Political Quotes

“Each Congress I rise to honor February as Black History Month. Each February since 1926, we have recognized the contributions of Black Americans to the history of our Nation. This month I want to celebrate some of the contributions made by Black Americans in my home State of Oregon. The story of Abner Hunt Francis, a merchant from Buffalo, NY, is particularly moving. Francis, a man who gravitated to leadership, co-founded the Buffalo City Anti-Slavery Society in 1838 and organized local colored conventions throughout the 1830s and '40s in his native state. In 1851 he left the East Coast for the City of Portland in the Oregon Territory, expecting to encounter freer country on the American frontier. Francis was disappointed to discover that despite the progressive attitude of its settlers, racist laws still encumbered Oregon Territory. It was not long after opening a boardinghouse that Francis's brother, O. H. Francis, was arrested.”