On the recordSeptember 9, 2019
Let me first thank the gentlewoman from California for those kind remarks. She has been a consummate fighter for equality for all people across this world, a true humanitarian in her own right, from Oakland, California. I had the great honor, during the time we celebrated her birthday, to see a picture of her with this Afro that was indicative of the times. It was perfect, and I was not surprised. But her work in the Congress is second to none, and she has been a true role model for me, a true friend to my father. He always had high accolades for the gentlewoman from California, and now that I am her colleague, I understand why. Madam Speaker, this year marks what I would call ``America's Great Economic Shame.'' In 1619, the first boats filled with victims of human bondage reached our shores. When they docked, the very first African Americans walked off a plank and into American history. They would create a dilemma for the leaders and citizens of this new republic that has not been solved to this day. They were considered unequal in a country where all men were created equal. Their existence would cause otherwise pious and moral men to engage in the most immoral behavior. And they came together to fight for one goal: the belief that one day, someday, they would be free at last.…
