Designating the House Press Gallery in the United States Capitol As the ``Frederick Douglass Press Gallery''

Floor Speech

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Mr. DONALDS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 137 to rename the House Press Gallery the Frederick Douglass Press Gallery, in honor of a man whose life and work embodied the very best of American ideals and shattered through glass ceilings.

Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in 1818 and courageously escaped bondage in 1838. He built a life dedicated to truth, liberty, and justice.

He became a journalist in Rochester, New York, and launched The North Star using his own money, giving voice to the voiceless in the years before the Civil War.

He fought fiercely against slavery, championed equal rights and women's suffrage, and became one of the most forceful orators in American history. During the Civil War, Douglass recruited Black soldiers, met with President Lincoln to advocate for equal pay and treatment, and worked to assist those escaping slavery.

After his Rochester home was destroyed in a suspected arson attack, he moved to Anacostia here in Washington, D.C., and became the editor, and later owner, of the New National Era, which chronicled Black progress throughout the Nation.

Douglass was the first Black reporter admitted to the Capitol press galleries. From 1871 to 1875, he reported on the House and Senate action, keeping the African-American community informed during Reconstruction after the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. He spent countless hours writing and studying right here in the House Press Gallery. Even after his tenure in the gallery, he often would return to the Capitol.

Congress has honored Douglass with a portrait and plaque in the gallery and a statute in Emancipation Hall. This resolution permanently renames these famous offices off of the House floor for all Americans today, and years to come, to honor his work for freedom in this hallowed Chamber.

I thank Speaker Johnson, Chairman Graves, Representatives Andre Carson, Burgess Owens, Stephen Horsford, Wesley Hunt, and John James for their leadership on this resolution.

I also thank my former staffer, Luke Diel, for all of his hard work and dedication in this effort. I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 137.

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