Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, ahead of tomorrow's announcement, today I rise to recognize the empowering Freedom Sister's Exhibition being showcased in The Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center in my Congressional District. The Exhibition will be officially on display starting February 4 thru April 22, 2012.

Often when the civil rights movement is discussed, male figureheads whose visibility in boycotts, legal proceedings, and mass demonstrations dominated media coverage in the 1950's and '60s are the first memories we recollect. Sometimes missing and often forgotten from these memoirs are a group of extraordinary women who, while less prominent in the media, shaped much of the core and spirit of civil rights movement.

The Freedom Sister's Exhibition shines a light on the many women that at times history seems to overlook. As the Member of Congress whose district encompasses the historical community of Harlem and in response to an overwhelming sentiment from both my local Education and Arts & Culture constituencies, it was enormously important to me that the Smithsonian bring the traveling exhibition to my beloved community. Nine out of the twenty women being paid tribute to, have walked the streets of the great village of Harlem. Constance Baker Motley, Harriet Tubman, Ella Baker, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Dr. Betty Shabazz, Sonia Sanchez, Mary McLeod Bethune, Shirley Chisholm, and Ida B. Wells all dared to dream the impossible: equality for all.

The exhibition also pays tribute to the success of such notable women as Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Barbara Johnson, Fannie Lou Hamer, Myrlie Evers-Williams, Kathleen Cleaver, Mary Church Terrell, Septima Poinsette Clark, Dorothy Height, and C. Delores Tucker. I cannot stress the importance of such a marvelous showcase of these important women. The Civil rights movement was spearheaded by many exceptional men such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, but these women among many others also fought for equality with a commitment to strengthen our Nation and making a difference for all Americans.

Let me thank Jacob Morris, Executive Director of the Harlem Historical Society for bringing this great exhibition to my attention through my District Representative, Socrates Solano. According to the information imparted to my office by the Harlem Historical Society, it was my understanding that New York was not initially considered as a venue for this wonderful traveling exhibit's National tour. Let me also thank Zead Ramadan, Chair of the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center for agreeing to host this truly historic exhibition.

Mr. Speaker, like Harlem, there are those in our country that ardently desire that its sons and daughters as well as our teachers and educators are given the opportunity to appreciate and learn more about these great women of courage who have had such profound historical significance. I ask that you and my distinguished colleagues, with the gratitude of our fellow citizens, join me in commending the Smithsonian Institute for paying tribute to our beloved Freedom Sisters through their traveling exhibition.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of Congressman Charles Gonzalez. I am sad that after seven great terms in the House, Congressman Charles Gonzalez will not be seeking reelection. Picking right up from where his father left off, Charles has been a tremendous leader for the people of the Texas 20th Congressional District and the United States.

Charles and I share the honor of representing large Hispanic communities. As the Chairman of the Hispanic Caucus and his tenure in Congress, he has fought fiercely to better the lives of all Hispanics in America. We both proudly co-sponsored the DREAM Act. We both share the belief that everyone in America deserves the equal opportunity to pursue the American Dream.

Charles and his compassion will be greatly missed. I wish him and his family all the best and more.

Mr. Speaker, today we unite in solidarity to eradicate HIV/AIDS in our communities across the world. We stand together to raise awareness about the epidemic so we can prevent further spread of the deadly virus and give hope to the 33.3 million people worldwide who are suffering from this terrible illness.

In the United States alone, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that over one million people are HIV positive. What is even more tragic is that one in five people infected are unaware of it. HIV/AIDS is one of the leading causes of death for both the African American and Hispanic communities and presents a great hazard to our society.

I believe Congress has a moral obligation to continue funding to eliminate HIV/AIDS despite our budgetary challenges. Earlier this year I introduced the National Black Clergy for the Elimination of HIV/AIDS Act which would authorize several federal health agencies such as the National Institute of Health, Office of Minority Health of the Department of Health and Human Services, and the CDC to intensify awareness prevention, community outreach, testing, behavioral research, and increase grants to faith-based organizations in the African American community.

This year's theme for World AIDS Day is `Getting to zero'. That means zero new infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths. These are common goals shared globally regardless of race, religion or political ideologies. Yet we can only accomplish these goals in America if we work together, Democrats and Republicans, in supporting bold initiatives and legislation to combat HIV/AIDS in our communities.

My colleagues, I once again rise asking that we immediately consider extending the Federal Unemployment Compensation Act.

It seems as though I walked into this movie before, last year, and we were begging once again that we throw away the labels of being Democrat or Republican and reach out to make an appeal as to what makes this country different from other countries.

This is the only country in the world that no one wants to leave and everyone wants to come in. And it's not because of the differences we have with the rich and the poor. It's that always in this country we extended hope. We allowed people to believe that they were never really truly alone. And then we find a circumstance that Americans, hardworking Americans are trying to fulfill that American Dream--once again not to become a Wall Street broker, and certainly not to be living a life of poverty, but to join that middle class that has been the engine for hope and economic advancement for our country. And we find this situation now that, through no fault of their own, these dreams have been shattered. People have not only lost their jobs, but they've lost their self-esteem, they've lost their savings, they have not been able to send their kids to college.

And so what is it that we can do since it's abundantly clear that in this Congress there is a gridlock? And we don't want you to lose hope because there's things that Americans can do. It's not just waiting for this Congress to act, because you hold in your hands the power to control this Congress. And we should not have to wait until next year in order to say that you can express yourself at the polls. No indeed.

Every Member of Congress--435 of us here--are anxiously waiting for your call, and I hope that call would be a call of compassion. It should be a call from our ministers, from our Catholics and Protestants and Jews and synagogues and Mormons and Muslims saying that in America we should not have the vulnerable carrying the pain of mistakes that have been made. We should be hearing from our civic leaders and our voters and calling Republicans, Democrats, and Independents saying we did not send you to Washington to display just what a good Republican you are or what a good Democrat you are.

We should talk about this sign up here, ``In God We Trust.'' Doesn't that mean something about taking care of the vulnerable, the unemployed, those without homes, without jobs and without hope? Doesn't it mean that we have a tradition as Members of Congress? And doesn't it mean that our voters have a responsibility not to just say how bad we are, but to say how good they are for making certain that they're monitoring our conduct, not through a poll, but through our action.

The question is, How did your Congressman vote on extending unemployment compensation?

Rather than wait for the good or bad news, call now. Call today. Call every day this week.

They'll never have a Thanksgiving or a Christmas that they used to have, but they can't give up hope. They can't give in and they can't give up.

So I am saying for America, you don't have to go and protest, even though I appreciate the fact that these courageous men and women are doing it. You don't have to walk those civil rights marches. But you can at least get in touch with your Member of Congress, remind him or her of their constitutional responsibility, and remind them of their moral responsibility to the vulnerable among us, the sick, the aged, the unemployed, those that played by the rules, and we know have nothing to do with the situation they find themselves in economically.

We can make a change, but it's going to take the American people to come together and say they're mad as hell and they're not going to take it anymore.

So let's make an appeal that America takes the Congress back. Direct not ourselves to do things in order to get reelected but direct we do things because it's the right thing to do.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise to honor the life of Rodney Carroll, a community activist from my district. Rodney was a very active member of his community, a loving husband and father.

Rodney's work with the Department of Youth and Community Development will live on forever in the city of New York. As Vice-Chair of the Community Action Board he had a sincere enthusiasm for this position. He was a very determined person and would do everything he could to achieve his goal of making sure the youth and their families would have community organizations that were effective to their needs. His work with Social Service Employee Union Local 371, DC 37 as a staff representative and organizer also will never be forgotten. He continuously fought for workers rights in the community. Rodney was the definition of a true Harlemite. The future of New York City's youth has vastly improved because of the work this man has accomplished.

Rodney believed in our youngsters and their work. They are most fortunate to have had someone like him stand up for what's right and get them the resources that they deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my colleagues join me in paying tribute to the life of this very honorable man. Let's encourage others to continue helping communities the way Rodney Carroll did. Our body must continue to recognize community leaders like him because they are the one's who have a direct impact on the lives of the children in our communities. The youth in this country are better off because of people like Rodney.

At a time that government is held in such low esteem, it's time that we all really say to each other that we all love America and we respect America. And all over the world people are just trying to get here.

Recently, we talked about In God We Trust, and the question is whether God is going to continue to trust us. Because the fact is that one of the things that makes our country different is that people don't come here to become rich. They come here to be respected. And that is what we have learned, no matter whether it's Jew or gentile or Mormon, every religion emphasizes the fact that we have a moral obligation to take care of those people that are vulnerable, whether it's our kids, our old folks, or sick people.

We don't talk that way in the House. We talk about Medicare, education, Medicaid and Social Security. But all of those things, including the opportunity to have a job, make America what it's supposed to be. It's the hope for the future that our kids will have a better opportunity than we did.

Let's say God bless America, and let's work and make certain that we do all that we can do.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the birthday of Ms. Sarah Boyd who turns 100 years old on November 22, 2011.

Born to Sanders Aye and Annie Aye on November 22, 1911, in Eastover, South Carolina, Ms. Boyd is the youngest of her four siblings, two brothers, and two sisters. She received her education from The Weber School in Eastover, South Carolina and lived in the city of Columbia, South Carolina where she met and married Ernest Boyd. In 1945, they moved to my Congressional District in Harlem, New York where she has remained ever since.

Nicknamed ``Doll'', it is remarkable to imagine all that she has been able to witness during her remarkable life. When she was born, the 27th President William H. Taft was in office and Jim Crow Laws ruled the land. She lived through the Civil Rights Movement during the Sixties and saw President Barak Obama elected as 44th President of the United States of America. She has seen our great nation in times of peace and in times of wars. She has lived through the Great Depression, and has been part of our country's strength and resolve during this past century. Let us look to her today for inspiration as we face many challenges.

A couple of her anecdotes are: ``Make sure to get plenty of rest'' and ``Don't eat meat a few hours before going bed.'' But most of all, she often says: ``God is Good'' and ``He will make a way! If you take one step, God will take two.''

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor such an extraordinary member of our community on her 100th birthday. I wish Ms. Sarah ``Doll'' Boyd, as well her daughter Annie, son-in-law Levi Carter, four grandchildren, five great grandchildren and twin great, great granddaughters many more joyous days.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise with great cultural pride to join Byron Lewis, CEO of Uniworld Group, Woodie King, Jr., Founder and Executive Artistic Director of New Federal Theatre and Voza Rivers, Co- Founder and Executive Producer of New Heritage Theatre to celebrate the life and theatrical achievements of renowned actor, author, director and educator, Shauneille Perry.

On November 13, 2011, at Harlem's landmarked Riverside Church, the Uniworld Group, New Federal Theatre and New Heritage Theatre will join hundreds of actors, playwrights, designers, technicians, and students

in the field of Black Theater to say thank you to Shauneille Perry for her historic accomplishments and contributions to American Theater.

Shauneille Perry was born on July 26, 1929 in Chicago to a very prominent African American family. Her father, Graham T. Perry, was one of the first African American Assistant Attorney Generals for the State of Illinois. Her mother, the former Laura Pearl Gant, was one of the first African American court reporters for the City of Chicago. Ms. Perry is also the niece of real estate broker and political activist Carl Augustus Hansberry and Africanist scholar William Leo Hansberry. She is also the first cousin of Carl Hansberry's daughter, Lorraine Hansberry, famous playwright and author of the 1973 Tony Award Best Musical, ``A Raisin in the Sun''.

Shauneille attended Howard University, where she was a member of the Howard Players under the direction of Owen Dodson. In 1950, she received a B.A. in drama from Howard. Her studies followed at the Goodman Theatre Art Institute in Chicago, where she received her M.A. in directing. She is also a Fulbright Scholar at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

In Chicago of 1957, Perry married Architect Donald Ryder. Several months later, she received national exposure as the second place winner in the 1958 Picturama Contest, an essay competition sponsored by Ebony Magazine. She took advantage of the prize with her husband, which was a $4,000, three-week tour of Paris. By the end of the decade, the couple relocated to New York City, where it did not take long for her to establish herself as an actor.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, she acted in various productions on the New York stage including The Goose, Dark of the Moon, Talent '60, Ondine, Clandestine on the Morning Line and The Octoroon. Her work as Lilly Ruth, a pregnant girl in the short-lived off-Broadway production of Clandestine on the Morning Line received particular notice. After her many successes as a performing actor, Shauneille switched her career toward writing, directing, and raising a family.

Following in the footsteps of Vinnette Carroll, the first great African American playwright, stage director, and actor to direct on Broadway with the hit gospel revue, Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope, Shauneille became one of the first African American women to direct on the New York stage. Her notable works on the Broadway and on the national and international tour stage include one of her early efforts, the Mau Mau Room, at the Negro Ensemble Company. It was the first major stage production of a play written by J. E. Franklin.

Shauneille Perry staged the productions of Strivers Row, Looking Back, the music of Micki Grant by Rosalie Pritchett, Sty of the Blind Pig by Phillip Hayes Dean for the Negro Ensemble Company, Moon on a Rainbow Shawl produced by Voza Rivers at Harlem's Roger Furman's New Heritage Theatre, the award-winning production of Paul Robeson, and the original off-Broadway production of J. E. Franklin's play, Black Girl for Woodie King, Jr.'s New Federal Theatre, which became a film directed by another award winning actor and civil rights activist Ossie Davis.

A gifted writer of several plays including ``Pearl,'' a short story collection and children's musical Mio, which she staged as a workshop production at the New Federal Theatre in the fall of 1971. Shauneille's work includes Sass and Class, In Dahomey, Music Magic, Daddy Goodness with Clifton Davis; Last Night, Night Before, Things of the Heart, Marian Anderson's Story, and Sounds of the City, a 15 minute daily soap opera that aired on the Mutual Black Network in the mid-1970s for Byron Lewis' Uniworld Group, Inc. Shauneille Perry's other gifted works include the KCET teleplay of John Henry Redwood's Old Settler starring Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allen, Black Beauties for Equity Fights Aids and the narrative for the 2005 Harlem Exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York.

An innovator and contributor of the Black Arts Movement, Shauneille Perry has been honored with four AUDELCO Awards, two CEBAS, the Lloyd Richards Award of Directing (National Black Theatre Festival), the Black Rose of Achievement (Encore Magazine), the distinguished Howard Player and Alumni Awards, and the Scholar Achievement Award from Lehman College of the City University of New York, where she was a professor of Theatre and Black Studies.

Mr. Speaker, please join me and a grateful nation in celebrating the life and theatrical achievements of Shauneille Perry as a living legend of the American and Black Theater. Her talented works and legacy will forever remain in our ever-changing world. With her accomplishments and contributions, the Black Theatre community has had the opportunity to help advance the quality and heritage of the American Theatre.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize National Education Week, which was established 90 years ago, and is taking place from November 14-19, 2011.

I ask all of my constituents to please join the National Education Association (NEA) and myself in celebrating National Education Week. It is a wonderful opportunity for us to honor the hard work of our students, dedication of our teachers, educators, and all those in our community who help our students to succeed.

Providing high quality education to every student in our Manhattan Congressional District and across America has always been one of my life's top priorities. This past summer I introduced the Rebuilding America's Schools Act, which would increase aid for school construction and renovation across the country.

My passion for improving our children's education is also why I continue to fight alongside President Barack Obama to pass the DREAM Act, which would provide 360,000 high school graduates who are undocumented with a legal means to work and attend college, and could provide incentives for another 715,000 children of illegal immigrants between the ages of 5 and 17 to finish high school and pursue higher education.

I strongly believe that we must give every possible amount of support to our students, teachers and educators so that future generations of Americans will have the ability to succeed in a global economy and face the challenges of tomorrow.

I would like to recognize all the public and charter schools in our District, and the numerous unions and organizations dedicated to educating our community such as the United Federation of Teachers, the New York State United Teachers, the Support Workers' Union, Harlem YMCA, Harlem Children's Zone, Harlem Center for Education, Children's Aid Society of East Harlem Center, and all the employees of the New York City Department of Education.

I would also like to encourage all the students in our District to keep working hard and reach for the stars because you are our future.

Mr. Speaker, as a veteran myself in a so-called ``Forgotten War'' in American history, I know what it is like to come home and feel unrecognized. The Montford Point Marines for too long have been unsung heroes. These men fought abroad to preserve our freedom and democracy, then came home and had to fight for their civil liberties.

On the eve of 11-11-11, the United States Senate passed legislation, which the United States House of Representatives voted unanimously 422- 0 to honor the Montford Point Marines with the nation's highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal. These truly great American men fought in some of the bloodiest battles of World War II-- the first Black Marines in the Navy. After 70 years, they have finally received the honor they deserve for a legacy we must not forget to pass on to our future generations.

At the time of their military service, discrimination and violence toward Blacks in America were rampant. Black Marines were sent to untraditional boot camps; they were segregated and instead received training at Montford Point, a facility at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

One of these heroic men is my beloved brother, the Honorable David N. Dinkins, who is also the first African American and 106th Mayor for the City of New York. He recounted some obstacles he and his comrades faced in an interview: ``Italian and German prisoners of war, some of them were guarded by Black soldiers. They were treated better than those people who were protecting our country; soldiers and Marines.'' My brother David further stated. ``During training, Black Marines were often kicked, slapped, could not eat until the whites had finished, and were routinely passed over for promotions.''

He even heard stories of some Black Marines following orders to march into a river where they soon drowned. Despite their hardships, the Montford Point Marines proved to be a solid force within our military, just as capable as any group of white Marines. Originally organized to serve as a temporary surge in manpower, the Blacks trained at Montford Point comprised roughly 10 percent of the Marine Corps strength during the war and were to be disbanded after hostilities ended.

Montford Point Marines won praise from several white officers for their heroism during the seizure of Okinawa and at Iwo Jima. They were even sent to Nagasaki to clean up after the atomic bomb was dropped. Documented by the Montford Point Marine Association, much of that heroism occurred with the 51st Defense Battalion, which arrived at Saipan in the Mariana Islands to support the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions of V Amphibious Corps. While they were assisting the combat units, one of their own, Private First Class Leroy Seals of Brooklyn, New York, was shot and died the next day of his wounds. The Montford Point Marines picked up their rifles that day, fought back the Japanese, and even destroyed one of the Japanese machine guns from the beachhead perimeter side-by-side with the white combat units. In February 1945, a group from the 51st landed on Iwo Jima with the 5th Division, 28th Regiment. The combat regiment came ashore and it seemed that taking Iwo Jima would be a cakewalk. The Japanese, however, had planned an ambush. They (the Japanese) had placed guns on either side of Mount Suribachi and were firing at will onto the Marines on the island. The Black Marines of the 8th Ammunition Company landed during the second or third wave and somehow they kept ammunition in the hands of the combat units throughout this deadly firefight. Repeatedly the Black Marines delivered the much-needed ammunition. Though the Japanese actually shot two trucks from under one of the drivers, he kept coming back. Combat Marines who thought they had seen everything cheered this young, Black Marine from their foxholes. The Montford Point Marines knew their job was to keep the combatants supplied and they did so with great valor and at great expense to their company. The Japanese soon saw this and began to make their assault on the Ammo Company as well as the combat Marines. The Montford Point Marines rose to the occasion by fighting off these attacks as they continued their supply missions. This is the courage and stamina that lead Admiral Nimitz, Commander of the Fleet in the Pacific to say, ``On Iwo Jima, in the ranks of all the Marines who set foot on that Island uncommon valor was a common virtue.''

Those early Montford Point Marines were the catalyst for the great presence of African Americans in the Marine Corps. By the time that camp was closed for recruit training in 1949, over 21,000 recruits were trained and molded there. In July of 1948, President Harry S Truman issued Executive Order No. 9981, ending segregation in the military altogether. In September of the following year, Montford Point was deactivated, ending the legacy of inequality.

Twenty years following World War II, during August 1965, a group of enterprising Marine veterans and active duty Marines from Philadelphia organized a reunion. The purpose was to renew old friendships and share experiences of former comrades who received recruit training at Montford Point Camp, Camp Lejeune, and New River, North Carolina. This group, chaired by then Master Gunnery Sergeant, Brooks E. Gray, USMC, held a meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and formulated and developed plans for a National Reunion. The response was overwhelming and 400 Marines from all over the country convened at the Adelphia Hotel in Philadelphia. In 1966, the Montford Point Marine Association, Inc. received its Charter and founder Brooks E. Gray became the Association's first National President.

Next year, the Marine Corps will officially begin teaching all their servicemen and servicewomen about the Montford Point Marines. There is a museum dedicated to their service located at Camp Gilbert H. Johnson in Jacksonville, North Carolina. The Montford Point Marines Association continues to work tirelessly to preserve their stories, which serve as a reminder of the struggles behind us and the challenges ahead. In order to truly appreciate their legacy, we must continue sharing this story.

Sunday, November 6, the New York Metropolitan Chapter of the Montford Point Marine Association honored the 69th Anniversary of the original Montford Point Marines and the 44th Anniversary of the New York Chapter at the elegant Antun's Caterers in Queens, New York. The New York Chapter also acknowledged the 236th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps and honored their National Convention Award recipients.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join my colleagues and a very grateful nation as we congratulate my dear friend James Maillard, President of the New York Metropolitan Chapter and the Montford Point Marine Association as we finally pay tribute to our courageous first Black Marines.

Mr. Speaker, as a veteran of the Korean War, known today as the ``Forgotten War'', I am honored with great American pride and democracy to salute all my fellow comrades, buddies and all of the officers and members of The 369th Veterans' Association on this very special day as we celebrate Veterans Day 11-11-11.

First organized in 1916 as the 15th New York National Guard Infantry Regiment and manned by black enlisted soldiers with both black and white officers, the U.S. Army's 369th Infantry Regiment, popularly known as the ``Harlem Hellfighters,'' was the best-known African American unit of World War I. Federalized in 1917, it prepared for service in Europe and arrived in Brest in December. The next month, the regiment became part of the 93rd Division (Provisional) and continued its training, now under French instructors. In March, the regiment finally received its Federal designation and was reorganized and reequipped according to the French model. That summer, the 369th was integrated into the French 161st Division and began combat operations.

Dubbing themselves ``Men of Bronze,'' the soldiers of the 369th were lucky in many ways compared to other African Americans in 1918 France. They enjoyed a continuity of leadership, commanded throughout the war by one of their original organizers and proponents, Colonel William Hayward. Unlike many white officers serving in the black regiments, Colonel Hayward respected his troops, dedicated himself to their well- being, and leveraged his political connections to secure support from New Yorkers.

Spending over six months in combat, perhaps the longest of any American unit in the war, the 369th suffered approximately fifteen hundred casualties but received only nine hundred replacements. Unit histories claimed they were the first unit to cross the Rhine; they performed well at Chateau-Thierry and Belleau Wood, earning the epithet ``Hell Fighters'' from their enemies. Whereas African American valor usually went unrecognized, well over one hundred members of the regiment received American and/or French medals, including the first two Americans--Corporal Henry Johnson and Private Needham Roberts--to be awarded the coveted French Croix de Guerre.

The most celebrated man in the 369th was Pvt. Henry Lincoln Johnson, a former Albany, New York, rail station porter, who earned the nickname ``Black Death'' for his actions in combat in France. In May 1918, Johnson and Pvt. Needham. Roberts fought off a 24-man German patrol, though both were severely wounded. After, they expended their ammunition, Roberts used his rifle as a club and Johnson battled with a bolo knife. Johnson was the first American to receive the Croix de Guerre awarded by the French government. By the end of the war, 171 members of the 369th were awarded the Legion of Honor. During the war the 369th's regimental band (under the direction of James Reese Europe) became famous throughout Europe. It introduced the until-then unknown music called jazz to British, French and other audiences, and started an international demand for it.

At the end of the war, the 369th returned to New York City, and in February 1919, paraded through the city. Thousands lined the streets to see them: the parade began on Fifth Avenue at 61st Street, proceeded uptown past ranks of white bystanders, turned west on 110th Street, and then swung on to Lenox Avenue, and marched into Harlem, where black New Yorkers packed the sidewalks to see them. The parade became a marker of African American service to the nation, a frequent point of reference for those campaigning for civil rights. In the 1920s and 1930s, the 369th was a regular presence on Harlem's streets, each year marching through the neighborhood from their Armory to catch a train to their annual summer camp, and then back through the neighborhood on their return two weeks later

In World War II, the formation was organized as the 369th Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment, and served in Hawaii and along the West Coast. The Harlem Hellfighters have served in every major conflict since its inception, including Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, and the War on Terrorism in Afghanistan. The unit survives today under the command of Colonel Reginald Sanders as the 369th Sustainment Brigade Battalion of the New York Army National Guard.

As a veteran myself in a so-called ``Forgotten War'' in American history, I know what it is like to come home and feel unrecognized. On the eve of 11-11-11, the United States Senate passed legislation, which the United States House of Representatives voted unanimously 422-0 to honor the Montford Point Marines with the nation's highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal. These truly great American men fought in some of the bloodiest battles of World War II--the first Black Marines in the Navy. After 70 years, they have finally received the honor they deserve for a legacy we must not forget to pass on to our future generations.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join my colleagues and a very grateful nation in very special congressional salute to my dear friend General Nathaniel James, Retired, National President and all of the officers and members of The 369th Veterans' Association, Inc. as we celebrate our Veterans Day 11-11-11.

My colleagues, some of you may have read that the protesters at Wall Street are now being subjected to attacks by the police and law enforcement for loitering and other violations. There is no question in anyone's mind that the right to free speech has restrictions and it's not an open end and we have to be considerate of the people who are adversely affected. But there is also a moral issue, in addition to the constitutional issue, that no one can challenge that these protesters have brought to the attention of the American people: the fact that we have a moral obligation to take care of those people who are vulnerable, take care of those people who are sick, take care of the people that are aged and our children, not just before birth but after birth. The fact that we are talking about turning these questions over to 12 Members of Congress--it's not just unconstitutional; it is immoral.

So I'm calling on the spiritual leaders of our country: Don't leave this vacuum. Bring in the Catholics and Protestants and all the religions to say there's something wrong with the formula that we have for the poor.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to celebrate the 90th birthday of dear beloved spiritual leader, Chief Apostle William L. Bonner at the National Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ (COOLJC) Day at the Greater Refuge Temple in Harlem. Let me also note that on Saturday, November 5, 2011, the Greater Refuge Temple, which is the ``Mother Church'' of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, paid special tribute to Bishop Bonner's 50 years of service and pastoral leadership to the greater COOLJC church family and community throughout our great Nation.

Founded by the late apostle Bishop Robert C. Lawson, D.D., LL.D., The Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ had its inception in the year 1919. Bishop Lawson, then Elder Lawson was invited to a prayer meeting, which was in progress in a basement in the 40th Street area of New York City. So energetic was his service to the Lord that his fame spread abroad and reached the ears of Mr. and Mrs. James Burleigh and Mr. and Mrs. Edward Anderson. These two blessed couples opened their homes to Elder Lawson and their home today is affectionately thought of as the ``Cradle of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ''.

Within a short period, the congregation outgrew its place of worship, having approximately 200 members, and larger quarters had to be sought. Bishop Lawson purchased the sight at 52-54-56 West 133 Street and relocated his thriving church. It was there that his vision was enlarged and the Lord lay upon his heart to conduct a tent revival and great numbers were added to the church.

Under the thriving ministry of Apostle Lawson, many preachers, missionaries, and teachers were sent into the field establishing numerous works. To the far-flung isles of the sea, to the continent of Africa and to the Caribbean, these Christian heralds went carrying the apostolic message. It was in the year 1932, that Bishop Lawson initiated the radio broadcast over the stations WGBS. He broadcasted successfully over WHOM and WINS. The broadcast is presently continuing over station WBNX every Sunday evening.

In August of 1945, as the church out grew its quarters on 133rd Street, Bishop Lawson

relocated the church and congregation to 124th Street and 7th Avenue. This building is known as the ``Mother Church'' of the Churches of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In two short years, the indebtedness of the church was lifted and on Christmas day in 1947, the mortgage was burned.

It was in 1944 that Bishop Lawson sent Bishop Bonner to Detroit to pastor the First Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It was a storefront. Today, it is a 2,500-seat edifice known as Solomon's Temple. Bishop William Lee Bonner was born on November 12, 1921 in Bolden County Georgia, to Emmett and Janie Bonner. Bishop Bonner was married to the late Ethel Mae Smith Bonner. He is the father of two children, Ethel Mae Bonner Archer and William Lee Bonner, Jr.

Bishop Bonner's ministry began in the 1940s under the tutelage of the late Bishop Robert C. Lawson, (1883-1961), founder of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith. His first pastorate was the Green Avenue Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Brooklyn, New York. In 1961, upon the death of Bishop Lawson, Bishop Bonner became the pastor of the 3,000-member mother church, the Greater Refuge Temple in Harlem, New York City.

Apostle Bonner currently pastors churches in Detroit, Michigan, New York City, Washington, D.C., Jackson, Mississippi, and Columbia, South Carolina. He is the Chief Apostle and Senior Prelate of the General Assembly of the Churches of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Inc. This is an international body of churches. Under his administration, the assembly has grown from 155 churches in 1961 to over 500 churches and missions throughout the world.

He has faithfully kept the charge of the founder Bishop Lawson, to ``Add Thou to It''. Bishop Bonner received his religious education and the Doctor of Divinity through the Church of Christ Bible Institute in New York City. Listed in ``Who's Who in Religion'' In 1985, Bishop Bonner's ministry is based on prayer and faith in God. His message is one of hope and deliverance. He believes that those who pray can expect a miracle.

On December 12, 1989, Bishop William L. Bonner founded The Refuge Temple of Washington, DC. The first services were held at Days Inn, at 12th and K Streets, NW. The next year, Kelly Miller Junior High School became the church's final temporary home. On June 1, 1991, the first service was held at the new edifice for Refuge Temple Church.

On July 20, 1993, Bishop Bonner established The Refuge Temple of Columbia, South Carolina. It was organized with only 22 members and grew to 700 in 3 months. The church is located on 12\1/2\ acres in the Eau Claire section of Columbia. Pastor Bonner's ministry in Columbia also consists of the Family Life Center, Retirement Community and the W. L. Bonner Bible College.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in bestowing this special congressional honor to Chief Apostle William L. Bonner's on ``National COOLJC Day'' at the Greater Refuge Temple Church in Harlem, NY.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise with great cultural pride to join Byron Lewis, CEO of Uniworld Group, Woodie King, Jr., Founder and Executive Artistic Director of New Federal Theatre and Voza Rivers, Co- Founder and Executive Producer of New Heritage Theatre to celebrate the life and theatrical achievements of renowned actor, author, director and educator, Shauneille Perry.

On November 13, 2011, at Harlem's landmarked Riverside Church, the Uniworld Group, New Federal Theatre and New Heritage Theatre will join hundreds of actors, playwrights, designers, technicians, and students in the field of Black Theater to say thank you to Shauneille Perry for her historic accomplishments and contributions to American Theater.

Shauneille Perry was born on July 26, 1929, in Chicago to a very prominent African American family. Her father, Graham T. Perry, was one of the first African American Assistant Attorney Generals for the State of Illinois. Her mother, the former Laura Pearl Gant, was one of the first African American court reporters for the City of Chicago. Ms. Perry is also the niece of real estate broker and political activist Carl Augustus Hansberry and Africanist scholar William Leo Hansberry. She is also the first cousin of Carl Hansberry's daughter, Lorraine Hansberry, famous playwright and author of the 1973 Tony Award Best Musical, A Raisin in the Sun.

Shauneille attended Howard University, where she was a member of the Howard Players under the direction of Owen Dodson. In 1950, she received a B.A. in drama from Howard. Her studies followed at the Goodman Theatre Art Institute in Chicago, where she received her M.A. in directing. She is also a Fulbright Scholar at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

In Chicago of 1957, Perry married Architect Donald Ryder. Several months later, she received national exposure as the second place winner in the 1958 Picturama Contest, an essay competition sponsored by Ebony Magazine. She took advantage of the prize with her husband, which was a $4,000, three-week tour of Paris. By the end of the decade, the couple relocated to New York City, where it did not take long for her to establish herself as an actor.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, she acted in various productions on the New York stage including The Goose, Dark of the Moon, Talent '60, Ondine, Clandestine on the Morning Line and The Octoroon. Her work as Lilly Ruth, a pregnant girl in the short-lived off-Broadway production of Clandestine on the Morning Line received particular notice. After her many successes as a performing actor, Shauneille switched her career toward writing, directing, and raising a family.

Following in the footsteps of Vinnette Carroll, the first great African American playwright, stage director, and actor to direct on Broadway with the hit gospel revue, Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope, Shauneille became one of the first African American women to direct on the New York stage. Her notable works on the Broadway and on the national and international tour stage include one of her early efforts, the Mau Mau Room, at the Negro Ensemble Company. It was the first major stage production of a play written by J.E. Franklin.

Shauneille Perry staged the productions of Strivers Row, Looking Back, the music of Micki Grant by Rosalie Pritchett, Sty of the Blind Pig by Phillip Hayes Dean for the Negro Ensemble Company, Moon on a Rainbow Shawl produced by Voza Rivers at Harlem's Roger Furman's New Heritage Theatre, the award-winning production of Paul Robeson, and the original off-Broadway production of J.E. Franklin's play, Black Girl for Woodie King, Jr.'s New Federal Theatre, which became a film directed by another award winning actor and civil rights activist Ossie Davis.

A gifted writer of several plays including Pearl, a short story collection and children's musical Mio, which she staged as a workshop production at the New Federal Theatre in the fall of 1971. Shauneille's work includes Sass and Class, In Dahomey, Music Magic, Daddy Goodness with Clifton Davis; Last Night, Night Before, Things of the Heart, Marian Anderson's Story, and Sounds of the City, a 15 minute daily soap opera that aired on the Mutual Black Network in the mid-1970s for Byron Lewis' Uniworld Group, Inc. Shauneille Perry's other gifted works include the KCET teleplay of John Henry Redwood's Old Settler starring Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allen, Black Beauties for Equity Fights Aids and the narrative for the 2005 Harlem Exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York.

An innovator and contributor of the Black Arts Movement, Shauneille Perry has been honored with four AUDELCO Awards, two CEBAS, the Lloyd Richards Award of Directing (National Black Theatre Festival), the Black Rose of Achievement (Encore Magazine), the distinguished Howard Player and Alumni Awards, and the Scholar Achievement Award from Lehman College of the City University of New York, where she was a professor of Theatre and Black Studies.

Mr. Speaker, please join me and a grateful nation in celebrating the life and theatrical achievements of Shauneille Perry as a living legend of the American and Black Theater. Her talented works and legacy will forever remain in our ever-changing world. With her accomplishments and contributions, the Black Theatre community has had the opportunity to help advance the quality and heritage of the American Theatre.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to celebrate with the parishioners of my beloved

Old Broadway Synagogue as it marks a century of service to the Harlem Jewish community. For 100 years, Old Broadway Synagogue has been one of many important components contributing to make Harlem a stronger, more peaceful and diverse community.

The history of the Old Broadway Synagogue is parallel with that of the American story. It is the story that shows dedication, passion, struggles, which ultimately lead to prosperity. In 1911, when a group of businessmen arrived in America, they came together to establish an institution in order to exercise and enrich their religious beliefs. For thirteen years, early members congregated in a small, available space of bars and cafe. Even its lack of sufficient location to convene, the group brought together an even closer community. In 1924, the institution had transformed into a Synagogue, which has become a part of Harlem's rich and diverse history. The Old Broadway Synagogue was opened for service as it was situated between Manhattan Street and Lawrence.

The Synagogue's effort to educate the local community is written all over the name given by the early Founders. They chose ``Chevra Talmud Torah Anshei Marovi'', which means, the ``Society for the Study of the Torah for the people of the West''. In the last century, the Synagogue has been well-received by the community. Dedicated members have continued to contribute to the construction and renovation of the Synagogue. Today, Old Broadway consists of seventy dedicating members, all who are very devoted to teaching and spreading the spiritual and ethical ideals of the Jewish traditions.

When speak about the long and proud history of this synagogue, one cannot forget many great leaders who have brought this worship place together and forward. Rabbi Jacob Kret had made tremendous contributions in terms of leadership and history of the synagogue. He was a native of Ostrow Mazowiecka, a city located in northern Poland. After the Second World War broke out, Rabbi Kret left to Lithuania but was later captured by Soviet troops. Among many, he was sent to Siberia. In 1950, the Krets family arrived in United States; later he became a spiritual leader of the Synagogue. After the war ended, refugees from Europe arrived in United States. Many were in need of shelters. The Krets family generously accommodated and assisted them during the new transition process. Mr. Speaker, this kind gesture is one of many reasons Old Broadway Synagogue remains so important in my community and my heart. I can truly say that Old Broadway is my Synagogue. The story of this religious institution reflects, so clear, the similar story of the devoted Americans and migrants; that is we always reach out to the people who are in need of help.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to conclude my remarks today by expressing my utmost appreciation for Old Broadway for all it has done for this community. Even if Old Broadway Synagogue were, perhaps, a smaller religious institution, but it is undeniable that the history of this institution is long and rich, where the congregation's action positively impacted Harlem. I would like to once again congratulate Old Broadway on its 100th anniversary.