On the recordSeptember 12, 2016
As a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, I believe that the week of our Annual Legislative Conference is an appropriate time to reflect on the progress we have made as a group and the challenges we face in articulating a vision for a more free and fair America. When 13 of us first gathered in 1969 as a ``Democratic Select Committee,'' we had ambitions of using our collective voices to advance a political agenda for black America in response to expected retrenchment from the incoming Nixon administration. Two years later, on the motion of Rep. Charlie Rangel, we became the Congressional Black Caucus. In that time, the Caucus has gone from being on Nixon's ``original enemies list'' to the conscience of the Congress. Our membership has grown from 13 to 46 and our alumnae include numerous cabinet members and a President of the United States. In looking back 45 years, the Caucus can point to many victories in the areas of voting rights, economic empowerment, education and healthcare. These victories were not just for black Americans, but all Americans in search of justice and equality before the law. However, in reflecting on the history of the Caucus, we must be honest about the uneven nature of politics. Many of the challenges we faced in 1971 still burden the African-American community today. Black Americans are still disproportionately poor, under-educated, unemployed and incarcerated.…
