Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor for me to rise today to co-anchor this Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour alongside my distinguished colleague, Congressman James Clyburn of South Carolina. You see, Mr. Speaker--and to all those…
Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor for me to rise today to co-anchor this Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour alongside my distinguished colleague, Congressman James Clyburn of South Carolina.
You see, Mr. Speaker--and to all those who are listening and watching tonight--it is not only our 100th anniversary of Black History Month, but it is just that, it is our history, as Mr. Clyburn has so aptly outlined.
For the remainder of our first hour, you will hear from us. We will speak directly to the American people on an issue of deep importance to our caucus, to the House, to the communities we represent, and to our Nation.
As we observe Black History Month, today's Special Order hour is dedicated to recognizing the contributions, achievements, and sacrifices of Black military servicemembers and veterans.
I cannot think of a better person than our leader, the woman who leads the Congressional Black Caucus, who hails from New York's Ninth District to speak on this. Tonight, we will speak a lot about legacies, Black legacies. We will speak about challenges and barriers, about how we have prevailed.
When I think about Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, I think about Black legacy. When we talk about how Black servicemen and -women stood on the shoulders, I think about our leader, Yvette Clarke, who stands on the shoulders of her constituents in Brooklyn, New York. I think about Yvette Clarke, who stands on her mother's shoulders, a pioneer and someone who understood what we need to do to preserve our Black history.
Mr. Speaker, I ask everyone to listen carefully as this powerful Black woman comes to us and presents why we are here, because she leads us as we honor Black legacy, Black founders, and we honor the legacy that she will leave. Let us listen to the stories of Black military servicepeople, stories too often overlooked or erased.
Mr. Speaker, tonight, we stand here, and while we talk about the celebration of Black history and Black military men and women, we remind everyone that Black history is American history.
I am sure when Carter G. Woodson was thinking about Black history 100 years ago, I know he was not intending it to be for only 1 month, but for us to kick it off in February and continue it for the rest of the year.
Tonight, we are reminded that Black military history is not a footnote. It is foundational. From the Revolutionary War to today's All-Volunteer Force, Black servicemembers have defended this Nation with courage, discipline, and sacrifice, even when this Nation did not fully defend them in return.
Their service helped win wars. Their leadership strengthened our institutions. Their resilience expanded the promise of American democracy. As we observe Black History Month, let us commit not only to remembering this history but to protecting it, teaching it, and honoring those who continue to serve today. The strength of our military and our democracy depends on truth, inclusion, and the respect of those who have carried the burden of service.
Black Americans have served in the United States military since the Revolutionary War, with over 350,000 currently serving on Active Duty or in the Reserves, making up approximately 20 percent of enlisted personnel.
As of 2025, 21 percent of Army soldiers, Black or African American, while represented in the enlisted ranks, are underrepresented in the highest leadership levels, although 40 percent of the total Active-Duty Force consists of people of color.
You have heard about Robert Smalls becoming the first Black captain in the United States Navy during the Civil War. You have heard about Colin Powell, the first Black Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the list goes on and on.
We have heard a lot about men and women who were out there in the fight during the early years, fighting for our democracy and freedom. I was reminded when Mr. Clyburn talked about the Tuskegee Airmen that, yes, it was during World War II that First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt used her platform as a military advocate to challenge segregation and to elevate excellence in the Armed Forces. She publicly championed the Tuskegee Airmen, whose skills and discipline shattered the lies used to justify exclusion, and proved that racism, not readiness, was the real barrier. You see, they were Black, for anyone who might not know that, and by flying with one of them as her pilot, Roosevelt sent an unmistakable message that standing with Black servicemembers was an act of patriotism and putting country over hate.
That leads me to someone who lived much of her life until she died in my hometown, Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams Earley, whom I finally called Aunt Charity. She mentored me and taught me much of what I know today. She always reminded me of barriers and challenges, but always said to move forward and go forward and do those things that will make a difference.
She was the first Black woman officer in the Women's Army Corps, commanded the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all- Black, all-female unit deployed overseas during World War II. Stationed in Europe, her battalion was tasked with clearing a massive backlog of undelivered mail, millions of letters and packages that carriers hoped servicemembers who were far from home would receive, but this wasn't an ordinary task. It was warehouses for miles and miles.
It was given to them because no one else had been able to do it, and certainly, those White officers felt that they would not be able to do it either. It was punishment. Mr. Speaker, they didn't know the power of Black women.
I thank Charity Edna Earley and all those who served with her and their families because they completed the mission not only on time but in record time, delivering those messages from parents, children, friends, and loved ones and restoring morale in the midst of war.
Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams Earley was the commanding officer of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. They were honored just recently here in Congress with the Congressional Gold Medal for her extraordinary work during World War II service.
I am so proud that I could be there that day to witness her family, her two children, Judith and Stanley, as we stood together while she and others were honored.
Mr. Speaker, the statistics are long and strong about what we have done. I thank Mr. Clyburn for being our historian, for reminding us that, from the earliest days of this Nation, Black Americans have stepped forward to serve even while enslaved, segregated, and denied basic rights.
During the American Revolution, Black patriots fought in the Continental Army. Just this summer, as our Nation marked the birthday of the United States Army, we also lifted up Black heroes too often left out of history, men like Mr. Clyburn mentioned: Salem Poor, Peter Salem, James Armistead Lafayette, who served in the Continental Army where it all began.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Clyburn for allowing me to share a small part in this. We could go on and on, but certainly I would be remiss if I didn't mention that, during the Civil War, Black service and leadership continued, including the extraordinary contributions of Harriet Tubman.
Tubman served as a nurse, an intelligence operative, and a scout. She was part of a movement, part of an Army, providing crucial information on Confederate movements in supply lines. In 1863, she planned and guided the ferry raid, destroying Confederate supplies and freeing more than 700 enslaved people, becoming the first American woman to lead a military operation.
Mr. Speaker, her leadership saved lives, weakened the Confederacy, and reshaped the meaning of military service. I thank Mr. Clyburn for allowing me to share that part.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Clyburn for yielding.
I thank Mr. Clyburn for not only giving us information about Blacks serving in the military, but also reminding us of our rich history and how everyone benefits. Thus, Black history is American history.
Mr. Speaker, let us be clear that America cannot move forward by erasing the people who propelled it forward. Currently, this administration is looking to erase the impact of women and Black Americans from our military. From brutal attacks on Black history to Secretary Hegseth's attempt to remove women from combat roles, the message is clear.
Clearly, President Trump does not value the contributions of Black Americans or women in our Nation's military, but still, they rise. Still, we rise because we understand that an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice anywhere. Today, that legacy lives on through the more than 350,000 Black Americans currently serving in uniform and the more than 2 million Black Americans who are veterans. They served with that same courage, that same resilience, and that same excellence as those who came before them.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Clyburn for reminding us about being woke because the opposite is being asleep, and I am sure we don't want anyone to not be woke when they are fighting for our freedom, when they are fighting for our justice.
As we move forward, Mr. Speaker, in this Congress, I ask that we remember the things that we shared and that we move forward with an open mind and a mind of the words that we so frequently say: ``Freedom and justice for all.''
I thank Mr. Clyburn for yielding.