Jon L. Christensen: “today we members of the Congressional Black Caucus, under the leadership of our chairwoman, Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick…”

“today we members of the Congressional Black Caucus, under the leadership of our chairwoman, Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, are taking time to commemorate Juneteenth and reflect on this historical event in 1865 when the news of their emancipation was finally received by 250,000 enslaved in Texas, 2 years late. And as we do so, it seems appropriate that we reflect on the inequities that continue to plague the African American community, the remedies for which are also too late. And so, as we take the floor of the seat of government in our country, we say the time is now. Again, better later than never for this 110th Congress to bring another message of freedom to African Americans, freedom from economic blight, from lack of access to quality and comprehensive health care, from substandard housing, and from the issue that is the subject of our discussion tonight: rundown, poorly equipped, and understaffed schools and the overall inequities in our Nation's educational system. June also marks the celebration of graduation season across the Nation. And as we cheer millions of high school graduates, we must not forget the 1.2 million students who left school this year without a high school diploma. Dropouts are twice as likely to be unemployed. Even those who work, for those who work the pay is low. Opportunity for advancement is limited, and health insurance is essentially unavailable. This is a particular problem in communities of color.”