Sheila Jackson Lee: “Let me thank the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania for yielding. I thank the manager for his leadership, the…”

“Let me thank the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania for yielding. I thank the manager for his leadership, the chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. And let me also thank the ranking member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, the original sponsor of this bill, Mr. Scott of Virginia. I cannot think of a more important statement and act on the vast expanse of African American history. The 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act, as has been offered by Mr. Scott, is giving one of the most authoritative and widely needed reviews of African American history. It is extensive; it is detailed; and it is distinct. Specifically, I come from the region called Texas and the Gulf States. In particular, as relates to the Emancipation Proclamation, we commemorate something called Juneteenth. That means that in 1863, we did not get the word that President Lincoln had freed the slaves. It came in 1865 when General Granger landed on the shores of Galveston. So we have this phenomenon called Juneteenth. It may not be an idea or a commemoration that is known all over. And then, of course, the early stages of slavery. The vast differences in the regions on how slaves were held, the many places where African Americans participated in war and peace that may not be known, the science and scientific research that we have evidenced beyond the likes of Dr. George Washington Carver or the debate between W.E.B. DuBois and Booker T.…”