Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Josie Brown Childs, a true pioneer and civil rights champion who passed away on February 13, 2023, at the age of 96. She left an indelible mark on Chicago and beyond.

Childs began her career in public service in the 1950s, working for the City of Chicago and later as an events coordinator under Colonel Jack Riley. She went on to serve Mayor Harold Washington as an aide, working on his mayoral campaigns and at City Hall in the Special Events and Cultural Affairs departments from 1983 to 1990.

One of Childs' most significant achievements was founding the Mayor Harold Washington Legacy Committee in 2013, dedicated to preserving Washington's legacy through voter registration initiatives, an annual wreathlaying ceremony at his Oak Woods Cemetery tomb, and a Roosevelt University scholarship. Her tireless efforts to ensure the continued legacy of Chicago's first African American mayor were truly remarkable and helped to make a lasting impact on the city.

Childs dedicated her life to public service and promoting African American cultural and historical awareness. She worked with The Chicago Urban League, the NAACP, Planned Parenthood, Rainbow PUSH, and many other organizations to improve the lives of others and advance the cause of civil rights.

Her life and legacy will continue to inspire future generations to pursue their dreams and positively impact their communities. We owe it to her memory to continue fighting for justice and equality. On behalf of the people of Illinois' First Congressional District, I offer my

deepest condolences to Childs' family and friends. We honor her life and legacy today and always, and we will never forget the groundbreaking, history-making work she accomplished.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from the State of Florida, the Honorable Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.

There are too many people who believe that what happened in Selma is about the past, when really it is about the future. That city, this movement, and perhaps most of all, this dedication to freedom, to equity, and equality, is not, nor has it ever been merely a moment in time.

Let us be very clear: We do not go to Selma every year to remember. There is nothing wrong with remembering. In fact, America would be a better place if she was willing to get over her historical amnesia.

There is a place in the body politic of this Nation for the act of remembering; no doubt about it. But what happened in Selma on this date, it is not some fossilized moment in American history.

What happened there was that ordinary people decided that they wanted their country to be a better place. They decided to dig again the wells of democracy which had been severely tampered with by racism, sexism, poverty, anti-Blackness, anti-Semitism, and everything else that made America woeful in the eyes of the marginalized and the oppressed.

The Founding Fathers had their role and their place, but everyone could not drink from their wells. Those were privileged wells. The wells that they dug had pretty stones, but the water was muddy.

What happened in Selma is that an entire generation decided to clean up the well. They decided to dig deeper wells. The people who marched there were of the opinion that everybody has a right to drink from the great springs of democracy.

They fundamentally believed that if you are a citizen of this country, then no one has the right to tell you that you don't have access to the constitutional ideals that make democracy worth the trouble of being democratic.

Amelia Boynton and Jimmy Lee Jackson took democracy in America in their own hands and saved America from Americanism.

My father is famous for saying that hands that used to pick cotton are now picking Presidents, and he is absolutely right. But today we need to understand that those same hands are the only reason that democracy survives in this country.

Do you think the insurrection of January 6 was the first time democracy was in trouble in this country?

As the Bible says, be not deceived.

When women are not safe, and Black people cannot vote, and Jewish people are put upon, and poor people are denied dignity and resources, the fact of the matter is this: Democracy in this country was already on life support, and has been so for a long a time.

But in 1965, ordinary people pumped life back into this democracy. Reverend Martin Luther King worked on the heart. Reverend Howard Thurman and Reverend Benjamin Mays worked on the minds. Ella Baker, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Diane Nash worked on its bones.

Everyday people, before those names, some of which you don't know, breathed life back into the American experience and, in a manner of speaking, told Lazarus to rise up from that grave.

The Selma movement took an emaciated commitment to its constitution and anemic political system and dared to put meat on the bone.

In 2023, the fight for democracy is not over. As of January 25, at least 150 proposed restrictive voting bills have been introduced in 32 States, threatening to disenfranchise millions of voters.

In Texas, five election interference bills have already been introduced this year alone, and in North Carolina, the Supreme Court of the U.S. has heard disturbing arguments in the Moore v. Harper case. This case seeks to establish the ``independent state legislature'' theory, which would prohibit State supreme courts from interpreting whether laws passed by the State legislature are constitutional under their constitutions.

These efforts to limit access to the ballot box and undermine the will of the people underscore the commitment, the importance of continuing the fight for democracy and upholding the values that we were defending in Selma.

When we go to Selma, we go not simply to show up to remember, we go every year to renew our commitment to the America that was created by freedom fighters.

The America created not in the purity of a hall in Philadelphia, but on a bridge in Alabama dripping with blood.

We show up every year to let it be known that we are not going back.

We are going annually to leave no room for doubt.

This is our country. We were born here, and until all of us are free, none of us can make a claim for freedom.

We go to Selma every year so that the bigots and the racists, and the sexists, and the supremacists will know that we will not be moved.

We don't show up in Selma every year for Reverend Martin Luther King. We come for our children, and our grandchildren, and our great- grandchildren, and generations yet unborn.

We go to Selma to make it clear that as long as we have anything to say about it, a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, and for all the people, shall not perish from the Earth.

Mr. Speaker, on this day, March 7, I would like to also share reflections that I have had with the House regarding Mrs. Mamie Till, the mother of Emmett Till, a resident of the First Congressional District of Illinois.

Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege, better than 3 weeks ago, to attend the screening of the ``Till'' movie in the White House under the Presidency of Joseph R. Biden.

My remarks are as follows: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give special recognition to Mr. Andy Jassy, chief executive officer of Amazon, for his inspiring contribution to the making of the major motion picture ``Till,'' a movie about the life and martyrdom of Emmett Till.

Mr. Jassy's participation is of special importance to me, not only as an African American but as a Representative of the First Congressional District of Illinois.

Emmett Till lived and is now buried in the First Congressional District. Were he alive today, I very well could be his constituent in the First District or he could have been mine.

Sadly, we live in a world where the prospects of Black life continue to diminish. Emmett Till never got to live out his days in peace. He never got to pursue the best of what he had to offer the world.

It is important that we remember that Emmett Till was actually a human being.

Emmett Till was not, first and foremost, a victim, nor was he merely a symbol of racial antipathy in America. Emmett Till was a young man of tremendous compassion--a compassion not just for his family, but for his community as well.

Emmett dreamed of becoming a motorcycle policeman. It is said by those who knew him well, that Emmett had a joy for life, an infectious personality, and a remarkable sense of humor. In the eyes of those who loved him, Emmett was a boy who knew no limitations. He was what we should be and what we should value in all children in America, namely limitless.

There is nothing more tragic than such a bright light should be needlessly extinguished, that such a treasure should be buried in the ground, and that such a crime against humanity should have taken place.

I remember having been with Mrs. Rosa Parks, and my father Reverend Jackson asked her: Why did she not get up off of that bus in 1955?

She said that it was because she saw Emmett's picture and could not go back.

That indeed laid a foundation of a resurgence of a civil rights era.

I should also mention that the First Congressional District is not only where Emmett lived his life, but it is also the place where his mother kept sleepless sentinel over the memory and body of her son in a way most reminiscent of Antigone.

Mamie Till courageously fought for accountability and justice not just for her child alone. After the murder of her son, Mamie Till lived her life dedicated to the proposition that all children have a right to be safe and protected.

Without title or position, the mother of Emmett Till committed herself to the eradication of hatred in America, the kind of hatred that killed her son and the kind of hatred that continues to limit the horizons of millions of Blacks because of the color of their skin.

Mamie Till not only was a resident of the First Congressional District, she was the conscience of the community. Having already taken a moral stand, Mrs. Till was the quintessential American mother: Fearless and tenacious and yet somehow endowed with a generosity of spirit that not even the most sullen of hearts could resist her light. To meet her was to meet someone so singularly dedicated to equality that one could not be in her presence without being fundamentally transformed.

I am particularly proud to say that Mamie Till was a close friend of my family, and I have known her all of my life. Both my mother and father loved and admired her, and she must never be forgotten.

This is why the contribution of Mr. Jesse Williams is so significant. The murder and martyrdom of Emmett Till was not only tragic in its own right, but it points the way to a larger and fundamental truth of the American experience. From the years 1882 until 1968, approximately 4,742 people were lynched in America. Most of them were African Americans. The overwhelming majority were innocent, murdered without provocation, and perhaps, most importantly, all of them American citizens trying to secure for themselves the benefits of America.

But because we live in a nation dangerously preoccupied with the impediments of race, over 4,000 of its citizens--Emmett Till being one of them--lost their lives in the unintelligent and uncompromising shadows of hatred. This is why the film sponsored by Mr. Jesse and Amazon is of such critical importance in this era.

Given the fact that we are living in a time when government institutions are trying to erase uncomfortable and inconvenient aspects of American history, cultural artifacts must be rendered beyond reach of state sanctions and curriculum.

Mr. Faulkner said long ago that the center must hold, the truth must be preserved, and everything else is a lie. Nations that build their tomorrows on a cacophony of falsehoods are not worthy of the future they presume. But when we tell the truth, when we tell our story, then we are in the moment a better nation.

This is why what Mr. Jesse has done. This is what all of the makers of the movie ``Till'' have collaborated to create. They, much like the best of the Nation's creative forces, have given us something to consider, something to think about, and something to make us remember lest we fall victim to the most egregious historical infraction: the very act of forgetting.

While it is true that no company is without spot or blemish and since there are no immaculate corporations, it is no less the case, however, that Mr. Jesse's commitment to the making of this important cultural artifact is a watershed moment not only because of the movie's artistic content, but also because it raises the bar on how we might judge the value of corporate citizenship.

Fifty years ago, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., reminded us that in some situations, cowardice will ask: Is it safe?

Expedience will ask: Is it popular?

But conscience must ask: Is it right?

Prayerfully, I long for the day when we might look back upon the significant corporate and cultural collaboration and the emergence of a new American corporate consciousness. I think it is not a stretch to suggest that more American companies need to publicly align themselves with the truth of American history.

Mr. Jesse has certainly done that. He has reminded us that despite the inherent value of selling, we must put aside selling items sometimes to make a profit in order to do what is right for our Nation and the world.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, we honored and commemorated the memory of Emmett Till. I had the pleasure of attending the White House screening of the movie `Till.' Emmett Till was only 14 years old when he was brutally beaten, shot, and dumped into the Tallahatchie River. It was horrific tragedy that sent shockwaves across the Nation, exposing the deep-seated racism and hatred that existed in the South during that time.

But it was also a pivotal moment that helped to galvanize a generation of civil rights activists, including my father and countless others, who were determined to fight for equality and justice for all.

I find it significant to mention that Emmett Till was born the same year as my father. As a son of the civil rights movement, I know that Till's murder touched the hearts of many and inspired them to take action. One of those people was Rosa Parks, who attended a rally in Alabama in 1955, where she heard Mississippi activist Dr. T.R.M. Howard speak about Till. Years later, my father asked Rosa Parks why she refused to move to the back of the bus, and she replied, ``I thought of Emmett Till and I couldn't go back.''

Thank you, President Biden for hosting this screening of `Till' at the White House. Your decision to share this important story with the country demonstrates your commitment to the fight for racial justice and your understanding of the importance of educating the public on the history of our Nation. Additionally, I want to thank Congress and the President for signing the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act into law, which makes lynching a federal crime. This historic legislation sends a clear message that the United States will no longer tolerate the senseless and brutal acts of racial violence that have scarred our Nation for too long.

Emmett Till's story is a painful reminder of the injustices and violence that Black people have endured for centuries in this country. But it is also a testament to the courage a resilience of those who fought for justice, and a call to action for all of us to continue that fight.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give mournful recognition of the 100-year anniversary of the Rosewood massacre, an event that is still one of the darkest chapters of American history.

On January 1, 1923, the small town of Rosewood, Florida, was the site of one of the worst racial attacks in the long history of this Nation.

Sparked by false allegations against an innocent Black man, a mob of White residents descended upon the Black community of Rosewood, and it is estimated that upward of 200 people were killed and virtually every building in that small African-American community was literally burned to the ground.

I stand in this well as the Representative of the First Congressional District of the State of Illinois, a district with a majority of minorities, of African Americans and Hispanics, which by pride and passion, a majority within its soul and sinews, feels the traumatic vestiges of Americans' inhumanity toward other Americans.

But this is American history, and it is as American as anything we might say about Concord and Appomattox.

In spite of the dark tragedies interwoven within our story, what happened in Rosewood 100 years ago is as American as anything that happened at Gettysburg or Ellis Island. It must be repeated to our children, lest we deny ourselves all the honesty we need to grow to be a better country.

I implore my colleagues to join me in condemning the College Board of Florida for removing AP African-American curriculum.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Marie Antoinette (Netter) Heflin, who unfortunately passed away earlier this year. I am grateful to have grown up knowing Marie and her children and my prayers are with them as they cherish the legacy of their mother.

Born in Rosedale, Mississippi, Marie Heflin moved to Chicago as a child. Deeply committed to her faith at even a young age, Marie gave her life to the New Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church on the west side of Chicago. And in combination with her seriousness in her relationship to the church, Marie also understood the importance of education at an early age.

While attending Lucy Flower High School, Marie studied nursing and went on to continue her education at the Chicago Teachers College. In her desire to keep learning, Marie earned a Master's Degree in Education at the prestigious University of Chicago and worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). Marie's tireless commitment to academic pursuits was evident throughout her life as she returned to school to become an English teacher while raising a family of her own. She taught al the Joseph Brenneman Elementary School and later at the Walter H. Dyett Middle School and instilled the same love of learning in her children.

During the beginning of her career, Marie met, and became friends with, Gloria Allen. Gloria would soon introduce Marie to her brother, James Edward Heflin, affectionately known as ``Chico.'' This introduction changed

her life as Marie and James were united in holy matrimony on October 7, 1961. They were married for 59 years and shared great joy in raising their 3 children, Fem, Gary, and Marla.

I was lucky to have the good fortune of attending school with Gary and Marla where we became fast friends. I consider them as siblings of my own and share in their grief since Marie has left us. From day one of meeting, I knew that I would have friends for life in the Heflin family and their support and guidance has remained invaluable to me. And while she taught in a classroom, Marie taught me important life lessons that have remained with me through the years. Mrs. Heflin fostered a closeness with her family that I will value for a lifetime.

I am certain that Marie will be remembered for all of her wonderful talents, the comfort she provided to anyone in need, and her unconditional love for her family and friends. I hope that memories of her continue serving as a blessing to those she loved most.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of attorney Larry R. Rogers, Sr. Chicago recently lost a powerhouse in the legal community, a dedicated leader in the civil rights fight, and a man who inspired me. America was a better place because Larry lived in it, and I am proud to recognize him in Congress.

As a native to the Roseland neighborhood in the south side of Chicago, Larry was raised by his mother who worked 2 jobs to support their family and pay for her children to attend Catholic school. Larry was inspired by her work ethic and commitment to a good education, which was evident in the path Larry pursued for himself.

After graduating college, Larry put his dreams on hold in order to provide for his own family. While working at 1 of his 3 jobs, Larry struck up a friendship with a customer at a gas station, which ultimately changed his life. Joe Power, a young attorney at the time, encouraged Larry to finish law school. Once he did, Joe recruited Larry to work at the law firm he was in at the time and the two eventually went on to found a personal law and medical malpractice firm, Power Rogers LLP.

Shortly after starting the law firm, it became evident that Larry was destined to be a lawyer. He secured multimillion-dollar verdicts and recoveries for his clients, including a record $27 million product liability verdict against an infant formula company, which in 1985 was the largest personal injury verdict in Illinois history, and a $55 million verdict for a brain-damaged woman, which is the largest medical malpractice verdict that went to judgment in Illinois history. In addition to this history-making victories in the courtroom, Larry also achieved historic victories for himself. He served as the first African American President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, was the President of the Cook County Bar Association, and was awarded the John Paul Stevens Award, the Chicago Bar Association's highest and most prestigious award.

While these successes are worthy of mention, Larry's work was more than legal accomplishments. He was often a mentor to young lawyers by being a trailblazer when there weren't many African American lawyers reaching the same heights as Larry so often did. Throughout his entire life, Larry understood the importance of helping others and advocating to those who needed it most, and that included supporting the young people at the start of their careers. Larry often told those who were new to the legal profession, ``Work hard. Maintain your integrity and be willing to associate with others in your field. Get to meet them and learn from them whether the others are African Americans or whites or whatever their ethnic background may be.'' As I begin my service in Congress, and proudly represent the First District of Illinois, I will carry Larry's words with me and commit myself to helping those in need.

Larry's formidable legal career also had a profound impact on his son, Larry Rogers, Jr., who I am grateful to call a friend. I can see the generational impact of Larry Sr.'s work Larry Jr. carries the mantle of his father's success, along with several other family members who have become lawyers. And while Larry Sr. has left this world, his spirit will remain as we continue to see the work being done by all of those he mentored, including his own children. Larry was a man who walked the corridors of power and never forgot those who are far too commonly left behind, and his influence will continue to be seen for generations to come.

Larry reached the heights of corporate success while carrying the compassion of the community he came from. In addition to his remarkable career, Larry Sr. was a champion for civil rights and remained a man who kept his heart and commitment with the people who needed it most. I also speak on behalf of my father, Rev. Jesse Jackson, who is grateful for Larry, Sr.'s friendship and dedication to equality throughout their relationship. Larry and my father often worked together, including at Rainbow/PUSH, and I know that we are better because of Larry's focus on social justice, both professionally and personally. The passing of Larry Rogers marks a significant loss for civil rights and a fighter for our community. My family will carry Larry's wisdom with us as the fight continues.

Above it all, Larry is remembered as a wonderful father, grandfather, and friend to those he left behind, including life partner Pam, his children and stepchildren Larry Jr., Dom, Ann Marie, and Frederic, and many grandchildren, sisters, brother, nieces, and nephews. Larry made life better for all of us and we thank God for blessing us with his presence. I hope memories of him serve as a blessing and provide comfort to all he knew.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of Mrs. Thomas's 90th birthday, which is on January 7th, Mrs. Iris Darcine Bowie (Andrew) Thomas R.N., was born on January 7, 1933, and grew up in Yellowpine, Texas. She graduated from Texas College where she was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Alpha Tau Chapter in 1951. With a heart and calling for a career in nursing, she attended Provident School of Nursing., Chicago, IL. She then met a young medical student, Dr. Andrew L. Thomas, and they married on June 12, 1960. They spent their honeymoon in Ghana studying tropical diseases, and later traveled to the People's Republic of China, Syria, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia to champion the cause of providing quality medical services to all people. Always concerned about access to care, Dr. Thomas launched Project Seventy-Five in 1966, a national effort to maintain and increase the number of minority students in the healthcare field.

Mrs. Thomas was also the first Black supervisor in nursing education at Michael Reese Hospital. Later, she was a teacher at the In Service Education Department at La Rabida Children's Hospital for the chronically ill, where she earned the Outstanding Nurse of the Year award. She retired from John Stroger (formerly Cook County) Hospital as Nurse Coordinator at the Referral Center in 2009.

She is the mother of 2 children, Mrs. Darcine Adelia (Howard) March, Beverly Hills, CA, and Dr. Andre L'ouverture (Pamela) Thomas, Orthopedic Surgeon, Del Rio, TX. And the grandmother of 5: Andrew L. Thomas, II, D.D.S. Howard University College of Dentistry anticipated in 2024, Maiah Lynette Thomas, 2022 graduate, Howard University, Chloe Thomas, Sophomore Howard University, Lalia Thomas and Gabriel March.

We have shared a fence for more than 50 years and Mrs. Thomas is the greatest neighbor I could have. On behalf of the First Congressional District of IIlinois, it is my honor and privilege to recognize Mrs. Thomas on her 90th birthday and I wish her continued health and happiness.