Dwight Evans

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an iconic small business, Paul Beale's Florist, a family-owned business on Ogontz Avenue that has meant so much to our neighborhood and the City of Philadelphia for 47 years. From a young age, founder Paul Beale always knew he would be a florist and one day own his own flower shop. Committed to his goal Mr. Beale worked his way up and was a manager at Stein's Flower shop for 15 years. In 1970, the Senate passed a bill that increased federal assistance for the financing of small businesses. In 1971, Paul's dream to own his own shop came to fruition when he took out a loan to start a shop of his very own, Paul Beale's Florist. Paul and his wife, Altermese, worked tirelessly to keep their business up and running. The Beales' hard work has paid off over the years, as Paul Beale's Flowers has become a true fixture on Ogontz Avenue in West Oak Lane. The small business has also become a fixture of the Beale family. Paul's daughter, Paulette Beale Harris, is now the store manager, and four generations of the Beale family work in the shop. Mr. Beale is a true role model in our City as he is a strong believer that what he earns from his shop should be invested back into the neighborhood he is proud to call home. The 2nd Congressional District of Pennsylvania extends gratitude to Paul Beale's Flowers for its dedicated service to the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from the great city of Brooklyn, particularly the great part of New York in terms of Brooklyn. She always reminds me that there is not a better place than Brooklyn. And if you haven't been there, I encourage you to go to Brooklyn. What can I say about my colleague Congresswoman Lawrence from Michigan? As they both lead this effort, I compliment both of them. I want to thank my colleagues for holding this Special Order hour to talk about our queens, our rocks, and our Black women. I say that because I was raised by a Black woman who was a single head of household, better known as my mom, Jean Evans. She was someone then and now who always was very consistent in her message in terms of stay strong and always look forward. As we paint a picture of the Black community in 2018, it is clear that we have a lot to lose, because too many of our neighborhoods, unfortunately, are still plagued by rampant poverty, dysfunction, and crime. They are very serious issues. But as I seek to tie together last week's Congressional Black Caucus Special Order with tonight's theme, it is important to remember that, when the Kerner Commission report was issued, and even today, Black women had to deal with racism and, add to that, sexism. I am comforted by the fact that the excellence of Black women continues to outshine the gloom and doom that some of these problems bring. In fact, the fastest growing category of entrepreneurs are Black women. Fortunately, I don't have to look too far because of Philadelphia, home of some of the most dynamic women and Black women in America. There is a woman there who is very good, and I have known her an awful long time, City Councilwoman Janine Blackwell, six terms in the council, born and raised in Philadelphia. She is a seasoned advocate for social change and has a 30-year reputation for serving community members and the poor and underprivileged in the city of Philadelphia, making her a leader in our city, Councilwoman Janine Blackwell. Della Clark, president of The Enterprise Center, has played an integral role in the creative, technical, and professional progress of minority business development over the course of her life. Estelle Richman, former Secretary of Public Welfare and Chief Operating Officer of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Richman oversaw agency efforts that resulted in an increased percentage of foster children finding permanent homes and a drop in the waiting list for mental retardation services. Julia Coker Graham is the president and the CEO of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, where she oversees all of the organization's departments and operational duties. Prior to being named to the position, she served as the senior vice president of the convention sales and management staff, 25 people. She leads that organization, and she represents the face of Philadelphia. The late C. Delores Tucker, who was the first African American to serve in the cabinet of a governor in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. And last but not least is Sarah Lomax-Reese, president and general manager of WURD, better known as Wurd in the African-American community, a Black-owned radio station. All of these women I have mentioned have, in one way or another, affected me personally and have played a very key role in my life. So I want to join with my colleagues and talk about these beautiful women-- our queens, our rocks, our great women. I thank both of my colleagues for allowing me to have this opportunity to join this discussion.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman to speak about the panel she is leading on poverty.

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I heard the gentlewoman say, obviously, 1968, and we are now in 2018. I yield to the gentlewoman to tell me what she thinks, in terms of the conditions in 1968, which were obviously the riots, to where we are in 2018. I know there has been some progress, but in terms of things moving back.

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 days legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the subject of the Special Order.

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor that I rise today to anchor the CBC Special Order. I would like to thank the CBC chairman, Chairman Richmond, for his leadership in this effort. For the next 60 minutes, we have an opportunity to speak directly to the American people about issues of great importance to the Congressional Black Caucus and the millions of constituents we represent. Tonight, Mr. Speaker, I want to speak about a topic that has affected this country and plagued us all. Over 50 years ago, in the middle of the Detroit riot, President Lyndon B. Johnson established the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, commonly known as the Kerner Commission. The goal of that Commission was to identify the underlying causes of the civil unrest in communities across the country. This was a time of tremendous tension in our great Nation. Many Americans were confused about the root causes of the riots and the unsure path forward. On February 29, 1968, following several field trips to troubled communities, the Commission released the Kerner Report, a 176-page report that examined cultural institutional racism, from segregated schools and housing discrimination to generational poverty and to limited economic opportunity. The Commission largely held racism responsible for Black rioting and warned that our Nation is moving to two societies, one Black, one White--separate and unequal. The Commission called for bold policies to counter decades of political failure, such as investment in much-needed social services, housing, and education programs; and incentivizing diversity among law enforcement. Sadly, President Johnson ignored the Kerner Report and rejected its recommendations. In the midst of that, we had the assassinations of several prominent Americans: President John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King. Fifty years later, America has made some improvements, but African Americans continue to face some of the same issues discussed in the Kerner Report. Since its release, Black American homeownership has been flat, and unemployment is still twice that of White Americans. The Black prison population has tripled here in America. It used to be two other countries, South Africa during the apartheid years and the former Soviet Union, had more people in prison. Now the United States has more people in prison than any nation in the world. Black household wealth is less than one-fifth of the national average, and almost 33 percent of Black children are growing up in poverty. Recently, Fred Harris, the last living member of the Kerner Commission, issued a new report highlighting the persistent issues plaguing the Black community and calling on major investments in education, workforce development, and a living wage. This comes in stark contrast to the severe cuts proposed by President Trump in the fiscal year 2019 budget. Today, in fact, I attended a meeting for the CEO Council for Growth at Drexel University. The council's mission is to lead our region forward by convening decisionmakers, taking action, and doing the things necessary to strengthen our regional economy. With poverty at 26 percent in my district, I am committed to working with the CEOs present at today's meeting and others who are using creativity and innovation to help reduce poverty, combat hunger, and spur economic growth. I also attended a discussion at Temple University in Philadelphia. Although the recently passed budget was by no means perfect, I firmly believe that our leadership and our actions matter. So it was great to hear firsthand from professors at Temple University today about how the recent jolt in NIH funding will allow them to keep their research on the rise. If we want to continue moving the needle on poverty reduction, we must make it our priority to invest in all of our neighborhoods. We are in the business of doing no harm. As elected officials, we are here to help move our neighborhoods forward, not backward, and we must continue to urgently press for commonsense economic solutions for Americans most in need. I stand before you today to tell you just as I have always done before, we must continue to make ideas matter. We must push for commonsense solutions to help move us past the conditions that led to the Kerner Report. Mr. Speaker, I have my colleague from California (Ms. Lee) here, who is someone whom I have watched and observed. As a matter of fact, she is the chair leading the effort from the Democratic perspective on attacking this issue of poverty. She has been in the forefront of this particular issue, and her voice is heard throughout this entire Nation, the Honorable Barbara Lee from the 13th District. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ellison), someone I had the pleasure of spending time with. We have a little running conversation with the Eagles playing in the Super Bowl. He has turned out to be a very good friend in spite of that. He has traveled this Nation and been very thoughtful in his comments and the things he has said. He wanted to really weigh in on this subject. He has been in the forefront of economic opportunity, poverty reduction, racism, and income equality. He has been in there.

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the gentleman a question. I hope people heard him. I want to ask a couple things. The goal of the Commission was to identify the underlying causes of the civil unrest in communities across the country, and obviously a lot has happened in that 50 years. Technology, trade policies, tax policies, education policies, all those types of things have occurred, and it is clear knowing--obviously, in 1968, they didn't know anything about the internet, trade policies, tax policies. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the gentleman: Should there be another commission report? Should there be something that, in a sense, tries to update, in 2018, knowing the circumstances that we are in, and especially poverty has even grown more? Mr. Speaker, I told you, in the district I am in, which has a lot of wealth with major universities, there is 26 percent poverty. In 1968, there was a riot in the city of Philadelphia. Now, we don't have riots, you know, fortunately, anymore today in communities, but do we have a form of quiet riot that is occurring in these communities, not physically the way they were, but in some way there is still this growing gap? So we know what the goal was.

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, what others have heard this evening from the Congressional Black Caucus is sort of like a canary in the mine. The Kerner Report, when President Johnson established it 50 years ago, was an attempt to shine a light and to send a warning that we were two nations, one Black and one White. And for every Member who stood up here and spoke, they all talked about how proud they are, as Americans; and that we all recognize the beauty and the idea of America and what it has meant. I come from the city of Philadelphia, where it all started. In those conversations, there is no question it started out as a very flawed document, where African Americans and women basically were left out of that discussion. But as you think about what my good friend from Minnesota said as he laid out the historical aspect to where we are here in 2018 and the opportunity we have--because I do believe we have an opportunity, and I do believe it is not any more words on paper. It is not a report or anything. It is a question of what is in our hearts collectively. I don't think this is a Democrat or Republican issue. I don't think this is a Black or White issue. I think this is an issue about inclusion and involvement. I think that when you go back to that report that talks about the underlying causes of the civil unrest in these communities across this country, I think that we all have an obligation to try to address those issues. The issues are very fundamental. May you live in rural America, or urban America, or suburban America, you know, everybody needs quality healthcare. Everyone needs a job opportunity. Everyone needs a good, solid education. And those things we should not take lightly. All of those things, we all need. So what we, as the Congressional Black Caucus, attempted to do is continue to raise the consciousness and to get people to understand that we still have a lot of work to do. This should not be taken lightly; that we all recognize that though, as Dr. King used to say, we have come over here on different boats, we are in the same boat now; and that boat is America; that boat is we are in a much more competitive world than in 1968. This is 2018. The world has radically changed. The question is: Are we going to be in the forefront of the change, or are we going to be in the back of change? I like to believe we should be in the forefront of change. I like to believe that we all understand, as a country, that it is in our collective interests to work together and to make a difference. I am not saying to you it will be easy. And it was not easy in 1968. As I said, President Johnson was a Democrat, but he did not heed the report the way he should have probably heeded it. But it is no use talking about the past. The question is: How do we deal with the future, and where do we go? We should applaud him and others for at least having the discussion. We should not be fearful of discussion. We should all recognize that we have some challenges ahead for us in the 21st century. Again, I will repeat myself. It will not be easy. It will take a lot of work, and it will take us confronting those issues that we face today. It is not easy, as we have debated the issue about healthcare or the issue about jobs or the issue about education. Everybody wants to work. Everybody wants a quality job and a quality opportunity. No one wants to sit on the sidelines. So we have a chance today, in my view, to take advantage of the opportunities. I hope we will, Mr. Speaker. I believe that all members of the Congressional Black Caucus strongly feel that way. I thank the chairman of our caucus for initiating these efforts that we have been doing for this last year or so. I really appreciate that opportunity. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. EVANS. We know the goal was to identify the underlying causes of the civil unrest. Mr. Speaker, what I hear Mr. Ellison saying with that 250 years, the first time I ever heard that described that way, I would ask him to talk to us a little bit about here it is 2018, 50 years later, with all these things that have happened. I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota.

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments. Mr. Speaker, we have another person, who is a neighbor of mine and has been a very good friend, from the great State of New Jersey. We have got that Benjamin Franklin, Walt Whitman Bridge connection. He is a very good friend. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne), from the 10th District of New Jersey.

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to, if I can, just follow up a little bit on the Voting Rights Act. Obviously, that is the foundation of a democracy, and it is rather amazing to me that all of us in this Congress are elected by the people. I tell people the greatest title is citizen. It is not Congressman; it is not President; it is citizen. So, Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the gentleman to speak a little bit about what has that impact been about the Voting Rights Act, as he sees it today, and the fact that, for some reason, this Congress doesn't seem to understand that we still need the Voting Rights Act in 2018.

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the gentleman, since I have never seen this thing called an AR-15, can he describe what this gun looks like?

Mr. EVANS. Yes.

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to anchor the CBC Special Order. I would like to thank CBC Chairman Cedric Richmond for his leadership in this effort. Chairman Richmond has been leading this effort and raising the question about when the President said what do we have to lose. The chairman indicated that we have a lot to lose. So for the next 60 minutes, we have an opportunity to speak directly to the American people about issues of great importance to the Congressional Black Caucus and the millions of constituents we represent. Tonight's Special Order is about gun violence. I thank my colleagues for joining me here today to speak about the national epidemic of gun violence, an important topic to us all. The Black community is at a critical time because we have a lot to lose because too many of our neighbors, unfortunately, have been subject to gun violence at a consistent rate, a crime which often goes unpunished because of unreliable witnesses. On February 14, this Nation once again witnessed a horrific tragedy that took place at a high school in Florida. Seventeen lives were taken at the hands of a gunman with way too much firepower. The horror and tragedy that shook the Florida high school should be an unimaginable event in our country. Yet, tragically, our Nation has lost too many loved ones at the hands of gun violence, to the point where we often see the same reaction: hand wringing, blaming going around, but nothing being done to stop the violence. The city of Philadelphia knows all too well the lives we have lost at the hands of gun violence. In 2017, we saw the city experience its largest homicide epidemic since 2012. There were over 370 homicides in Philadelphia, according to the data from the Philadelphia Police Department. And with the continuing scourge of gun violence in Philadelphia, last year I hand-delivered a letter to Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro outlining our Commonwealth's need to use all resources possible to advocate for commonsense gun reform. Since I handed that letter to the Commonwealth's attorney general, we have had more heartbreaks in America, including the unspeakable tragedy at a church, a place of worship and refuge, in Texas, and the mass shooting in Las Vegas. Mr. Speaker, there is a gentleman who is our leader from our Caucus who will speak to this issue. He knows an awful lot about it. I have watched him in the short period of time I have been here: the Honorable James Clyburn from the Sixth District.

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, may I ask the gentleman a question. If the gentleman could just talk a little more about that magic he talked about and how do we get there. Does the gentleman have any sense of how we get there?

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments. Mr. Speaker, you just heard the gentleman from South Carolina, in my view, lay out a very clear vision of what it should be like from an aspirational standpoint. Speaking of the leader of the Congressional Black Caucus leading the conscience of this body, the gentleman from the great State of Louisiana, he knows a little bit about that--from my understanding, there is legislation that he has--and that is Chairman Cedric Richmond from the Second District of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Richmond).

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, before the gentleman leaves, being that this is the 50th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination, I would ask the gentleman, to the point that he raises about the moments of silence, if we look back and look where we are today, are we any closer to addressing these moments of silence, because I hear frustration in his voice?

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I have someone who I have had the utmost respect for. He smiles. I told him he could get elected in Pennsylvania. He is from the great State of Mississippi. I don't want to shock the people of Mississippi. He is not leaving Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the Second Congressional District of Mississippi (Mr. Thompson).

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for laying out that eloquent statement. Next is someone who is from the great State of Illinois, who, since I have been here, has been relentless on this issue, particularly from an inner-city standpoint, an urban standpoint. I have watched her over and over again constantly stand up and make comments, and I wonder if she thinks anybody is listening, but I am going to give her that opportunity to say a few things here this evening. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the Second District of Illinois (Ms. Kelly).

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask just one question to the gentlewoman from Illinois, who has been speaking to this issue a lot. Does the gentlewoman have any sense of optimism of people hearing her in any way? Does she see any signs? I mean, she just ticked off some information. What are her thoughts about change around here?

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I thought the gentleman gave a really clear sense of what the challenge is and what we face today. Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the momentous 40th anniversary of Cheyney University's 1978 NCAA Division II Basketball Championship win. Founded in 1837, Cheyney University has been a true treasure in our Commonwealth for over 180 years. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the proud home of the first Historically Black College (HBCU) in our nation; it is also the only HBCU in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). On March 18th, 2018 Cheyney University will celebrate the 40th anniversary of its notable NCAA Division II Basketball Championship win. The team made history in 1978 when they defeated the University of Wisconsin Green Bay's team with a score of 47-40 in Springfield, Missouri bringing home the University's first national championship victory. Just as our victorious Super Bowl Champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, defied all the odds to prove that underdogs can and will be victorious so too did the No. 4 ranked Cheyney State College Wolves who defeated the No. 1 ranked Wisconsin Green Bay team in the 1978 NCAA Division II Basketball Championship game. We extend congratulations to the entire 1978 Cheyney Wolves Team which included: John Butts, Duane Coleman, All-American Milt Colston, Tournament MVP Andrew Fields, Kenny Hinson, Jeffrey Hutcherson, Roger Leysath, Gerald Mills, Charles Murphy, Gilbert Saunders, Arthur Stone, and John Walter; under the leadership of Naismith Hall of Fame Coach John Chaney. The 2nd Congressional District of Pennsylvania is proud to celebrate and recognize Cheyney University on the 40th anniversary of their historic 1978 NCAA Division II championship win.