Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate Black History Month, I rise in honor of an Arkansas son, John Edward Bush, whose entrepreneurial spirit and history of service to his community continue to inspire us to this day. John Edward Bush was born into slavery on November 14, 1856, orphaned at the age of 7, and freed from slavery at the end of the Civil War. When he had no permanent home or means to support himself, he worked odd jobs until, one day, he was taken to Capital Hill City School in Little Rock and forced to attend. He became a dedicated student, working as a brick molder to pay for his education. In 1876, he graduated with honors from Capital Hill City School in Little Rock, where he then served as principal for 2 years. Mr. Bush served as the chairman of the Republican Party in Arkansas, but he is best known in Arkansas as the cofounder of the Mosaic Templars of America in 1883. Together with Chester Keatts, Mr. Bush began the Mosaic Templars to aid African Americans who were being refused insurance coverage for illness, death, and funeral costs by White insurers. The efforts of Mr. Bush and Mr. Keatts, in service to their community, brought economic security and advancement to a group that had been marginalized and neglected. By 1900, the activities of the Mosaic Templars had broadened to include an insurance company, a publishing company, a nursing school, a building and loan association, a business college, and even a hospital.…”