Stephanie Tubbs Jones: “I rise in support of H.R. 2919. This opportunity is of particular significance because today one of the finest gentlemen…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 2919. This opportunity is of particular significance because today one of the finest gentlemen of the House, a true statesman, my predecessor, the gentleman from Ohio, the Honorable Louis Stokes, is on the floor. And it is significant that I have the opportunity to continue his legacy by having an opportunity to speak on legislation that was part of his original work here in the House of Representatives, the underground railroad. I want to thank the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Portman) for their hard work and dedication. The Freedom Center Act will help establish the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. The goal of the center is to preserve and promote the legacy of the underground railroad. The core feature will be its preservation of stories of the underground railroad in an interactive state of the art technology link to existing underground railroad sites. The freedom center's mission is to educate the public about the historic struggle to abolish human slavery and secure freedom for all people. The museum will be the first of its kind in the Nation and Cincinnati is an ideal location because of its prominence in the underground railroad movement.”