Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1242, the 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act, introduced by my friend and colleague from Virginia, Bobby Scott. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia has introduced a companion bill in the Senate. In the 400 years since the first Africans arrived at Point Comfort, Virginia, African Americans have made an indelible contribution to our Nation. They have been pioneers in the arts and sciences. They have led the charge for civil rights and spoken out against injustice against anybody. They have also ascended to the highest level of politics, athletics, and business, and sacrificed for our country in every military engagement from the American Revolution to the present-day fight against terrorism. African Americans have played a crucial role in the establishment and evolution of our Nation: Crispus Attucks, a Black man, became the first casualty of the American Revolution in my hometown of Boston when he confronted British soldiers in what became known as the Boston Massacre. James Armistead, a slave who fed false information to the British, helped the Patriots' cause to secure victory in the Battle of Yorktown. Abolitionists, from Sojourner Truth to Frederick Douglass to Harriet Tubman spoke out against slavery and fought to realize the meaning of Thomas Jefferson's founding creed that all men are created equal.…”