Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the beginning of Black History Month and to honor more than 100 years of Black history in America. I speak today with urgency about American history; specifically, to highlight the fact that American history is Black history. From the march from Selma to Montgomery, where Americans demanded the right to vote; to the student sit-ins at lunch counters, where young people risked their safety to challenge segregation; and to the courtrooms and classrooms, where Black Americans pushed this Nation closer to its promise of equality, every major expansion of democracy in this country has been shaped by Black courage, Black leadership, and Black sacrifice. Yet, Mr. Speaker, we must ask ourselves a simple but urgent question: Why are there forces trying to erase this past? Erasing history does not solve the problems that we face today. It does not create equality. It does not put us on a level playing field, and it does not move this country forward. Black History Month exists for a reason. In 1926, historian Carter G. Woodson created Negro History Week to ensure that Black history was taught seriously in our schools and fully recognized as American history. His goal was never limitation. It was expansion, to broaden the Nation's consciousness, and to deepen our understanding of who we are.”