ways. The country hosted thousands of U.S. servicemen during World War II, and the immediate post-war years. Several U.S. bases were stationed on the island, and the U.S. presence left a deep imprint on the culture and character of Trinidad, which is still evident today. The era also exposed a generation of Americans to the beautiful island nation and its wonderful Calypso music. This exposure spurred an influx of American tourists to the island over the next half century. Today, Trinidad is major U.S. tourist destination, as are many other locales in the Caribbean.

In addition, Trinidad and Tobago has positioned itself as a significant component of America's energy supply over the last few years. Already an important regional exporter of crude oil, Trinidad is now the leading exporter of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) in the Western Hemisphere. After 9-11, the U.S. sought to find energy sources beyond the Middle East and Persian Gulf. Additionally, rising gas prices, and increasing domestic shortages increased U.S. demand for LNG.

Trinidad has impressively stepped in to fill that demand. In 1999, Trinidad exported about 50 billion cubic feet of LNG to the U.S., accounting for only 31 percent of total U.S. LNG imports.

By 2003, Trinidad was the leading exporter of Liquid Natural Gas to the United States, totaling nearly 400 billion cubic feet, or 75 percent of all U.S. LNG imports. These numbers are projected to further increase over the next decade.

More than anything, however, the most important factor in the U.S./ Trinidad relationship will be the genuine respect and admiration we hold for one another. As for Trinidad itself, the future looks bright. During his 1962 Independence Day Speech to the nation, Dr. Eric Williams, the first Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, asserted that the ``strength of the Nation depends on the strength of its citizens''. Based on that criteria Trinidad is a strong nation indeed, and I wish a Happy Independence Day to her and her citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to share with my colleagues a wonderful meeting I had this morning with a group of bright, engaged, and active young Dominican Americans from the Dominican American National Roundtable, an organization which is becoming increasingly recognized for its advocacy on behalf of the Dominican American community. Today, the inaugural group of its Dominican Leadership Institute--all young men and women attending some of the best colleges in this Nation--visited my office to discuss their views on a variety of important issues facing this country today. From immigration to education, we had a lively thoughtful exchange about the future and direction of this Nation and ways that they can get involved and make an impact on this country.

In 2005, the Dominican American National Roundtable joined with the Coca-Cola Bottling Company and the Bert Corona Leadership Institute to host the Dominican Leadership Institute. The program is designed to expose college students to the range of opportunities and skills needed for the next generation of Dominican American leaders. The Leadership Institute trains, empowers, and motivates these future leaders in the research, command and advocacy of important issues facing the Nation and, specifically, Dominican Americans.

This inaugural class of the Dominican Leadership Institute includes Edwin Zambrano, Nassar Fand Mufdi Ruiz, Pablo Rodriguez, Ysaira C. Paulino F., Bethsaida George John A. Meche, Amaris Guzman, Evelyn Ng Duran, Suhaly Bautista, Natalie C. Archibald, Karla Acevedo, and Arlenis Almonte. These students and future leaders have been exposed to the challenges of leadership, the need for innovation and creativity, and the importance of civil engagement in the political system.

During their visit to my office, we spoke about the need for a more humane and effective immigration policy, the challenges in integrating new citizens into the country, the problems of the modem family in major urban communities, and the need for a really fair trade policy. They were thoroughly knowledgeable of the topics and presented ideas and suggestions that would be quite useful to this chamber.

I was impressed by the civility, awareness and thoughtfulness of this group. They approach each issue with a determination for justice and an ear for understanding. They were articulate about their views and thoughts and shared with me their life experiences and their reasons for wanting change. While we seldom disagreed on the policy implications of the concerns they raised, I was also impressed by their willingness to hear and sympathetically comprehend all sides on each issue. This group clearly represents a promising future for the leadership of the Dominican American community and our Nation.

However, I was a bit disappointed to hear about a disturbing experience of these bright champions of change in the offices of the House. As intelligent young Americans of Dominican origin concerned about the welfare of their families and other citizens of the Dominican Republic, they rightfully were opposed to CAFTA and met another group of people who supported the bill in the Longworth Cafeteria where they were having lunch yesterday. When they initially asked the supporters about their support, they received information about the background of CAFTA. When they expressed their awareness of the trade bill and opposition to it, the supporters became rude and hostile to them and would no longer explain their rationale. This was a grand opportunity for an exchange of ideas, a meeting of the minds, but it failed, and it failed shamefully.

While unsettling, this experience did not deter these young Dominican Americans from their commitment to highlight the issues of importance to them. It is a shame, Mr. Speaker, when students cannot come to their House and freely, comfortably, debate the issues of the day. This should be a place for open debate, a free exchange of ideas, and a respect for different and diverse opinions. I am glad these young men and women were not deterred by this instance; this is another example of their considerable maturity, comprehension of the issues, and respect for their fellow Americans.

I am grateful to have had such an opportunity to exchange views with such young outstanding Americans. I encourage them to continue in their diligence, dedication, and search for the truth. I look forward to seeing them in the future and to knowing of their success and the great contributions they will make in their professional careers to this Nation. I urge my colleagues to find ways to reach out to the Dominican American National Roundtable and obtain information on how you can recruit members of this group for internships in your congressional office. These students are bright, motivated, and promising. All they need to reach their great potential is opportunities for exposure to the policymaking and legislative process. And you will find that your exposure to this fine group of Americans will be thoroughly rewarding and insightful.

I submit to the Record a copy of the statement that this group presented to me on their policy recommehdations for this Congress. It is important that we carefully consider the thoughts of our young people.

We represent the Dominican community as members of the

Dominican American National Roundtable (DANR), and we are

before you today to discuss issues that affect our community

and to propose a number of solutions.

Education

In order to allow the United States' economy to prosper, we

propose that Congress pass the Development, Relief, and

Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act due to its potential

to increase the country's economy by the work of those future

taxpayers.

In order to decrease the poverty level, we propose that

Congress pass the DREAM Act so that it may increase the

quality of life for those who are young and undocumented in

the United States.

In addition, we support the Equal and High Quality

Educational Amendment to the Constitution because the law

would create and sustain high standards in all the schools

within the Nation.

Health Care

We propose that Congress provide programs and services that

may educate people on obtaining healthcare and create

reasonable qualifications for those who are underprivileged.

We recommend that Congress provide free, complete, and

quality healthcare for children under the age of eighteen

(18). Furthermore, we request that adequate health

information be provided by local clinics and health

professionals regarding issues of teen pregnancy and sexually

transmitted diseases to their communities.

We propose that Congress internally restructure and

organize Medicaid and Medicare so that private specialists

will accept public healthcare.

Quality of Life

We propose that Congress counter the inevitable effects of

gentrification (i.e., displacement due to the higher priced

housing in our neighborhoods) by establishing Community Land

Trusts, where the residents would own the buildings they live

in and a non-profit neighborhood membership organization

would own the land under the buildings. These Trusts would

uphold living and maintenance standards and, more

importantly, would safeguard low-income communities.

We propose that Congress provide ample funding to Community

Centers within these neighborhoods in order to educate the

residents as to this new protection, and to provide

educational and extracurricular opportunities.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and praise the immigrant contribution to the United States. To say that immigration is a driving force in the American economy is to make an understatement. According to the 2005 Economic Report of the President immigration is shown as being a key to the growth of the labor force and has cemented the traditional belief that immigrants provide a positive net fiscal benefit to the American economy. Current governmental policies toward immigration, however, don't reflect the Report's findings.

Facts now point to the fact that today, 23 percent of the population is either foreign-born or children of someone who is. According to the most recent census, over 34 million people living in the U.S. were born outside of the U.S. with most of those coming from Latin America, about 25 percent hailing from Asia, nearly 15 percent from Europe and 8 percent coming from elsewhere including primarily Africa. Another 30 million are ``second generation'' Americans with one or both parents having been born elsewhere.

Immigrants play a vital role in American society. They are found in diverse occupations ranging from construction work and cooks to computer programmers and medical doctors. Their impact on American society can be seen in everything from musical icons such as Jennifer Lopez to our affinity for exotic cuisine.

It is the contributions of this wide and varying group that give America its diversity. Immigrants are our next-door neighbors, friends and colleagues. They are hardworking and diligent members of our society, who live, work, and pay U.S. taxes. In New York State alone, undocumented workers pay more than $1 billion in taxes a year.

Although it is true that we have unemployment among American citizens, we also have labor shortages, for example agricultural workers. Immigrants generally fill those jobs, which American citizens simply do not want to take.

America's continued economic growth requires a steady flow of immigration. It almost always has and will in the future, perhaps more than at any time in the past. Therefore, rather than placing up barriers we should embrace and celebrate the contributions of immigrants to our society.

I introduce in the Record an article from July 19, NYCarib reporting on the economic benefits of immigrant labor.

Immigrants and Melting Pot Economics--The Flow of Foreigners Into U.S.

Boost But Don't Imperil the Nation

(By Tony Best)

Call it a lesson in ``the melting pot economics 101,''

facts and figures that underscore an important reality of

American society: immigration is a key element in the

rejuvenation and the prosperity of the country.

Just as important, it's an essential cog in the economic

wheel.

The latest data published by the U.S. Census Bureau not

only showed that the United States is in the throes of what

could be best described as a significant transformation of

its demographic profile but that many of the claims the

nativists are erroneous and that if their goals became

nation's policy, they would be imperiling America's economic

vitality.

``For those of us who believe that the melting pot is a

vital and unique feature of American society, this finding

that the new immigrants are integrating into our modern

economy is highly re-assuring,'' stated Stephen Moore, a

member of the Wall Street Journal's editorial board.

``Even more encouraging is the knowledge that a generous

immigration policy can co-exist with high rates of economic

growth and low unemployment,'' he added in an OpEd commentary

in the major business daily paper.'' The nativists have

gotten this story wrong for at least the past 20 years;

perhaps it would be wise to stop listening to them.''

We couldn't agree.

But what do the Census figures and other data show us that

we may not have known before?

Here are some of the numbers that support the above

contention:

Between 1980 and 2002, about 20 million immigrants entered

the United States, most of them coming from the Caribbean,

Asia and Central America.

The foreign-born now account for about 12 percent of the

country's population, up from 6.2 per cent in 1980.

Housing and financial assets have grown four-fold in the

past two decades, a time of great expansion of wealth and

skyrocketing immigration.

As more and more people arrived, the unemployment rate

declined between 1980-82. Joblessness among Blacks dropped by

six per cent and Hispanics almost four per cent in the last

20 years.

The U.S. has been a leader in the industrialized world when

it came to immigration, integrating twice the number of

immigrants than other wealthy nations.

Median real family income rose about a fifth, going to

$52,000 today. People at the bottom of the economic ladder

have seen their median income jump as well between 1980-2000.

Immigrants in the U.S. for less than three years have a

jobless rate of just eight percent but that rate fall to 6.7

percent after living here for a decade and 6 percent after 20

years.

The foreign born who recently landed on U.S. shores have a

median family income of slightly less than $32,000 while

those persons who arrived in the 1990's have incomes that

surpass $38,000. If you had arrived in the early 1980's then

chances are the income is in the vicinity of $38,395.

According to Dr. Richard Vedde, a labor economist at Ohio

University, the states with the highest levels of immigration

had the lowest levels of unemployment.

What then do we learn from the data?

The lessons are obvious.

While it is true that immigrants go up against American

workers for their jobs in certain industries, such as driving

taxis, working in textile mills and serving as field hands in

the agricultural sector, ``there is no evidence,'' said

Moore, that ``on a macro-level,'' that immigrants suppress

wages because native born Americans have left too many of

those jobs for better paying tasks any how.

The numbers also allay the fears of Blacks and Hispanics

that immigrants take away their jobs. For as the foreign born

population expanded, the nation's unemployment rate fell from

7.3 percent to 5.1 percent over 20 years. Black unemployment

also slumped as the immigrant numbers expanded.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to an outstanding American actor, civil rights advocate, and highly regarded humanitarian--Ossie Davis. Throughout his distinguished career as an actor, he was simultaneously an activist who utilized the platform his celebrity status gave him to advocate for opportunity and justice for all Americans.

Ossie Davis passed away almost six months ago, leaving behind a legacy of determination, pride, and caring that will long be remembered and will continue to be an inspiration to all who were privileged to know him. Upon hearing of his death, I was deeply saddened but remembered his rich legacy of activism and leadership.

Ossie Davis fully participated in and led the great movements for civil rights and justice in

this nation in the 1960s. As the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and school desegregation threatened to divide our nation, Ossie stepped forward as a champion of integration, equality, and civil rights. From the Broadway stage to the motion picture screen to the streets where injustice lay, Ossie Davis was there to demand that each and every person be treated as an equal, as a brother. With his deep voice that spoke from wisdom and experience, he would discuss the challenges to the attainment of equal treatment and fairness that is the constitutionally mandated birthright of every citizen born in this great country. He would discuss how to achieve that level of equality and would challenge those around him to aid in his crusade.

Ossie Davis was selected to be the speaker at the first annual Congressional Black Caucus dinner, I recall, because we wanted to have someone who, as a celebrity and a highly respected civil rights leader, would be both entertaining and inspirational. Ossie, in a speech that is still remembered and quoted today, set us on a course to sustain the achievements of the civil rights era and to build upon them. He exceeded our collective expectations.

Ossie was one of the noblest individuals I knew. He lived a life of dignity and pride that was so exemplary that one wanted to emulate him. In his chosen profession of acting, he was a true legend that used his position to advance positive images of the Black male and to challenge those who would accept the subjugation of an entire group based on their race. He has a history of over one hundred films, plays, television series, and other productions that cover the range of experiences of the Black male in America today.

Ossie who was always working, always raising important issues, left us in the film on which he was working at the time of his death, an inspiring story that serves as a metaphor for the struggle by African- Americans for equality of opportunity and inclusion. We are fortunate in the Harlem community to have Ossie's film to screen as a highlight of our celebration of Harlem Week.

The movie Proud, which was released two months after his death, is a heroic story about an all-Black crew on the U.S. warship Mason during World War II. Ossie and his fellow cast members tell the important story of how the War and a segregated Navy changed them. True to his nature, Ossie Davis made this experience a personal investment in the struggle for justice and equality in Black America for his audience. This movie allows Ossie one last opportunity to tell the story of Black America in this country. It is also our last opportunity to witness this great man in action.

I submit for the Record the press release announcing the movie and describing how it came to be made. I look forward to attending the screening of Proud in my community next week and encourage everyone to take time out and see this wonderful film.

[From THEntertainment, April 18, 2005]

Press Release ``PROUD''

(Written/Directed by Mary Pat Kelly)

(Produced by Ally Hilfiger)

New York.--The late Ossie Davis completes a final mission

when the THEntertainment film ``Proud,'' which will screen at

the Tribeca Film Festival, April 23rd, is released by Castle

Hill Productions in the New York, Washington and Los Angeles

Magic Johnson Theatres during Memorial Day weekend.

Ossie Davis, a WWII veteran himself, not only stars in the

film, but had taken a personal interest since becoming aware

of this true adventure of the USS Mason in 1995. The men of

the USS Mason were the only African-American sailors to take

a navy warship into combat in WWII. Like Ossie Davis, they

served in a segregated military, but found strength in the

midst of struggles against racism from their camaraderie and

pride in their own excellence.

Ossie Davis' character, Lorenzo DuFau, passes the story of

his time on the Mason on to his grandson (Albert Jones) and

two friends, who then become the 1940's sailors in a dramatic

movie that depicts the events of the men's service on the USS

Mason. As a destroyer escort, the men shepherded convoys

across a perilous Atlantic infested with Nazi U-boats. They

faced the storm of the century and were instrumental in

saving a convoy. In spite of enduring racist incidents in a

segregated Navy, they found an unexpected welcome in Northern

Ireland. In ``Proud'' Stephen Rea plays the Derry man who

welcomes them and Darnell Williams is the war correspondent,

Thomas Young, who traveled with the Mason.

Tommy Hilfiger's attention was first attracted by the book

and documentary done by Mary Pat Kelly, but he felt the story

should be a dramatic feature if it were to reach a wide

audience.

The events of 9/11 convinced him to finance the film

himself. ``We need our heroes,'' he said.

Hilfiger's daughter, Ally, became the producer and Mary Pat

Kelly the writer/director. Ossie Davis was the first to sign

on. ``He blessed the movie with his presence,'' said Kelly

and Hilfiger.

Ossie Davis attended a test screening of ``Proud'' in

Washington, DC, with his grandson, Jamal Day, who plays

trumpet on the movie score. Davis wore his USS Mason ball cap

and told the audience he wore it all the time so interviewers

would ask about it and he could tell them about the film.

Davis died of natural causes in Miami Beach, Florida on

February 4, 2005. He had intended to help promote the film.

``We're pleased that those who admired Ossie Davis will see

him in a role that so embodies his own life as an artist and

activist,'' said Kelly.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the Fortieth anniversary of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965. This historic piece of legislation has helped significantly to restore and secure the voting rights of all Americans.

The 40-year legacy of the Voting Rights Act, which will be celebrated in a major national march and demonstration in Atlanta in which I will participate, on August 6, 2005, stems from the hard-won victories of the non-violent Civil Rights Movement. During the modern Civil Rights Movement, Blacks fought against the systematic and social oppressions of segregation. Many blacks, especially in the South, were denied the very rights and privileges given and implied by the Constitution. The right to vote was no exception.

Full participation in government and society has been a basic right of the country symbolizing the full citizenship and equal protection of all. The right to vote played an important role in ending the oppressive environment of segregation. Because of this, many Black Americans protested and died for full access to a government and a promise of equal treatment that had been denied to them. This was especially exemplified on March 7, 1965, known as ``Bloody Sunday'', which ushered in this enactment.

As with the brutal murder of Emmett Till, ``Bloody Sunday'' reinforced the new consciousness about the plight of Black Americans in this country, especially in the South. Six hundred Civil Rights marchers marched from Selma, Alabama heading east in protest for their rights as citizens to vote. Six blocks later they were met by awaiting law enforcement and were severely beaten with billy clubs and bombed with tear gas. They were subsequently pushed back into Selma. Although this was seemingly a defeat for the progression of the Movement, the incident caught national attention, including that of President Lyndon Johnson.

On August 6, 1965, President Johnson introduced legislation, giving rise to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In an address to Congress, President Johnson supported this Act by saying ``At times, history and fate meet at a single time in a single place to shape a turning point in man's unending search for freedom . . . about this there can be and should be no argument. Every American citizen must have the right to vote.''

In subsequent years the VRA has been modified and evolved to include more and more disenfranchised groups. In 1970, Congress added provisions that extended the right to vote for 18 year olds. In 1975, provisions were added protecting the voting rights of citizens whose primary languages were of other languages. Lastly, the 1982 provisions created Congressional districts creating a more accessible minority voting pool. Through this, Congress has added amendments to the Act that support and secure the future of this most valuable tool for a true democracy.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was indeed a vital instrument of democracy, ensuring the integrity and reliability of a democratic process that we as a Country hold so dear.

As we shortly begin to rethink the questions of the previous provisions previously added to this Act in 2007, remember that our work does not end here. We must continue to uphold the basic principles and sentiments that created this most important and much needed body of legislation.

I submit this article from the current addition of the Carib News concerning the need and importance of securing further protections of the Voting Rights Act in 2007. It is evident, given the voting environment of the election of 2000, that there are still issues of denial that can compromise the voting rights of our constituents.

[From the Carib News]

The Voting Rights Act--Instrument Of Democracy

(By Marc H. Morial)

``While we have made progress and curtailed injustices

thanks to the Voting Rights Act, our work is not yet

complete. We cannot let discriminatory practices of the past

resurface to threaten future gains. The Voting Rights Act

must continue to exist in its current form.''

So said Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner, Republican, of

Wisconsin, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, in

a recent speech to the National Association for the

Advancement of Colored People at its annual convention in

Milwaukee.

We at the National Urban League couldn't agree more. We

made the renewal and strengthening of the Voting Rights Act

of 1965, which must be accomplished by 2007, a focus of our

recent annual Legislative Policy Conference in Washington,

and a top recommendation of our annual scholarly volume, The

State of Black America 2005.

And we've got plenty of company among the broad coalition

of civil rights groups-including the NAACP, the NAACP Legal

Defense Fund, RainbowPUSH, and such members of Congress as

Rep. John Conyers, of Michigan, the ranking Democrat on the

House Judiciary Committee, and the Congressional Black

Caucus--who've also long vigorously publicized the continuing

need for voting rights protections.

So, we welcome Rep. Sensenbrenner's vigorous expression of

support--which he said he'll soon back up with legislation--

and his bringing word that Speaker of the House, Dennis

Hastert, Republican, of Illinois, has put the renewal ``high

on list of issues the House will address this congress.''

Such words are further evidence that it's impossible to

overstate the Voting Rights Act's importance. For, by

granting the Federal government specific powers to ensure

that Americans of African descent in the South could register

to vote and vote, the Voting Rights Act made the word

``democracy'' an accurate description of American Society.

Its enactment was a hard-won victory for the nonviolent

Civil Rights Movement, one that had produced casualties in

the South literally up to the moment (and beyond) President

Lyndon Johnson personally introduced the legislation to

Congress on March 15, 1965--against the backdrop of the

Bloody Sunday'' beating of civil rights demonstrators in

Selma, Alabama to previous week.

His words then were equal to the moment: ``At times history

and fate meet at a single time in a single place to shape a

turning point in man's unending search for freedom,'' he

said. ``About this there can be and should be no argument.

Every American citizen must have the right to vote.''

With token opposition the law quickly passed the House and

the Senate and President Johnson signed it on August 6, 1965.

The political impact was immediate, according to Dianne

Pinderhughes, of the University of Illinois, who wrote about

the Voting Rights Act in the State of Black America 2005.

Within a year, more than 250,000 African Americans had

registered in the thirteen states covered under the Act; and

Mississippi, which had harbored the fiercest resistance to

civil rights for blacks, recorded the nation's highest black

voter turnout--74 percent.

A similar response in the other states ultimately produced

enormous growth in the number of blacks holding elective

office throughout the country--from about 350 in 1965 to more

than 1,400 just five years later. Now, there are more than

9,000 black elected officeholders, including 42 members of

Congress, according to the Joint Center for Political and

Economic Studies, a Washington, D.C. think tank.

In the intervening four decades the Act has been extended

three times, and new previsions added extending the right to

vote to 18-year-olds (1970), protecting the voting rights of

Spanish and other language speakers (1975), and most

contentious of all, allowing the creation of Congressional

districts in which the majority of voters would be members of

a minority group (1982).

The consequences of these amendments underscore the

powerful democratizing dynamic the Civil Rights Movement as a

whole injected into American Society.

Now, as the date for renewal looms, it's clear the Act is

still necessary. The vote-related controversies of the past

two presidential elections, which led to some significant

number of voters in some districts not being able to vote or

not having their votes counted have made that clear--as have

continuing debates regarding voter registration, the purging

of voter rolls, access to the polls and reliability of

election equipment, and the impact of state laws which bar

ex-felons and those on probation from voting.

Thus, Professor Pinderhughes concluded in The State of

Black America 2005, this new landscape ``demands that the

civil rights lobby educate its mass constituency and the

broader American public about these issues which are now

wreathed in complexity.''

That's another reason the NAACP invitation to

Representative Sensenbrenner and his speech to them are

noteworthy: they move us further toward the renewal of that

instrument of democracy, the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank all of my colleagues on the highway conference for including in the highway conference report a provision that would allow the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York, to apply for historic tax credits, notwithstanding their remaining two EDA grants from the Economic Development Administration.

As most of my colleagues know, the 1,500 seat Apollo Theater is truly ``where stars are born and legends are made.'' A historic landmark building, the Apollo was responsible for launching the careers of artists including Sarah Vaughn, Elle Fitzgerald, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Ray Charles and Luther Vandross, just to name a few. The Apollo is also an economic engine for the community with annual audiences of over 400,000 which generates almost $100 million annually to the local economy.

The 1914 Apollo building had begun to decay over the years and in the year 2000 the foundation began a capital campaign to make needed repairs and upgrades. The foundation has raised over $35 million from the public and private sectors to date.

The language included in the conference report on H.R. 3, will allow the Apollo Theater to capture other fundraising venues, including historic tax credits, notwithstanding the EDA grants numbered 01-01- 07308 and 01-01-07552. The language would release EDA from the perimeters of the two grants and thus allow the Apollo to complete the renovation.

Again, I thank my colleagues for their consideration and approval of this provision and I yield the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to draw attention to the ongoing struggles of our neighbors on the Caribbean island-nation of Grenada. Hurricane Emily recently struck the island causing significant structural damage to homes, as well as public and private buildings-- including two main hospitals. There was widespread flooding across the country, and many crops were destroyed. Damage from this storm alone is estimated at $110 million.

This most recent disaster is especially saddening when we consider what Grenada has gone through over the last year. In September of 2004, Hurricane Ivan devastated Grenada, causing nearly 50 deaths and displacing thousands more. A staggering 90 percent of the country's buildings were destroyed by the hurricane, and the nutmeg crop, which accounts for the overwhelming bulk of the country's export earnings, was almost completely destroyed. Nutmeg is a very slow-growing crop which makes its destruction that much more tragic.

The damage to Grenada from Hurricane Ivan was easily in the billions of dollars--several times more than the country's Gross Domestic Product. A July 26th article in the publication CaribNews entitled ``Grenada Needs All the Help It Can Get'', argues that the U.S. and the international community must do more to help Grenada. Indeed, Grenada has suffered serious economic repercussions following the destruction caused by Ivan.

Before Ivan, the economy of Grenada was projected to grow by 4.7 percent, but the island's economy instead contracted by nearly 3 percent in 2004. The economy was also projected to grow by at least 5 percent through 2007, but, as of 2005, that estimate had been lowered to less than 1 percent. The government of Grenada also has incurred an extremely high level of debt. While it is taking steps on its own to remedy the problem it will need help from the U.S. and organizations like the International Monetary Fund, IMF.

More than $150 million in disaster and reconstruction aid was sent to Grenada in 2004, including nearly $50 million from the United States, but the country is still in a very fragile state. The IMF reported that the economic situation could get much worse, due to deficiencies in donor financing and tax revenues, and the risk of increasing global oil prices.

With all that said, the U.S. must do all it can to help Grenada. The President was able to get Congress to pass the controversial CAFTA bill this week by arguing, among other things, that it would help the countries of Central America to develop. I hope that the President and this Congress will not forget our friends in the Caribbean, as they also need our assistance and attention. The plight of Grenada proves this, and calls out for our collective action.

[From the CaribNews, July 26, 2005]

Grenada Needs All the Help It Can Get

For the second time in less than a year Grenada, often

called the ``Spice Island'' of the Caribbean and a ``gem'' in

the region was hit hard by a devastating. hurricane.

Thank God it wasn't as bad as last year's tragedy.

Although the damage wasn't nearly as severe as last year's

havoc left in the wake of Hurricane Ivan, the pain and

troubles inflicted on the people, the government, business,

church and other institutions are much more than any single

country should be asked to bear.

That's why we join in the appeal by Dr. Keith Mitchell,

Grenada's Prime Minister for all the assistance, which the

United States, the Caribbean, the broad international

community, and the Caribbean Diaspora can offer.

When ``Ivan the terrible'' struck in 2004, it caused more

than $2 bi1lion in damage, destroying about 90 percent of the

homes, businesses and other structures, setting back the

country for several years. After achieving significant gains

in its quest to improve the quality of its people's lives in

the 1980s and 1990s, Ivan struck with vengeance and halted

that progress. Now Emily has added to the woes.

Dr. Mitchell met U.S. President George Bush over breakfast

at the White House yesterday morning and laid out a strong

case for more American assistance. He also appealed to the

President to use his influence with the international

community, especially the World Bank, the International

Monetary Fund, the Inter-American development Bank and United

Nations development agencies to get them to provide even more

help to Grenada.

President Bush should act decisively on Dr. Mitchell's

request. Grenadians abroad should also heed his advice and

unite behind the national efforts at reconstruction and

development.

They should resist any attempts to resort to partisan

politics or even to stay on the sidelines in these times of

need.

Last year, Grenadians reacted with determination and

generosity and they should do so again.