Honoring Black History Month

HONORING BLACK HISTORY MONTH -- (House of Representatives - February 28, 2006)

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Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, let me just commend Mr. Watt as chairman of our Congressional Black Caucus for providing leadership in this important celebration and observance of the great and extraordinary contributions that African Americans have made and continue to make in America and throughout the world.

No race of people has come through the ordeal and the circumstances of slavery, of Jim Crowism, of racism, of de facto segregation, and in spite of all these obstacles made extraordinary contributions in every field of endeavor: business, medicine, the arts, sports, politics, business.

Today we are here to highlight especially the role of fraternities in our community. Nowhere is that more particular than within the African American community, for the African American fraternities were brought about not as a result or a need for social edification or for frivolity; but those fraternities that came about in the African American community came about because of great need at a time of extraordinary struggle and circumstance within the African American community.

Such was the case with all of our fraternities and certainly with the fraternity that I am a member of, which is the first fraternity and the oldest fraternity, the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. I would like to spend just a few moments talking about this fraternity because this was the first fraternity, and its development exemplifies all fraternities and the importance of their contribution.

In 1905 in Ithica, New York, a group of African American students at Cornell were so devastated with the racism and prejudice at that institution that they found themselves in, that half of the six refused to come back in 1906; but three did and others joined them in 1906 and they came together to form the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Seven African American men, seven African American men that we affectionately refer to as the 7 Jewels: Brother Callis and Brother Chapman and Brother Jones and Brother Kelley, Brother Murray, Brother Ogle, and Brother Tandy. Seven.

There is something about that number seven. That is God's number, the number of completeness. As we know, we had to march around the walls of Jericho 70 times. The Bible says you must forgive your neighbor 70 times 7. There are 7 days in the week; 7 holes in our head: nose, two eyes, two nostrils, two ears. Seven is completeness. And that is why I believe that these fraternities were God's gift at an important time that they came on the scene. Before the civil rights movement, before the others, these men formed the organization and came to produce some of the outstanding leaders in all fields. Frederick Douglass and W.E.B. DuBois and Thurgood Marshall were all members, as were Duke Ellington and Adam Clayton Powell and Martin Luther King, Jr. Scores and hundreds of leaders in every sphere and activity of life were there.

So as we celebrate Black History Month, let us celebrate it where it means the most. And if these members of our fraternity were here, they would say to us in their words, those very precious words that, well, my brothers and my sisters, you see, life for me ain't been no crystal stair. It's had tacks in it and splinters, boards torn up. No carpet on the floor, bare. But all the while, I's been a climbing on and reaching landings and turning corners, and sometimes going in the dark where there ain't been no light. So, boy, don't you stop. Don't you sit down on the steps because you finds it's kinda hard. Don't you fall now while I still going. I still climbing on, honey. And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

Life was no crystal stair for those who started our African American Greek fraternities and sororities. But because they had that vision to keep going, they made an impact on the lives of African Americans, on the lives of the people of the United States of America, and on the lives of the people of the world. On this Black History Month we are say thank you to our Greek letter organizations, the African American fraternities and sororities who have helped us so greatly.

Mr. WATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. BOBBY SCOTT).

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from North Carolina for organizing this Special Order so that we can give appropriate recognition to black fraternal, social, and civic organizations.

African Americans have been in the forefront of significant change in American society, and many of those leading the fight were members of very distinguished organizations with the support of those organizations.

I share membership in Alpha Phi Alpha with my distinguished colleague from Georgia and six other Members of Congress. As my colleague mentioned, Alpha Phi Alpha was the first collegiate black fraternity. I am proud to be a long-time and life member of Alpha Phi Alpha. And since its founding in 1906, Alpha Phi Alpha and all black fraternities and sororities have supplied a voice and vision to the struggle of African Americans and people of color around the world.

For example, one of the long-standing programs sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha is ``Go to high school, go to college.'' Another is ``A voteless people is a hopeless people.'' They encouraged education and voter registration. More recent projects for Alpha Phi Alpha is Project Alpha, promoting responsibility among African American males in all aspects of health care.

Before the formation of college fraternities, the very first African American fraternity, Sigma Pi Phi, was formed in 1904 in Philadelphia by a group of physicians and dentists. This organization was created for college and professionally educated African Americans including college presidents, Congressmen, cabinet members, and nationally prominent figures such as W.E.B. DuBois and Martin Luther King, Jr. I am also a member of Sigma Pi Phi.

There are countless other organizations that have existed for the purpose of improving economic status, spiritual well-being, and civil rights of all Americans. The Free African Society was founded in 1787; the National Negro Business League was founded in 1900; the National Afro-American Council in 1903; the Niagara Movement, the forerunner of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, NAACP, was well under way by 1905.

The members of these and many other organizations have addressed the most serious moral challenges facing Americans today. The contribution of African American social and civic organizations has included everything from scholarships to social reconstruction. The members of these organizations have confronted the handicaps, the restrictions, the persecutions, the prejudices, the inequities in the opportunities faced by people of color.

Thanks to the relentless efforts of African American member organizations, there are more people of color today in corporate, Federal, State and municipal offices than ever before. The work of members of Alpha Phi Alpha, Sigma Pi Phi and other organizations has had a huge impact over the last 100 years, but our work is far from over.

In the 21st century, we will continue to work for political, economic and social change. It is imperative that all fraternal, social and civic organizations in the African American community continue to provide service to African Americans as a whole and the United States in general.

Carter G. Woodson, known as the father of Black History, was born in Buckingham County, Virginia, to former slaves. He reminded us of the importance of commemorating African American contributions when he stated, ``If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.''

As we celebrate African American History Month, let us recognize the achievement and traditions of African Americans and let us never forget the members of black fraternal, social, and civic organizations that pursued unchartered paths and paid for the freedom that we hold so dear.

Again, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from North Carolina for organizing this Special Order so that we can recognize these organizations appropriately.

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