Kweisi Mfume

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to an American patriot whose contributions to racial justice in construction and federal contracting have gone underrecognized for far too long. Mr. Samuel M. Plato was an African American architect, businessman, and contractor who built homes, churches, schools, factories, and government buildings across the country--more than a dozen of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places--and always insisted on a racially integrated workplace. Later this year, he will be inducted into the Alabama Men's Hall of Fame.

Mr. Plato was born on January 10, 1882, in a one-room log cabin outside of Waugh, Alabama. He was the sixth of eleven children, the son of parents who had been born into slavery. His father, James, Sr., was a carpenter who taught his son Samuel the trade, skills he later used to finance his law studies. But his life changed course when he enrolled in a mail-order correspondence course in architecture and building construction. His career was set.

In 1904, Mr. Plato relocated to Marion, Indiana, with just $2.40 in his pocket, where he soon secured his first major contract: a new structure for the Black-owned Second Baptist Church. Over the next decade, he became a prominent figure in the community, founding and leading the local chapter of the National Negro Business League.

In Indiana, Mr. Plato came face-to-face with racial discrimination firsthand. The only Black man on a crew of 26, he was fired after just one hour because his white coworkers refused to work alongside him. From that point on, he resolved to integrate every workplace that he was part of.

He soon had an opportunity to put his principles into practice. Awarded a plum contract to design and build a mansion in Marion in 1912, he presented white workers with an ultimatum: to join the project, they would have to allow Black workmen into the local mechanics' union. Over the protests of its president, the union was integrated.

Soon after, he returned to the South. In 1918, Mr. Plato became the first Black man to receive a federal contract to build a post office, constructing the U.S. Post Office in Decatur, Alabama--the first of more than 45 post offices he would build throughout his career.

In 1941, as America prepared for war, he began working as a Federal Defense Housing contractor, building 88 units for defense workers and their families near Louisville, Kentucky. Later that year, Mr. Plato received a

contract that is near and dear to my heart: leading an integrated crew of more than 1,000 skilled and semi-skilled workers, he oversaw the construction of the Sparrows Point Defense Housing Project, later renamed the Ernest Lyon Homes. Built for Black steelworkers excluded from white-only federal housing, these homes became a cornerstone of Turner Station, Maryland, my birthplace.

In 1942 and 1943, he built two major housing facilities in Washington, D.C., that housed over 1,000 Black women working in the defense industry. In the postwar years, he built 88 homes in the Chickasaw neighborhood of Louisville and helped Black families acquire them. To this day, the community has a street named in his honor, Plato Terrace.

Mr. Plato died on May 13, 1957, at his home in Louisville. Though he married twice, Mr. Plato never had children and thus lacked heirs to steward his legacy. I am grateful for the research and advocacy of Mallorie K.M. Berger, M.S., whose diligent work to promote Mr. Plato's memory empowered me to pen these words to commemorate a remarkable life lived in pursuit of racial justice in housing, construction, and contracting.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleague to join me in honoring the venerable memory and legacy of Mr. Samuel M. Plato.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, August 31, 2026, I missed votes for personal reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 284, and YEA on Roll Call No. 285.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Bernadette Bascom, a native daughter of Baltimore who has dedicated her life to the performance of music and the education of young people.

She has used her God-given talents to entertain countless Americans and to help those with special needs find their voice, and next month, her adopted home of Bothell, Washington will recognize October 11 as Bernadette Bascom Day.

Bernadette was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1962, the daughter of Lutherine Bascom, a music teacher, and one of Baltimore's greatest civil rights leaders, Rev. Marion C. Bascom of Douglas Memorial Community Church.

Rev. Bascom was a giant in the movement, marching alongside Dr. King, helping integrate Gwynn Oak Amusement Park, and serving as Baltimore's first Black fire commissioner. Rev. and Mrs. Bascom raised their daughter to share their values of justice, service, and the right of all people to dignity and respect.

Bernadette gravitated to music as a girl, with her mother sneaking her to rehearsals while Rev. Bascom insisted that she focus on her education. She began her career on the air as a disc jockey and a vocalist, but her big break came when she received an invitation to go on tour with The People's Choice.

Bernadette toured the West Coast that summer and, while in Seattle, fell in love with Washington State and decided to stay. She established herself in the local funk scene, touring the state with bands like Epicenter and Acapulco Gold.

While in Washington, she re-connected with a friend she had made while attending a Stevie Wonder concert in high school--Stevie Wonder himself. She had never sung for him, but after she sent him a recording of her voice, Stevie insisted that she become the first artist to sign onto his record label, Black Bull Music Inc.

From there, Bernadette's successful musical career accelerated, and she shared a stage with acclaimed musicians like Lenny Williams and Elton John. In 1981, she released her trademark single. ``Seattle Sunshine/I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love,'' bringing her to a new pinnacle of fame.

Over the next several decades, Bernadette solidified herself as a working performer of the highest caliber, She spent over 15 years in Las Vegas, co-starring in the Divine Divas, and spent a decade performing with the Supremes at the Motown Cafe in New York.

In 2004, Bernadette made a career change and transitioned from the stage to the classroom. She helped launch the Music Project in Washington's Northshore School District, a program building an inclusive space in the world of music for kids with special needs.

In the years since, Bernadette has shepherded hundreds of young people through the program, using music to help them find their voice while imbuing them with self-esteem, life skills, and confidence. The program was so successful. Bernadette has worked with Microsoft to build the ``SPEAK! Music As Language'' app, bringing her multisensory' teaching methods to the world.

In addition to her work with the Music Project, Bernadette is a professor of performance and voice at Northwest University. When she joined the university, she donated music manuals and songbooks worth over $10,000 to the school library, and she has since provided vocal training to hundreds of NU students.

Bernadette has received numerous accolades and awards over the years, including a 2013 Emmy Award for a documentary about the Music Project entitled ``Bernadette's Touch.'' No doubt, more than any of the acclaim she has received, it is the impact that she has had on young people that brings Bernadette the most joy.

Mr. Speaker, Bernadette Bascom has lived a life devoted to creating art and serving others. She has helped countless young Americans embrace their voices and find joy in music, and she has more than earned the plaudits that she has received over her career. I urge my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to her.