Floor Statements

Mr. Chair, I am proud to have introduced a bipartisan amendment to the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill to highlight the importance of protecting election workers with my friends, Congressmen Mike Levin, Juan Ciscomani, Sean Casten, and Chris DeLuzio.

From the failed former President doxxing Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss to the Fulton County election director, registration chief, and their staff getting death threats and being called every racial slur imaginable, my state has become ground zero for harassment and attacks on election workers. Y'all, when I say Georgia is the center of the political universe, this is not what I usually have in mind.

The Federal government needs to step up to protect election workers: the foot soldiers of our democracy. They ensure our constituents' voices are heard at the ballot box smoothly and efficiently, and ensure we all get election results quickly and reliably. But because of the constant attacks and harassment they face, election workers are leaving their jobs at a terrifying rate, depriving our constituents of their right to a well-functioning democratic system. That's why I'm so grateful for this bipartisan group of Members who have come together to advocate for anti-doxxing protections and data and physical security resources for election workers, so that we support them the way they support our democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate America's longest living President and one of Georgia's finest, President Jimmy Carter, who is turning 99 years young.

On Sunday October 1, I had plans to be home in Georgia for this birthday celebration, but the looming Republican government shutdown has me here in D.C. doing the work for the people.

President Carter has led a distinguished life, winning a Nobel Peace Prize, eradicating diseases, and uplifting the lives of millions of marginalized people.

He would probably say that his most important accomplishments are his Christian faith as a member of Maranatha Baptist Church; marrying his beloved wife, Rosalynn; raising a strong family; building houses with Habitat for Humanity; and being one of the best peanut farmers in the land.

For me, President Carter is an inspiration. My husband, Leslie, and I even named our son Carter after this great President. I strive every day to make sure that my Carter Cakes has the same humility and commitment to service as his namesake.

The best birthday gift that President Carter could receive from us would be us all working together to make the world a better place for the most marginalized, and we can do that by following President Carter's example and building on his legacy--starting with keeping the government open for the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I wish President Carter a happy 99th birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the coming 30th anniversary of So So Def Records and its founder, Jermaine Dupri. On October 12, 1993, So So Def released Hummin Comin' at `Cha by Xscape, officially debuting one of Hip Hop's greatest producers.

As we know, Atlanta Influences Everything, especially music. Originally from Atlanta's southside, Grammy Award-winning artist, songwriter, and producer Jermaine Dupri founded So So Def Records in 1993. Over the past 30 years, So So Def has welcomed people to Atlanta. and become one of the music industry's most successful and influential labels. Serving as the home for artists like Da Brat, Xscape, Bow Wow, Anthony Hamilton and Jagged Edge, So So Def Records have dominated the airways with a young and refreshing sound.

Through his work at So So Def Records, Dupri has produced and shaped the sound of modern hip-hop and R&B music of the 2000's. His talent and dedication have earned him highly coveted awards and accolades, including induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018.

The party continues with So So Defs successes beyond music. Dupri's infectious work ethic built a culture of innovation and creativity within the label and the city of Atlanta. His tireless work to develop, mentor, and introduce new talent pushed the boundaries of what was possible in the music industry. Dupri and So So Def's musicians led the charge behind a cultural shift in music, showing the country Atlanta's deep love and appreciation for Hip-Hop--and that the South has something to say.

Beyond his work at So So Def, Dupri has also been a dedicated philanthropist, using his platform to support numerous charitable organizations and causes. He has been known for the use of his talent and resources to spread a wealth of knowledge to not only upcoming artists, but also his community and supporters at large. A longtime advocate for youth empowerment, Dupri has supported Boys and Girls Clubs of America and City of Hope, creating opportunities and providing resources to ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive, no matter your race, bank account, or ZIP Code. He has also stood as a longtime advocate for social change in the Black community, working closely with the Social Change Fund, a charitable initiative aimed at providing support and solutions for problems that have continued to affect the Black community. Dupri's philosophy of bridging gaps of service has become his calling card far past his contributions to music.

As a beloved figure in his hometown of College Park, he has been a cornerstone in shaping the foundation of the city's cultural landscape. He has been a leader and advocate for Atlanta's music scene and has helped to put the city on the map as a cultural mecca for hip-hop, R&B, and all things entertainment. Dupri has spearheaded the growth and development of modern Black entertainment and a generation of talented and influential musicians. His dedication and investment into our city and our people are a testament to his character and his commitment to raising a community up with him.

As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of So So Def Records, I would like to take a moment to recognize Jermaine Dupri for his contributions to the music industry and his commitment to Atlanta. His perseverance and imagination have shaped the last 30 years of hip hop, and we know there's at least 30 more years to keep building his legacy. On behalf of the people of Atlanta, we say . . . Thank You to Jermaine Dupri.

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate Dr. William H. Boone on his retirement from the illustrious Atlanta-based HBCU Clark Atlanta University, his appointment as Professor Emeritus, and thank him for his impact on the people of Georgia's Fighting Fifth District.

Called the ``Dean of Atlanta City Politics,'' Dr. Boone has spent the last 40 years researching, advising, and commentating on Atlanta political life and Black political power across the South. He earned the respect of his peers and colleagues, serving as Assistant Provost, Dean of Graduate Studies, and the Chair of the Political Science Department at Clark Atlanta University as well as a president of the National Conference of Black Political Science.

Dr. Boone's talent as an educator is evident by the students he has produced. The people of Atlanta, of Georgia, and of the South have greatly benefited from the thoughtful, critical, and thorough analysis and scholarship Dr. Boone and his students have produced and will continue to produce for decades. As we all know, Atlanta Influences Everything, especially Black political power. Dr. Boone's focus on Black politics has improved our understanding of our own community and America's understanding of the cultural and political factors that inform and shape our present.

Dr. Boone takes his role as a leader in Black intellectual thought seriously. He always aims to be unapologetic when looking at the Black experience in this country, and to critically examine how the American experience affects Black people. And he always makes sure to connect training and education to activism; to fighting for our community.

Congratulations to the Dean of Atlanta City Politics, Dr. William Boone. The people of Georgia's 5th Congressional District have learned so much from him for the last 40 years, and we will continue to learn from him and those lucky enough to learn from him, for decades more to come. I hope he enjoys his retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my constituent, Mr. Marvin Arrington, Sr., a giant in the Atlanta community, where he served as one of the city's longest running councilmembers, a father, a friend, and a judge.

An Atlanta native, Judge Arrington graduated from Henry McNeal Turner High School and went on to graduate from what was at that time Clark College on a football scholarship. He began his legal studies at Howard University School of Law before returning home to Atlanta and integrating Emory University School of Law, where he was one of the first two Black students to graduate from the law school.

At age 28, Judge Arrington was elected to the Atlanta Board of Aldermen and continued serving after the city charter amendment changed the board into a city council. In 1980, he became Atlanta City Council president, a position he held for nearly two decades. In 2002, he was appointed judge in the Fulton County Superior Court, where he sat on the bench until his retirement in 2012.

During Judge Arrington's trailblazing tenure in public service, he helped build and shape Atlanta into the great city that it is today. He left his imprint on the city's public transportation system and expanded Zoo Atlanta into the award-winning attraction that it is today.

In the early 1990s, Judge Arrington was one of the driving forces on the team who brought the 1996 Summer Olympic Games to the city of Atlanta. While he was at it, he used the lead up to the summer games to convert run-down public housing projects to quality, affordable housing.

Mr. Speaker, we have a saying in Atlanta, ``Atlanta Influences Everything,'' and that is true in part because of Marvin Arrington, Sr.'s, great work to influence the growth of Atlanta. In fact, in 2019, the city council chambers were named after him to honor the tremendous impact that he had on our city.

Judge Arrington was a member of Big Bethel AME Church, the Gate City Bar Association Hall of Fame, and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated. For 16 years, he was a member of the board of trustees for Emory University. He served in many roles--elected, appointed, and, yes, volunteer--but in all things he demonstrated a deep commitment to equity, justice, and empowering young people.

Marvin Arrington, Sr.'s, life of service and sacrifice is a reminder for everyone of the rent we pay for living in this society. Atlanta is the city that I chose to call home, and it was the work of leaders like Marvin Arrington, Sr., that made it the city to choose.

I send my deepest condolences to his daughter, Michelle Arrington; his son, Fulton County Commissioner, Marvin Arrington, Jr.; and his entire family. Marvin Arrington, Sr.'s, legacy will inspire future leaders for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the children in Georgia's Fighting 5th Congressional District at risk of going hungry in the face of this cruel Republican default.

Extreme MAGA Republicans are proposing cuts to 200,000 Head Start slots and 180,000 childcare slots nationwide. You all, that is more than 300,000 families who will be thrown into a devastating bind.

When families don't have access to care, they can't get to work, making it harder to put food on the table every day. This is a real- life dilemma facing parents like Chelsea and Dorian in Clayton County, Georgia, two mamas who are looking for jobs, but facing one major roadblock: Childcare.

Now, extreme MAGA Republicans are threatening to make their childcare search even harder. That, or risk a disastrous default on our debt. Republicans are headed home for barbecues and hanging out with their families making their priorities clear.

A great speaker once said: ``Sometimes you have to take a punch and give a punch for the children.'' You all, I am ready to fight for a solution on behalf of our children, and I am waiting for my Republican colleagues who are brave enough to fight alongside me for the children putting people over politics.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong opposition to this cruel and discriminatory bill. If Republicans really meant to protect women and girls in sports, they would make it so more women and girls could play, not play politics with children's lives.

I submitted an amendment to award federal grants to start new school sports teams for women and girls and to break down existing barriers to participation.

My amendment invested in women's sports so more people could play, more people could participate, but Republicans chose politics over participation. There are real problems impacting women and girls in sports, including pay inequality, sexual harassment and assault, and unequal facilities and resources. This legislation addresses none of these issues.

Instead, we will be voting on a horrific bill to nationalize the cruel bigotry Republicans are implementing in states around the country.

This bill will harm our kids' mental health. make our schools less welcoming, and prevent trans students from living the full lives they deserve.

I strongly urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.

Mr. Speaker, in the wake of our country's 129th mass shooting, Tennessee Legislators had the opportunity to set an example of what it means to respond and act on the needs of your constituents. After an attack that killed six people--including three 9-year-old children, Tennessee Representatives had the chance to do something, anything, to keep Tennesseans safe from gun violence.

On April 6, 2023 the Tennessee Legislature set an example, but it sure wasn't the right one. Instead of actually working to keep children safe from gun violence, Republicans in the Tennessee Legislature chose to expel two Black lawmakers who chose to stand alongside families, students and teachers for gun safety reforms.

The expulsions of Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson were both unwarranted and undemocratic. Representatives Jones and Pearson were simply supporting student protestors and demanded that the Republican majority in the Legislature do more to protect communities from gun violence following the Covenant School Shooting.

Now Representatives Jones and Pearson weren't the only legislators who joined the protestors, but they were the only two expelled which makes it clear that racism is at the root of these anti-democratic expulsions. It was an attempt to both silence Black leaders and undermine Black voters who sent Representatives Jones and Pearson to the State Capitol in the first place.

Let's be clear: this is not an isolated incident. State legislatures in the South have a history of silencing Black lawmakers and unfortunately my home State is one of the main offenders. In 1966, the Georgia General Assembly voted to refuse to seat a newly elected Julian Bond after he used his constitutional right to free speech in protest of the United States' war in Vietnam. Mr. Bond was ultimately seated in the legislature and went on to serve for 20 years in the Georgia General Assembly.

In 2017, I was elected to the same seat Julian Bond held in the Georgia State Senate. Nearly one year after being duly elected to serve, I was arrested inside the Georgia State Capitol while doing my job and standing with my constituents demanding that every vote be counted in November 2018.

As I watched the events unfold in Tennessee, the parallels struck me and reminded me that free speech in this country doesn't always apply to Black voices like mine.

Free speech is at the foundation of any healthy democracy and it is the very thing Republicans in Tennessee chose to shut down when they expelled Representatives Jones and Pearson. This should sound an alarm for every American because as history teaches us, actions that go unchecked only repeat themselves--again, and again, and again.

Though Representatives Jones and Pearson were rightfully reappointed to their seats, we cannot ignore the fact that what happened in Tennessee was yet another blow in the continued assault on democracy. And on top of it, the expulsions were completely out of step with the voices of the people--an overwhelming majority of Americans agree that common-sense gun safety laws are necessary to save lives.

We have a moral responsibility to reject any and all actions that threaten our democracy, particularly those targeted toward Black people and communities who have systemically been silenced for far too long.

Tonight, I stand with my Congressional Black Caucus colleagues to say `no more.' That's why I've co-sponsored Representative Sydney Kamlager- Dove's resolution condemning the expulsions of Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson from the Tennessee Legislature, and I encourage all of my colleagues who claim to stand on the side of democracy to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Mr. John O'Connor on an outstanding career with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as he retires as Associate Director for Communication Science at CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. While he will be greatly missed, he leaves behind a legacy of excellence in his work and as a mentor to others. Over the past three decades Mr. O'Connor has been a leader in the health communications space and has developed a high-quality foundation that will continue to be built upon in the near future.

After earning his undergraduate degree from the University of California Santa Barbara and a master's degree from the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communications, Mr. O'Connor began his career at a nonprofit organization that worked to improve health conditions for American Indians and Alaska Natives. In 1989, Mr. O'Connor joined the CDC and set the standard for communications regarding infectious diseases and public health emergencies.

Over his more than 30 year tenure with CDC, Mr. O'Connor has served at the National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID) Office of the Director, NCID's Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, the Influenza Coordination Unit within CDC's Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases (CCID), the Pandemic Influenza Task Force, National Center for Preparedness, Detection, and Control of Infectious Diseases, CDC's National Center for Health Marketing, and various other CDC committees along the way.

Throughout his career, Mr. O'Connor has been a reliable and knowledgeable leader in times of crisis, providing essential guidance and emergency response during outbreaks of Anthrax, Zika, Ebola, and most recently, COVID-19. His dedication, respect, and true professionalism have helped protect public health and earned him a lasting legacy and impact at CDC.

Mr. O'Connor will be deeply missed. He is a true public servant and I am grateful for his service to Atlanta, CDC, and our country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 60th birthday of Rev. Dr. Bernice King. A true representation of Atlanta Influences Everything, Dr. King was born in Atlanta the youngest child of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, then graduated from Spelman College (where she, like her mother, became a distinguished member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc), one of Atlanta's incredible HBCUs, and earned both a Master's in Divinity and a law degree from Atlanta's Emory University.

As the second woman ever ordained at Ebenezer Baptist Church and the CEO of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center For Nonviolent Social Change, Dr. Bernice King is a trailblazer and civil rights leader in her own right. Though there is perhaps no one in America now who carries such a heavy weight of history on their shoulders, she does so with unparalleled faith, integrity, and power. Dr. King's work to build our Beloved Community reminds us that we must move in the ``fierce urgency of now.''

Dr. Bernice King has been a church leader, organizing and developing several new ministries. Bernice has been a community leader, establishing the Be a King Scholarship in honor of her mother at Spelman College and leading the 2013 ``Let Freedom Ring'' event bringing together a global audience including Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter, and commemorating the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. And Dr. Bernice King has been a political leader, playing a pivotal role in bringing the Atlanta business community to the table in supporting critical racial equity and social justice issues during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, leading to the passage of long-overdue anti-hate crimes legislation.

As her father said, ``the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.'' But what we must remember, and Bernice demonstrates for us, is that the arc does not bend on its own. She reminds us that we cannot afford to operate as if we have the luxury of time; ``we must fight with a fierce determination to discover a win-win pathway to build the Beloved Community'' and we must ``forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.''

With that eternal spirit in mind, Bernice kept the Beloved Community together, engaged, and active, even during the pandemic. I was so honored when she included me with the illustrious LaTosha Brown and the amazing Al Vivian for an invaluable conversation in April 2021 about the rampant suppression of the Black vote around the country, and how important our continued advocacy for voting rights is.

During that conversation, Dr. Bernice King reminded us of her father's important imploration ``Let us march on ballot boxes until we send to our city councils, state legislatures, and the United States Congress, men who will not fear to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God.''

I remember that lesson every time I walk to the House Floor to vote. I make sure my Carter Cakes remembers that lesson when I take him to vote. And I make sure my colleagues remember the history that brought us here today, and what kind of people they expected us to be. And I thank Dr. Bernice King for keeping that lesson alive and bringing it to the people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my constituent, Mr. Tommy Dortch, one of our country's greatest contributors to closing the racial wealth gap. I could spend hours highlighting his contributions to the Black community, but I want to focus on his investment into our great HBCUs.

A proud product of both Fort Valley State University and Clark Atlanta University, Mr. Dortch founded the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Foundation in 1985. Mr. Dortch has led the Foundation to award over $1 million in grants and scholarships to students, and exposed more than 500,000 students to college opportunities.

As a third-generation HBCU grad, I know firsthand their critical role in fostering Black excellence. Mr. Dortch's lifetime of giving back to the HBCU community has laid the groundwork for economic mobility for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, today, I proudly join with members of the Georgia delegation to introduce legislation to award Mr. Tommy Dortch the Congressional Gold Medal for his leadership and contributions to our country. I am eternally grateful for the work he continues to do to advance equity and opportunity for all.

Mr. Speaker, as a legislator, I know to look at a bill's definitions. As House Republicans talk about rejecting socialism in all its forms, it is important to understand just exactly what my Republican colleagues are talking about.

Surely, it is not Social Security and Medicare, public schools, public libraries, public safety, and roads and bridges? The bill doesn't say. There is not a single definition of ``socialism'' or all its forms.

My colleague, Congressman Takano, gave my Republican colleagues an opportunity to clarify. He offered an amendment stating that programs like Social Security and Medicare are not socialism. Republicans refused that amendment.

That makes me wonder if what Republicans are really doing here is trying to reject things like bedrock social programs that so many of our seniors and constituents rely on.

I support our Nation's market-based economy, and if my Republican colleagues truly did the same, they would be using this time for legislation that creates jobs and lowers costs for all American families. This bill does neither.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my Republican colleagues to focus their time on the issues that will help all of our constituents achieve the promise of America.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I rise today in support of H.R. 8681, the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Act of 2022.

Following in the footsteps of Congressman John Lewis is no easy feat. He was a friend and a mentor to many of us. He was known as the conscience of this body. I often tell people that while I will never fill his shoes, I strive daily to carry out his legacy.

It is my honor to ensure that my friend and my mentor and my predecessor's legacy lives on through the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship within the Fulbright program, which will give scholars an opportunity to study both the inspiration and the impacts of the civil rights movement internationally.

The John and Lilian Miles Lewis Foundation has been working hard to launch this program as a tribute to Congressman Lewis' impact on social and political change around the world.

Congressman Lewis himself was shaped by his study of nonviolent civil rights movements from around the world, most notably, the philosophy and tactics of Mahatma Gandhi, whose very words were ``it is either nonviolence or nonexistence.''

Of course, people across the globe have been inspired by the tactics of the United States' civil rights movement, many led by Congressman John Lewis himself. From the lunch counter sit-ins of the early 1960s, to the 1961 Freedom Rides, to the 1965 march across the Edmund Pettus bridge, Mr. Lewis taught the world that the most powerful way to bend the moral arc toward justice is rooted in the discipline of nonviolence.

But for all of his experiences and impact at home, Congressman Lewis always wished that he would have had the opportunity to study abroad.

Creating the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship is a full-circle tribute: sending scholars to study Congressman Lewis' inspirations and impacts around the world in his name. We hope this program will unlock a powerful opportunity for students who, like Congressman Lewis, would not otherwise have an opportunity to do research across the globe.

The John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship will be a beacon for the importance of nonviolence, and I look forward to the incredible academic work and exchange this fellowship will support.

Mr. Speaker, my proxy incorrectly cast my vote for roll no. 316 for the 2nd Session of the 117th Congress. My intent was to vote no.

Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress

Barragan (Correa)

Beatty (Carter (LA))

Bentz (Obernolte)

Brown (MD) (Evans)

Cardenas (Correa)

Castro (TX) (Neguse)

Cherfilus-McCormick (Evans)

Cohen (Beyer)

Crist (Schneider)

DeFazio (Pallone)

Doggett (Beyer)

Fallon (Gonzales, Tony)

Hartzler (Bacon)

Issa (Garcia (CA))

Jayapal (Neguse)

Johnson (TX) (Jeffries)

Kahele (Correa)

Katko (Meijer)

Kirkpatrick (Pallone)

Lawrence (Stevens)

Leger Fernandez (Kuster)

Lieu (Beyer)

Mooney (Miller (WV))

Moore (WI) (Beyer)

Moulton (Stevens)

Newman (Beyer)

Panetta (Beyer)

Pappas (Kuster)

Pascrell (Pallone)

Payne (Pallone)

Peters (Correa)

Pingree (Kuster)

Porter (Neguse)

Reschenthaler (Meuser)

Rice (SC) (Mace)

Ryan (Beyer)

Salazar (Gimenez)

Sires (Pallone)

Soto (Neguse)

Taylor (Babin)

Timmons (Armstrong)

Trahan (Stevens)

Walorski (Baird)

Williams (GA) (Carter (LA))

Wilson (SC) (Lamborn)

Amendment No. 14 Offered by Ms. Lee of California

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the service of Dr. Glenda Glover, Ph.D., JD, CPA, as International President and CEO of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. As a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, I could not have asked for a better person to lead our more than 320,000 Sorors spread over at least 1,046 chapters from all over the world through the last four years.

Dr. Glover was born in Memphis, Tennessee the daughter of a civil rights activist and raised in the Civil Rights Movement. She graduated from Tennessee State University, an illustrious Historically Black College and University, before getting her MBA at another incomparable HBCU, Clark Atlanta University, proving that, truly, Atlanta Influences Everything. Not yet satisfied, she moved to Washington, D.C. and obtained a Ph.D. in Economics from George Washington University and a law degree from Georgetown University.

Professionally, Dr. Glover is a star. She spearheaded the creation of the country's first HBCU-based Ph.D. program in business at Jackson State University, and chaired the Department of Accounting at Howard University's School of Business. She has been a leader in the private sector, and currently serves as the President of her beloved alma mater, Tennessee State University, since 2013. Dr. Glover is not just the President either: she was the Thurgood Marshall College Fund's HBCU President of the Year in 2018, and HBCU Digest's 2019 Female President of the Year.

Dr. Glover did all of that while maintaining a leadership role in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Initiated into the Alpha Psi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated at Tennessee State University, where she served as President and Vice-President as an undergraduate. Dr. Glover has also served as President, Vice-President, and Treasurer of Beta Delta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated in Jackson, Mississippi before moving up to International Vice-President, International Treasurer, and Treasurer to the Educational Advancement Foundation (EAF) of the entire Sorority.

Since assuming the International Presidency and CEO role in 2018, Dr. Glover has led our Sorors powerfully to sustain us through the pandemic, and raised our voices on critical issues like Voting Rights and Black Maternal Health--ensuring that Sorors of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated are the VOICE of the movement, not the ECHO. Dr. Glover's Alpha Kappa Alpha Congressional Women's Roundtable continues to lead the charge toward solutions to create a better world for future generations by fighting for continued, meaningful investments in HBCUs, a comprehensive approach to ending the maternal health crisis in America, and protecting our democracy through safeguarding and expanding voting rights.

Dr. Glover has convened meetings with our Soror, Vice-President Kamala Harris, to bring our community's needs to the highest level of our government, and is the Vice-Chair of President Joe Biden's HBCU Advisory Board.

I and every Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Soror, am indebted to Dr. Glover for her service to our Sorority. She is a living pillar of Black Excellence, and her leadership has and continues to lift up successive generations of Black leaders. As we celebrate her enduring legacy, her enriching sisterhood, and her exemplary service, let's remember the purpose that has animated her to succeed and to bring her community up with her.