Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate the National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, a day especially set aside to ensure America remembers the valiant sacrifices and the patriotic service of the Korean War veterans.

On Tuesday, the stars and stripes will be flown across our great nation in their honor, as a result of President Obama's enactment of the Korean War Veterans Recognition Act, which became Public Law (111- 41) last year after it unanimously passed in both chambers of the U.S. Congress.

At the National Korean War Memorial on the morning of the Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, July 27, 2010, hundreds of veterans, their friends and families, members of the U.S. Armed Services, and foreign dignitaries will pay tribute to all those who served in Korea, and lay wreaths for the fallen who never made it back home. Among those in attendance are members of the Korean War Veterans Association, who have gathered in Washington, D.C., for their 2010 Convention and Gathering to mark the occasion.

Sixty years ago, war broke out on the Korean Peninsula, when North Korea invaded the South on June 25, 1950. Before the ceasefire three years later, 1.8 million Americans had served in Korea and the region, more than 54,000 had been killed, more than 103,000 wounded and up to 8,176 listed as missing. Today, there's no peace treaty ending the war, and 28,500 American soldiers are still stationed in South Korea, guarding democracy's eastern flank.

Despite the great loss of life in such a short time, Korea--a so- called United Nations conflict sandwiched between World War II and Vietnam War--was simply forgotten. I hope the flags displayed on this day would remind Americans to remember and recognize the Korean War veterans of a war that has yet to end.

Thank you, Chairman Levin, for giving me this opportunity, and again to Congressman McDermott for working so hard to try to protect those people who have lost their opportunity to take care of their families because they have lost their jobs.

I think we're hearing too much about Republican and Democrat today. We certainly are hearing too much about oil drilling and other issues. But as we go home, as Members of Congress, I don't think people come up and say I'm a Democrat and I need help or I'm a Republican and I need help; they say I need a job. I'm willing to do anything. I'm losing my dignity and my self-esteem. My daughter was in college, and I had to tell her that she won't be able to go back. I keep ignoring my creditors' calls because I lost my job. There were so many dreams and aspirations that I had for me and my family, so many hopes that I thought in this great country I could fulfill. I thought it because I thought I was on the road to economic success. I knew I was doing better than my parents, and I had hoped so dearly that my kids would be able to say they would do better than me. Those that have finished school can't find jobs, can't afford homes. Families have consolidated, they have limited resources.

The greatest thing about this wonderful country is that you don't have to be successful if you really trust and hope that you can be successful. It's not like other countries where you're stuck where you were born and you can't aspire to do better. But we are reaching that point where Americans have lost faith in our financial centers. They've lost faith in terms of insurance health providers. God knows they've lost faith in the Congress. But when they start losing faith in themselves, that's when our country is in trouble. When they start believing that they cannot make it, that they're losing their dignity, that they're unable to put food on the table, provide shelter for their families, provide hope for their kids, America is losing something that we may not be able to recover, notwithstanding what happens from our economy.

How can people talk about deficits and pay-fors when a person is just asking for a little help? What difference does it make if we're able to take the $30 billion--it's not spending, it's an investment. It's an investment not in foreigners, not in protecting democracy, it's an investment in people who love and want to work. I think, Mr. Speaker, we ought to give them an opportunity, because in taking care of their needs, they take care of our small businesses too.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the wonderful life and accomplishments of Albert Owens with sadness as I mourn his passing. Mr. Owens, one of the first African-Americans to leave his indelible mark on the entertainment industry, recently passed away due to illness at St. Luke's Hospital in New York City. He was sixty-one years of age.

Albert began his career as a founding member of the Charles Unicycle Riders. He gained national recognition in 1965, after appearing as a guest on the hit television show ``I've Got a Secret.'' Albert and his group eventually became the Ringling Bros. first African-American troupe, changing their name to the `King Charles Troupe.' He also performed acts with the Barnum & Bailey Circus among many others, and reached a new level of national fame.

Yet, Albert's roots remained grounded as his determination to assist his hometown never wavered. When not traveling and performing, he was a devoted family man who returned home to his Bronx community to continue his work as a volunteer. Albert worked tirelessly to counsel the city's youth with the YMCA, using the unicycle as a tool to engage young people and help them build stronger character. He mentored the next generation up until his passing, never swaying from his resolve to provide the blueprint for success which they can all follow.

Albert Owens was a man of devotion with a commitment to service. Despite his well-earned famed and his standing within the entertainment industry, he always put the needs of his community and the hopes and dreams of others before his own. Albert was a man of many talents and friends. I am honored to say that he was a friend to the city of New York.

Might I ask my colleague from Texas whether he could yield to me 5 minutes for the purposes of making a statement?

I can't thank you enough, Congressman, for this courtesy that you've extended, especially in view of the great contribution that you make on the committee and in the Congress. And I want to thank you for bringing to attention of the American people the sacrifices that so many are making as a result of the incident that's taking place in the Gulf.

But, Mr. Speaker, I rise to alert the House that, once again, I have introduced legislation to reinstate the draft and to make it permanent during time of war. It is H.R. 5741. And what this does is to make everyone between the ages of 18 and 42, whether they're men or women, whether they're straight or gay, to have the opportunity to defend this great country whenever the President truly believes that our national security is threatened.

During the last few weeks and months, as we have gone through a heat wave in the Northeast, I could not but think of the tens of thousands of Americans that find themselves in the Middle East just hoping and praying that the extent of their inconvenience and suffering was just being in the heat of being back home with their loved ones. And they are so dedicated and there are so few of them that many of them have gone back into combat once, twice, even up to six times. To me, that's asking a whole lot from such a small part of our population. And I truly believe that if people thought for one minute that our Nation was in trouble, that age would not even be a factor in people saying, Count me in, because this great country has been so good to me that whatever we can do, we want to be able to make some type of sacrifice.

And it just seems to me that when Presidents come and say that in their opinion the country has to go or should go, or makes a request to go to war, then ultimately it will be the people of this House and the Senate that will determine whether or not this request is going to be fulfilled. To me, if you're not prepared to put Americans and your kids and grandkids in harm's way, then you have reached a conclusion that the President is wrong and we should not enter this type of a war. If, on the other hand, I am thoroughly

convinced that when the American people are persuaded that our great democracy is in danger, that we would not want just a select group of people to be pulled out to over and over and over again put themselves in harm's way.

And so I know the tragedies that have occurred when there's been so many exceptions to the drafts in the past. And for that reason it was not found to be favorable to the average citizen; that if you were in college, if you came from a background, you were excluded from the draft. Well, this is not involved in this in any way. The only exclusions would be those who have mental or physical handicaps or conscientious objectors. Of course, if you're not needed, since it would be an overwhelming number of troops that would be available, then you could in national service be able to provide something in line for the American security.

And so I want to thank the gentleman from Texas for allowing me to interrupt this very informative and educated discussion of the impact of moratoriums and to thank him again for the contribution you make not only to Congress but specifically the Ways and Means Committee.

I yield back any time that I may have.

Madam Speaker, throughout our history, the vision and determination of women have strengthened and transformed America. Change can only come to our nation by those strong women whose contributions shape the history of our country. Women continue this legacy of leadership as professionals, public officials, leaders in their homes, as well as churches and other community organizations. They continuously provide guidance and care to their loved ones and strengthen America's families and communities.

We have a fine example of a strong woman, Matriarch Eleanor B. Holmes, who has been a dedicated servant of the Church of New Hope Ministries for over 40 years. Over those forty years, Eleanor has served in various roles such as: International Women's Council, 21 Years as the Local Missionary President, Usher Board member, Sunday School Teacher, Mother Board member, Missionary State Chaplin, and Chairperson of the South Carolina State Missionary Banner Committee.

Born June 28, 1920, in Mayesville, South Carolina to Rosa (Smith) Bowens and Hugh Bowens. Eleanor's ancestry traces back to her grandparents Reverend David E. Smith & Rosa Smith, both were born in 1860 into slavery. As a daughter of the South and descendant of Slavery, Eleanor Holmes was on the front line for civil rights and against Jim Crow. She fought for causes true to her faith and community by creating programs, like ``Feed A Child Program (Friendship Apartments, Sumter, SC),'' and establishing the New Hope Church Day Care Center.

As a child, Eleanor walked from Shaw Cross Road, Mayesville, South Carolina to Salterstown, South Carolina. Reminded by the many years of walking several miles a day to attend Elementary and High School, she launched community school bus service so children of Sumter would not have to endure what she had to endure as a child growing up in the South. In 1947, Eleanor married William N. Holmes, a World War II Veteran, and from that union came eight children, thirteen grandchildren, and 17 great grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, so often unrecognized and unrewarded, we have an outstanding individual, a real American hero, Eleanor Holmes, who has contributed greatly to the lifeblood of our nation and her beloved South Carolina. Please join me in recognizing Matriarch Eleanor B. Holmes on the occasion of her 90th Birthday, and her undaunted service to her community of Sumter, South Carolina.

Madam Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today to memorialize a beloved member of our community, Sister Mary Celine Graham, whose mass will be celebrated tomorrow at Saint Aloysius Roman Catholic Church in her beloved Harlem. Her tragic and senseless death came as a result of a horrific accident and has left behind a deeply felt void within the Handmaids of Mary of the Most Pure Heart family and the greater Harlem community. The Handmaids of Mary have a special place in my heart going back to my youth, and the loss of Sister Mary Celine is especially profound.

Sister Mary Celine was born in Jacksonville, Florida and raised in Detroit. At the age of 22, she joined the Franciscan Handmaids of the Most Pure Heart of Mary in Harlem, which is one of only three historically black orders of Roman Catholic nuns in the United States. She continued to share her love and services with her community for the next 61 years.

Her death at the age of 83 leaves behind a great legacy of tireless service and devotion to those who needed her. Sister Mary Celine is remembered as a woman of true compassion who believed in education for the young. She dedicated her life to being a teacher, director, and surrogate grandmother to the children of St. Benedict's Day Nursery on 124th Street at Marcus Garvey Park.

As the New York Times reported last week, Sister Mary Celine left an indelible mark on the children she cared for and educated. She was a gently firm yet caring teacher who recognized the potential in each individual and worked to bring that potential to fruition. Sister Mary Celine was not only an educator but was also a loving mother figure to the children. These children not only learned the basics of reading and numbers but also learned what it was to love, and what it was to serve others.

The undivided attention and care she poured out to the children and the community will be forever etched in the hearts of all those that encountered her. She was a true kindred spirit that emanated a sense of peace and order.

Madam Speaker, although her life was taken from us too abruptly, rather than mourn this tragedy, I hope that my colleagues will join me in remembering and celebrating the tremendous and loving spirit of Sister Mary Celine Graham--one of God's special angels who served Harlem at the Franciscan Handmaids of the Most Pure Heart of Mary.

Madam Speaker, I stand before you today to acknowledge the role of education as an essential sector for effective and durable economic and social development, all of which should be fundamental in the rebuilding of a great nation, such as Haiti.

The Haitian government has reported that the January earthquake has caused the destruction of 95 percent of schools in the Port-au Prince area. It is my belief that an uneducated population has the potential to become a national security threat and considering this dramatic situation, we must confront the crisis head on. In our effort to assist Haiti in becoming self-sustainable, education is the first step.

Without the promotion and cultivation of human capital, there can be no substantial poverty reduction. We know that educational attainments improve the livelihoods of the poor and reduce the likelihood of becoming poor.

Since Haiti has one of the largest income gaps between the rich and the poor in the world, providing accessible education is instrumental to creating a strong middle class, as well as sustaining small business and stimulating entrepreneurship.

There needs to be a plan in place that utilizes the skills of highly educated staff and the input of leading experts in the field of education. This is needed to provide improvements to the Haitian educational system but also serve as a platform for innovation. High quality education and partnerships between Haitian and foreign educational institutions are attainable goals.

The Government of Haiti has indicated its intention to promote free quality education and it is imperative that the United States and other friends of Haiti mobilize their efforts to provide easy access to education for all Haitian children. Let this be our gift to the children of Haiti in return for their ancestors' sacrifice for democracy.

Madam Speaker, today I rise in recognition of an outstanding act of community service by the organization and non- profit, Cutting For A Cure, and its founder, Dennis Mitchell. I am proud of the work being done by extraordinary people in the fight to bring awareness and combat very serious health issues, like HIV/AIDS, which has disproportionately affected Blacks, women and other minority members of the Harlem community and the city at large. At the forefront of that movement is Denny Moe's Barbershop and Cutting for a Cure, a community based organization founded to increase the awareness of preventive health care and the importance of early detection and screening.

In hosting the 2nd Annual Cutting for a Cure event, a 48 hour hair- cutting, medical screening and entertainment marathon which commenced on June 25 and ended on June 27, in partnership with National HIV Testing Day to gain exposure for its cause, the organization employed the help of volunteer barbers, entertainers, doctors, nurses and medical technicians to cause a tangible effect in Harlem by raising the awareness of early screening as a means of preventive health maintenance.

With a mobile medical van and team of medical personnel on location, the organization offered screening for diseases ranging from diabetes, high blood pressure and hypertension, high cholesterol, breast, prostate and colon cancer, asthma, kidney disease, and of course, hepatitis and HIV/AIDS in its effort to provide people with the means of early detection. Doctors have repeatedly offered evidence that early diagnosis of certain diseases such as cancers of the colon and the prostate give those who are diagnosed early ability to aggressively combat their illness in the hope of eliminating it and continuing their lives free of disease.

I would like to formally commend Cutting for a Cure for its work in raising health awareness and promoting early diagnosis of the health issues which unevenly affect minorities in our urban centers. The aim of the organization is to offer free health screening clinics with the support of local and corporate business sponsorship, area hospitals and health care professionals to provide local residents an opportunity to get tested right in their own neighborhoods and on their commercial streets and blocks. With help from sponsors such as the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, St. Luke's Roosevelt, Harlem Hospital Center, Central Harlem Health Revival, Harlem United, Barbershop Quartet, Apple Bank, The New York Times, Crunch Gyms and many others, Cutting for a Cure is effectively addressing an epidemic of preventable disease and death right here in Harlem, throughout my Congressional District and the greater New York City at large.

Founder, Mr. Dennis Mitchell, affectionately known as Denny Moe, is the Harlem barbershop owner of Denny Moe's Superstar Barbershop and the catalyst for the creation of Cutting for a Cure. Denny Moe was diagnosed earlier this year with Type II diabetes and has used his detection and influence in the community as a business owner to take action with the end goal of bettering lives. Inspired by the health concerns and issues he heard from his many customers who sat in the chairs of his barber shop and friends and family members who became affected by disease and various cancers, he noticed a pattern of certain diseases affecting his customers more than others and the tragedy of people dying due to being diagnosed too far along into their illnesses.

Denny realized that something must be done to stem the tide of African Americans who were losing their lives unnecessarily prematurely due to lack of awareness and inadequate health care. That realization was the seed for the birth of Cutting for a Cure and the work began to offer the community help in the form of education and medical evaluation. Emphasizing the importance of periodic check-ups and healthy living in order to prevent disease is the means used by Denny Moe's Superstar Barbershop to help the people of Harlem and the community around him in his effort to highlight the disparity in the quality of health care offered in urban communities across the nation.

Madam Speaker, the efforts of this organization to effect positive change in the lives of other New Yorkers is invaluable and I am honored to commend its work. The organization's motto of ``One ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure'' is an ideal which it promotes heavily while educating the community that disease prevention is the best method of living a healthy life. The citizens of New York City can only benefit from individuals and organizations such as Mr. Dennis ``Denny Moe'' Mitchell and Cutting for a Cure as they enrich the lives of others as they continue to help our community.

Madam Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today to memorialize a beloved member of our community, Sister Mary Celine Graham, who's mass will be celebrated tomorrow at Saint Aloysius Roman Catholic Church in her beloved Harlem. Her tragic and senseless death came as a result of a horrific accident and has left behind a deeply felt void within the Handmaids of Mary of the Most Pure Heart family and the greater Harlem community. The Handmaids of Mary have a special place in my heart going back to my youth, and the loss of Sister Mary Celine is especially profound.

Sister Mary Celine was born in Jacksonville, Florida and raised in Detroit. At the age of 22, she joined the Franciscan Handmaids of the Most Pure Heart of Mary in Harlem, which is one of only three historically black orders of Roman Catholic nuns in the United States. She continued to share her love and services with her community for the next 61 years.

Her death at the age of 83 leaves behind a great legacy of tireless service and devotion to those who needed her. Sister Mary Celine is remembered as a woman of true compassion who believed in education for the young. She dedicated her life to being a teacher, director, and surrogate grandmother to the children of St. Benedict's Day Nursery on 124th Street at Marcus Garvey Park.

As the New York Times reported last week, Sister Mary Celine left an indelible mark on the children she cared for and educated. She was a gently firm yet caring teacher who recognized the potential in each individual and worked to bring that potential to fruition. Sister Mary Celine was not only an educator but was also a loving mother figure to the children. These children not only learned the basics of reading and numbers but also learned what it was to love, and what it was to serve others.

The undivided attention and care she poured out to the children and the community will be forever etched in the hearts of all those that encountered her. She was a true kindred spirit that emanated a sense of peace and order.

Madam Speaker, although her life was taken from us too abruptly, rather than mourn this tragedy, I hope that my colleagues will join me in remembering and celebrating the tremendous and loving spirit of Sister Mary Celine Graham--one of God's special angels who served Harlem at the Franciscan Handmaids of the Most Pure Heart of Mary.

I want to thank the chairman of the committee for yielding.

I guess my appeal has to deal with America. I think that our great country and its successes is really not just due to investments, but the investments that we have in people who are willing to leave their home country to come to this country because they have hopes, they have dreams, they have the energy. And I don't know how you convert that into what makes America the giant that it is, but one thing is abundantly clear: everyone is trying to come to America, and no one is anxious to leave.

This quality of believing in America and believing that you have the opportunity to succeed through hard work is one of the things that I think this recession, this setback, is costing us--something that we can never recover from--and that is the lack of faith. I think the gentleman from Chicago talked about it.

It's not just those who are unemployed now. It's those who are chronically unemployed, those that don't really believe that America's going to give them another chance, and those that are holding on now by their fingernails in the hope that somebody somewhere would allow them to exist.

Some lives cannot be restored. You can't get back that house, you can't get back your credit, you can't get back your kid in college, you can't get back your reputation of being a hardworking person that takes care of their family. And these are personal crises that most people overcome. But can our country overcome it? Can we tell a person that's worked all of his life, and his father and his grandfather, can we say that we have found billions of dollars for the bankers but somehow we are concerned about the deficit when it comes to Americans?

The one quality that we have is we believe in this country, we believe in hard work, and we believe that our country supports that type of thing. We can't talk about the other House, we can't talk about the deficit, we can't talk about Republicans and Democrats. We are talking about the heart of our country, and that is the dreams and the aspirations that we will never let workers down.

So we are not talking about welfare, unwanted children, or any of those things except what our flag is made of; and our flag is made of hope and support from this great country. So I do hope, Madam Speaker, that people try to understand everybody in this Chamber knows somebody that's not going to come back the same way that this crisis has hit them. We have an ability to ease the pain and to save the faith of those people who have not yet reached that point that they know that our country has let them down.

I just thank my colleagues for being sensitive enough to know that we do care, and we want the country to know that this could happen to them. So many people are depending on us. I hope this body will not let them down.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the First Japanese Diplomatic Mission to the United States as the Museum for the City of New York pays tribute to Samurai in New York--The First Japanese Delegation, 1860.

On March 17, 1860, exactly 150 years ago today, a sailing ship flying a flag never before seen in North America entered the Golden Gate. It was the Kanrin Maru, the first Japanese ship ever to cross the Pacific on its arrival to San Francisco, California. Japan had been closed to the rest of the world for more than 200 years until 1854, when Commodore Matthew Perry and his squadron of American warships forced the Japanese to open their doors to trade.

The Kanrin Maru had a difficult and stormy 37-day voyage from Japan when it set sail in the winter of 1860. During its time of isolation, the Japanese had had no oceangoing ships and only one member of the Japanese crew had ever been beyond the sight of land. This epic voyage continued until the ship arrived in San Francisco, when the crew's first appearance was revealed on American soil.

At that time, San Franciscans were familiar with the Chinese immigrants in California, but were amazed to see this delegation of distinguished men, so noted by the senior man aboard, Admiral Yoshitake Kimura, who had a shaved head and a topknot in the manner of a samurai. It was also observed and reported by the San Francisco Evening Bulletin that there had been important officers who carried two swords and were obsessed with etiquette. It is also noted that these men always wore robes and never wore hats.

On the other hand, the Japanese were surprised that San Franciscans walked on expensive rugs with their muddy boots. They were astonished that the powerful governor of California traveled without an escort of retainers and that Americans used horses to pull their carriages. They were also amazed that American men treated women as equals.

Twelve days after the arrival of the Kanrin Maru, the USS Powhatan arrived bringing the first Japanese Embassy to the United States to ratify the new treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation between the United States and Japan. Sent by the Tokugawa Shogunate were three Ambassadors, Masaoki Shinmi, Norimasa Muragaki and Tadamasa Oguri whom headed the mission to exchange instruments of ratification of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce. The delegation also included a group of approximately eighty samurai diplomats. The delegation officially arrived

in San Francisco on March 29, stopped in Washington, DC on May 14 via Panama, then went on to Baltimore, Philadelphia, and, finally, to New York.

The arrival of the Japanese in Washington DC was a major event, and Congress granted a $50,000 budget, almost $1.5 million in today's dollars, to entertain them. On March 28th, the mission paid its official visit to President James Buchanan.

On June 18, 1860, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers packed the streets of Manhattan to watch the sword-toting samurai parade on Broadway during the diplomatic two-week stay in New York. The unprecedented throng of New Yorkers lined the parade route from Lower Manhattan to Union Square, hoping to glimpse the exotic visitors. The great Walt Whitman was on hand and composed a poem in their honor. The city hosted a grand civic ball for 10,000, and members of New York society vied to entertain the visiting Japanese diplomats. Mayor Wood and the Common Council of New York held a reception in honor of the Japanese ambassadors in the Governor's Room at City Hall.

New Yorkers and the popular press were overcome with Japan mania, especially for the youngest member of the group, seventeen-year-old translator Tateishi Onojiro, also known as ``Tommy.'' With the appearance of the popular song, the ``Tommy Polka,'' the ``Tommy'' boom outlasted the departure of the delegation itself. For their part, the Japanese delegation studied American industry and technology, learned about its government and customs, and brought back ideas that would help fuel Japan's emergence on the world stage.

Madam Speaker, although largely forgotten today, the Japanese 1860 Samurai Mission was to ratify the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation, which had been signed several years earlier. The agreement opened the ports of Edo and four other Japanese cities to American trade, among other stipulations. In the years before the Civil War, the Japanese visitors captivated the American people and the press. This first face-to-face cultural exchange between, the Japanese and everyday Americans was one of the most elaborated spectacles of its time.

As Dean of the New York Congressional Delegation and on behalf of my colleagues and all of the residents of my district, we are honored to join Ambassador Shinichi Nishimiya, Consul General of Japan in New York, James G. Dinan and Susan Henshaw Jones in celebrating Samurai in New York--The First Japanese Delegation, 1860 at Harlem's beloved Museum of the City of New York.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to recognize Juneteenth Independence Day which we observe with Resolution 546, sponsored by Rep. Danny Davis of Illinois. The House of Representatives notes the importance of effectively understanding our past as the foundation of a progressive and egalitarian future.

We remember June 19, 1865, ``Juneteenth,'' as the day of the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in the last of the States in the Union. Though President Abraham Lincoln intended the Emancipation Proclamation to go into effect on January 1, 1863, slaves in the last of the slaveholding territories, namely Texas, did not hear of their freedom until 1865. Galveston, Texas is recognized as the birthplace of Juneteenth and as of this March, 36 states have recognized the day for observance. Now, 145 years later, we remember Juneteenth as a turning point in the history of Black Americans.

This celebration of freedom and equality is an important patriotic symbol in the history of the Nation. Juneteenth is an opportunity for us to pause and remember the difficult road to advancement and to reflect on the importance of that political organizing in Galveston by former slaves to celebrate their freedom and new status. Juneteenth is one of the earliest landmarks of the active political involvement of Black Americans following the sacrifices made by the more than 200,000 people who fought and died in the Civil War.

We are also reminded of the many achievements and contributions Black Americans have made to the country in all fields. We highlight the work done by civil rights leaders and activists who have carried on the spirit and legacy of emancipation. In particular, we salute those men and women serving in our armed forces, who could not serve today without the rights afforded them by the work of previous generations of Black Americans who fought in every conflict since the Nation's founding. Culturally, we must recognize the magnanimous impact of Black artists, performers and academics in shaping American identity well beyond the 21st century.

While Juneteenth started in Texas, its impact and importance to the United States' commitment to independence and liberty is felt nationwide. Freedom is at the core of the legacy of the United States and of all its citizens, regardless of race or personal background. I am proud to celebrate and recognize the significance of Juneteenth today and forever in our Nation's history.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Caribbean-American Heritage Month and the contributions of Caribbean-Americans to this Nation. Since 2006, the United States has celebrated the rich and diverse history of Caribbean-American peoples and the many successes of Caribbean-Americans during the month of June.

Parallels have often been drawn between the history of the United States and that of Caribbean nations. Like America, Caribbean nations saw the need to resist tyrannical European leadership and create new democracies.

The first Caribbean immigrants came to America in 1619 as indentured servants in Jamestown, and since then have played an increasingly large role in American society and in the lives of Americans. Since 1820, millions of people have immigrated to the United States from the Caribbean region, and now Americans of Caribbean descent reside in all fifty states of the Union.

Since our Nation's inception, Caribbean-Americans have played important roles in every aspect of American life. Alexander Hamilton, a founding father and the first Secretary of the Treasury, was a Caribbean immigrant. Other notable Caribbean-Americans include Colin Powell, a former four-star general and Secretary of State, Shirley Chisholm, the first black candidate for president and the first woman to run for the Democratic nomination, Eric Holder, the current Attorney General, Sydney Poitier, the first African-American to win the Academy Award for best actor, and Stokely Carmichael, a black power activist.

Throughout the years, Caribbean-American culture has become engrained in American society, but has managed to remain distinct and unique. Caribbean-American music, language, literature, film, food, festivals, and culture are enjoyed by all Americans.

Without a doubt, the influence of Caribbean-Americans on American culture has been great.

I respect and admire all that Caribbean-Americans have done for the United States in the past and in the present, and I look forward to the continued flourishing of Caribbean-American culture.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to commend the fifty graduates from Cristo Rey New York High School in East Harlem, who have beaten the odds to achieve this success. Every student in this class has been accepted to college in the fall.

Cristo Rey students dream big. Many aspire to become lawyers, forensic pathologists, journalists, psychologists and a wide variety of professions. The students will attend prestigious universities and colleges, in and out of New York, including Fordham University, Brooklyn College, John Jay College, New York University, Pace University, Georgetown University, Lehigh University, and Boston College.

The school is part of a network of twenty-four Cristo Rey schools throughout the country--Catholic, co-ed, college prep schools, where students of all faiths are welcomed.

Cristo Rey has played a special role in helping these students overcome obstacles they have faced in their young lives. Some have had financial difficulties, and others have faced the dangers and temptations of the streets.

In addition to academics, the students received hands-on experience in the workplace, even before being handed their diplomas. One day a week, they worked in some very high powered firms such as JPMorgan, Chase and Citigroup. The students performed office work and received guidance from mentors who helped them identify desired career paths.

Many of these firms pay sixty-percent of the school's expense.

Cristo Rey's motto is, ``transforming Urban America, One Student at a Time''. The transformation of these fifty students shows what hard work and dedication can achieve. Cristo Rey has laid the educational foundation for these students. The sky is the limit for them in what they can achieve, in their working careers.

Here are the names of the students whose achievements we celebrate: Lucio Reynoso, Steven Gonzalez, David Luna, Andrew Sanabria, Andy Paulino, Jonathan Balbuena, Aleksander Perpalaj, Daniel Estevez, Joel Frias, Bryan Santos, Charles Perez, Randy Nunez, Melany Rodriguez, Sade Gonzalez, Michelizabeth Sainvill, Nyesha Johnson, Tiffany Tejeda, Steven Saverino, Amaury de Dios, Stanley Majors, Jr., Christian Guzman, Angel-Alvarez, Laury Veudna; Devany Baez, Celia Martinez, Lizbel Escamilla, Sheniqua Green, Katherine Santiago, Olivia McBride, Vitoria Velazquez, Marisol Almonte, Ashley Garcia, Asia Davis, Angelique Agudo, Stephanie Ortiz, Amanda Rodriguez, Lidibeth Iona, Ashley Saucedo, Genesis Cedeno, Vanessa Ruiz, Noelia Taveras, Raquel Salgado, Cailyn Asturias, Jessica Vargas, Patricia Diaz, Stephanie Medaivilla, Tamika Flores, Paola Peguero.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the monumental contributions of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) on its 70th anniversary. Founded in 1940 by John H. Sengstacke, the NNPA has served as the voice and advocate of African-Americans, highlighting the historical challenges facing their communities. For several decades, the NNPA has been on the frontlines of the struggle for justice and defense of the rights of African Americans. Its impact has extended beyond publishing to affect the lives and livelihoods of African Americans and the history of the nation.

On June 18th, I was humbled to be honored by the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) at its 70th Annual Convention in New York City. Alongside Berry Gordy, the iconic founder of Motown Records and a longtime leader in the entertainment industry, I was presented with the Legacy of Excellence Award.

I would like to thank Danny Bakewell, Sr., Chairman of the NNPA and publisher of the Los Angeles Sentinel, the oldest and largest African American newspaper on the West Coast. Under Mr. Bakewell's leadership, the NNPA has thrived as an organization, which he has headed since July of 2009.

I also wish to recognize two stalwart publishers in the New York City NNPA family: Walter Smith, president of the Northeast Publishers Association and publisher of the New York Beacon; and Elinor Tatum, publisher of The New York Amsterdam News, who took over for her father, the great Wilbert A. Tatum, who passed away in February of 2009.

The history of the Black press in the United States dates back to the early 19th century. The first African-American newspaper, Freedom's Journal, was founded in March of 1827 in New York City. Two of its founders, Reverend Samuel Cornish and John B. Russwurm, proclaimed in the very first issue, ``Too long have others spoken for us . . . We wish to plead our own cause.'' The goals of the Black press were to create their own channels of communication for African Americans, expressing their views on social, political, and economic issues of their time.

The existential mission of the Black press was to fiercely oppose, condemn and agitate against the institution of slavery, the atrocities of lynching, the insults of racial segregation and the brutal injustices against African Americans that denied them their civil and political rights, not to mention their humanity. Freedom's Journal and the African American newspapers that followed laid the foundation for Black publishers, editors, journalists, columnists and cartoonists.

Years later, in March of 1940, John H. Sengstacke of the Chicago Defender organized many of this nation's Black publishers at the first annual convention of what was then the National Negro Publishers Association in Chicago. The objective was to provide a venue for Black publishers to acquaint themselves with each other and to jointly address

the problems ailing their industry. A total of 22 Black publications from 16 cities, including Detroit, Philadelphia and Chicago, were represented. This gathering was the birth of what is now known as the National Newspaper Publishers Association, which even today is widely considered as the most powerful and influential Black organization in the United States.

For seven decades, the NNPA has succeeded in championing the concerns, dreams, and triumphs of African Americans in this country. While there have been many successes, there is much work to be done. We need the Black press today as much as ever. They remain our champions in the fight for economic opportunity, affordable health care, quality education, and political representation.

Madam Speaker, I recognize the contributions of the NNPA, which represents over 200 publishers in the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The NNPA has made an important contribution to democracy by ensuring that the voices of African Americans are heard. I invite my colleagues to honor the legacy of the National Newspaper Publishers Association and their enduring contributions to this country's publishing industry, the African American community, and to the nation.