Women's History Month

Floor Speech

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Mr. HORSFORD. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Jackson and Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick for co-anchoring tonight's Special Order hour. I thank all the Members who have come to honor the start of Women's History Month, and I rise today with my colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus to commemorate Women's History Month and to reflect on the innumerable contributions to our country that women, and Black women specifically, have made throughout our Nation's history.

During Women's History Month, we celebrate the generations of Black women whose courage, advocacy, sacrifice, and patriotism have moved our country and the world forward. For generations, Black women have been hidden figures, leading our country through social evolutions, critical periods of growth, and eras of innovation.

From the civil rights movement to consistently serving as a foundation for our community's success, Black women continue to push the needle. In fact, to the co-chairs, just this weekend we were in Selma for the 59th commemoration of Bloody Sunday.

One of the people that we had the honor of hearing from was Ms. King, who was the person who received the letters from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., when he was writing the letter in a Birmingham jail. As she explained that process, it was his handwritten notes on scraps of paper that were passed to his attorney that ultimately were written by this Black woman that actually gave us that letter. I went up to her after the conclusion of her panel, and I thanked her for being a part of history and being a part of the movement that led to the passage of the civil rights legislation and so many important bills.

It was also in 1968 when Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman in Congress. She, along with her colleagues, sought to make America live up to its promise that we are all created equal and, in this body, founded the Democratic Select Committee, which ultimately would become the Congressional Black Caucus.

I am so honored to serve as chairman of this Congressional Black Caucus, and I am proud to say that today we are now comprised of the largest membership in our Nation's history.

The CBC has grown from 13 members when we were founded 52 years ago to 60 members representing more than a third of the U.S. population, including more than 20 million Black Americans.

It is on Shirley Chisholm's shoulders that the Congressional Black Caucus has continued to fight to dismantle barriers, to create opportunities, and to protect the very rights of every individual, regardless of their circumstance, because we believe, as Ms. Shirley Chisholm believed, in a future where everyone can thrive and achieve their full potential.

Every day, we build on the legacy of Representative Shirley Chisholm, understanding that we must always speak truth to power and to stand up for the values that we hold dear.

We remain mindful that we must work to push back against efforts that impede progress, including those to roll back women's rights or to cut off access to capital and better opportunities.

This month and every month, we will remain mindful that we must directly address the challenges that persist, particularly for Black women in this climate.

Black maternal mortality is at an all-time high. Access to reproductive care; the ballot box; fair representation; diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and in corporate America; and fundamental freedoms are under threat every day.

As the conscience of the Congress, the Congressional Black Caucus will continue working, fighting, and leading to protect abortion rights, to invest in childcare, to deliver paid leave, and to finally achieve pay equity for Black women and to close the racial wealth gap in America.

These are the priorities that the Congressional Black Caucus believes are important as we uplift the issues of Women's History Month.

Again, I thank our co-anchors for leading tonight's Special Order hour and all of our members and especially the women of the Congressional Black Caucus.

When we started 52 years ago, the CBC was made up of 13 people--12 men and 1 woman. Today, I am proud that of those 60 members of the CBC, 31 are women, Black women, who are leading in the Congressional Black Caucus.

We have come a long way. We have a much longer way to go. I thank the members for their work on these important topics.

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