On the recordJuly 22, 2021
Mr. Speaker, St. Louis and I rise today with heavy hearts. Since the beginning of July, we have lost three civil rights giants in our community: Ms. Hazel Erby, Ms. Betty Thompson, and Dr. Henry Givens, Jr. Mama Hazel and Mama Betty were trailblazers, breaking down barriers for Black women and all Black people to be leaders in St. Louis and beyond. I would not be Missouri's first Black Congresswoman without the doors that they opened up for me. Dr. Henry Givens, Jr., led Harris-Stowe State University for 32 years. His leadership transformed Harris-Stowe, the university I attended, from a small college with just one building into the nationally acclaimed HBCU that it is today. We will miss them all dearly, but together, we are St. Louis strong. We will carry their work forward to build a more just future for all of us. ____________________
