Cory Booker: “today I wish to honor the 40th anniversary of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Incorporated, CBCF. It is…”

“today I wish to honor the 40th anniversary of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Incorporated, CBCF. It is fitting that during the month we celebrate Black history, we commemorate the decades of service CBCF has rendered to the Nation by advancing policy issues that impact the global Black community. Black History Month is an ideal time to reflect on the ways the law has shaped the African-American experience. Our Nation has come a long way since the time when schools were segregated by law. No longer does the law bar African Americans from the voting booth. Today we have African-American Members of Congress who help craft the law; Yet the important work of civil rights remains unfinished. Since 1976, CBCF has been a critical partner with Congress in the fight for equal rights. As a nonpartisan nonprofit institute dedicated to eliminating racial disparities, CBCF has served as an inspiration to not just African Americans, but to people across the globe. However, its legacy and impact have been far from symbolic. From helping to make the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a Federal holiday, to rebuilding communities impacted by Hurricane Katrina, to working on major legislation like the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, to building a virtual library project to shed a spotlight on the work of Black-elected officials, CBCF has stood alongside African-American elected leaders on some of the most critical policy issues of our time.…”