Stacey Plaskett

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Madam Speaker, on the second anniversary of Russia's invasion, I reaffirm America's steadfast support of Ukraine. This is not merely a gesture of international solidarity. It is a strategic imperative of the U.S. Our commitment to Ukraine extends beyond the defense of global freedom and democracy. It is fundamentally aligned with America's national interests. With an investment of less than 5 percent of our defense budget, we have catalyzed a significant shift in the balance of power, crippled over half of Russian military forces, fortified Europe's stability and prosperity, protected our NATO allies, and ensured the stability of global food prices and supplies. Let me be clear: A stable, democratic Europe is not just beneficial but essential to America's economy, food security, and national defense. The battlefields of Ukraine are the front lines of our freedom itself, and their struggle is our struggle. As the deadline looms for Federal funding, House Democrats have consistently extended bipartisanship to ensure our government remains open and our national security protected. The time for decisive action is now.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 180th anniversary of the Dominican Republic's independence. This past weekend, the streets in downtown Christiansted, St. Croix, and Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, were alive with the spirit of the Independence Day Parade, a tradition that has graced our islands for 15 years and serves as a testament to the rich tapestry of our shared heritage. The Virgin Islands prides itself on being a melting pot of cultures, and the active participation and integration of the Dominican community showcase the strength and beauty of that diversity. It is inspiring to see members of the Dominican community opening businesses, contributing to our economy, and taking on key roles in our government as they share their passion and their ideas. Those efforts and achievements reinforce the value of cultural exchange and mutual respect that are the foundation of our society. It is the fabric that weaves our communities together and allows every ethnicity and nationality to celebrate their unique culture and traditions. Here is to many more years of friendship, collaboration, and shared prosperity between the Virgin Islands and, indeed, the United States and the Dominican Republic.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Today, I honor the St. Croix Avis, our cherished newspaper, as it has concluded a remarkable 180-year journey leaving a legacy that is both historic and deeply rooted in our community. Established in 1844, the St. Croix Avis was a beacon of enlightenment. It laid the foundation for a literate Black population. The paper was Black owned and Black run, and symbolized not only the dissemination of information but also the affirmation of the dignity of voicing an opinion. Over the decades, the Avis has been more than a witness to history, it has been its scribe. From the era of chattel slavery to modern challenges, it has chronicled our evolution as a people and served as an invaluable source of information and engagement in our community. Let us remember the St. Croix Avis for the history it helped write and for the critical role it played in our community's growth and development. I thank Rena and her Dad, Mr. Brodhurst, and the previous owners. It will forever remain a cherished chapter in the story of the Virgin Islands and an enduring symbol of our Virgin Islands dignity and pride.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Madam Speaker, this month of January has been National Poverty in America Awareness Month. The grim reality is that over 40 million Americans, including nearly 20 percent of individuals in my home of the Virgin Islands and 30 percent of children there, live in poverty. This issue is not an inevitability, but a crisis that we have the power to resolve. Poverty manifests not only through hunger, but also limited education, social discrimination, desperation, which leads to crime, and diminished democratic participation. Tragically, communities of color and people living in territories face even greater disadvantages. It is disheartening to see a lack of concerted effort and poverty alleviation in this House. Many of my Republican colleagues, fixated on political stunts and threatening critical funding cuts, have diverted attention from this pressing issue. We must prioritize bipartisan collaboration, whether it is the border or hunger in our own land, over political posturing. We must unite in our commitment to eradicate poverty, uplift every citizen, and guarantee a prosperous future for people across our land.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Madam Speaker, today I rise in recognition of Veterans Day to honor the brave souls from the Virgin Islands and throughout the Nation for their selfless and valiant service. In the Virgin Islands, our veterans' spirit of service is a beacon of inspiration. Yet, the very liberties they fight tirelessly for are mirrored by the injustices they confront upon returning home: the inequitable access to healthcare and benefits they deserve. This disparity is more than an oversight. It is an egregious mistreatment of our Nation's heroes and has been a driving force for my relentless advocacy to rectify the wrong. That is why last year I supported the landmark PACT Act guaranteeing veterans harmed by burn pits or other toxins to receive automatic VA healthcare and benefits. I am proud for the successful advocacy for an amendment requiring the GAO to study the state of access and barriers and benefits to veterans living in the territories. Madam Speaker, we owe our veterans more than gratitude. We owe them action. It is time to deliver on our promise.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I come before you today in support of my colleague Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. All Members of Congress are entitled to freedom of speech. We also recognize that words matter and that they have the power to uplift or to harm others. While I have joined the statement rejecting certain harmful phraseology that has been used, I believe Congresswoman Tlaib's statement that she did not intend to wish harm to the Jewish community by her words. Congresswoman Tlaib has all since clarified that she was intending to make an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate. The ability to have free speech but to be willing to discuss and to change and clarify is not just mature but democratic. No Member should express harm to others, and Congresswoman Tlaib has been willing to listen, clarify, and express compassion. Yet on the other side of the aisle, we have seen repeatedly Republican Members make disparaging comments that have threatened our fellow colleagues and their families.

Ms. PLASKETT. We have had members of the Republican Conference make floor speeches about the great replacement theory that is suggestive of white nationalism. As a Black woman, I am offended. Will you censure the co-chair of your Conference, Mr. Speaker?

Ms. PLASKETT. We need to uplift. We need to allow free speech.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment. This amendment would strike section 7070(d) from the bill, removing language banning the State Department and other agencies from identifying, classifying, or facilitating the classification of any communication by a United States person as misinformation, disinformation, or malinformation, and banning the Federal Government from partnering with nonpartisan, nonprofit, outside experts to identify these threats. On January 7, 2021, a day after the January 6 insurrection, the National Intelligence Council, Central Intelligence Agency, Department of Homeland Security, FBI, NSA, and the State Department disseminated a then-classified report entitled, ``Foreign Threats to the 2020 U.S. Federal Elections.'' That report was declassified 2 months later, and in it, the best minds of our intelligence community wrote, ``. . . Russian President Putin authorized, and a range of Russian Government organizations conducted, influence operations aimed at denigrating President Biden's candidacy and the Democratic Party, supporting former President Trump, undermining public confidence in the electoral process and exacerbating sociopolitical divisions in the U.S.'' It went on to say that: ``Unlike in 2016 . . . A key element of Moscow's strategy this election cycle was its use of proxies linked to Russian intelligence to push influence narratives--including misleading or unsubstantiated allegations. . . .'' Mr. Chair, in the wake of the chaos and destruction caused by the former President and his followers on January 6, I fear these facts are being forgotten. So why are we here today with multiple appropriation bills that prevent the Federal Government of the United States from even acknowledging misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, and getting that information to the American public no matter who it is spouted by, whether it is domestic or foreign threats? Seems to be that my colleagues across the aisle want to use First Amendment rights as a blanket for those kinds of words and uses that are going to destroy the American people. We are not saying that people cannot say these things; what the Federal Government needs to be able to do is inform the American people where that information comes from, if it is, in fact, not factual, if it is conspiracy theories. I fear that this is being allowed because some empowered corners of our Republican Caucus know another Presidential election is coming and they have been given a cookbook on how to keep chaos in our society. We know that page one of that cookbook, that first recipe, is Russian propaganda and its penetration of the American people. Let's be clear: It is not only the Kremlin that wants in on this mis-, dis-, and malinformation game, this meal that they are trying to cook for the American people, Iran and China want to get into the kitchen, too. We know foreign influence efforts are already active and we know many more are coming. Let's make sure that our Federal Government has the expertise and the research to be able to stop it. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to approve my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Chair, let me just say that private media companies acting in their own business interest and in the understood interest of public health in the midst of global pandemics are going to do what they think is best for their bottom line. That is what drives them. As for Orwellian cries, that is absolutely ludicrous that you would be concerned with that. You are only concerned with free speech now because it is impeding conspiracy theories that you want to put forward. Free speech is not an absolute protection. That is one of the first things you learn in law school in constitutional law. It is not an absolute. It is not an absolute when it is going against the American people and our democracy, and when it is malicious speech. Additionally, we are not saying that people cannot say these words; we are saying that where the information comes from and how it is used, our Federal Government should be allowed to track that.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Chair, this amendment would strike Section 8149 from the bill, removing language banning the Department of Defense from classifying or facilitating the classification of any communications by a United States person as misinformation, disinformation, or malinformation, and banning the Department of Defense from partnering with nonpartisan, nonprofit, outside experts to identify these threats. As we know, misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation are three of the most important and far-reaching weapons of America's adversaries in Beijing, Tehran, and particularly the Kremlin. According to the State Department, Russia has operationalized the concept of perpetual adversarial competition in the information environment by encouraging the development of a disinformation and propaganda ecosystem. This ecosystem then creates and spreads false narratives to strategically advance the Kremlin's policy goals. There is no subject off limits to this firehose of falsehoods. Everything from human rights and environmental policy to assassinations and civilian-killing bombing campaigns are fair targets in Russia's malign playbook. Only truth disarms these disinformation weapons, and the House of Representatives must support our government to ensure that foreign adversaries do not use the American people to disseminate lies with the goal of destroying our democracy without identifying them as misinformation, disinformation, or malinformation. Here are some truths: The Federal Government of the United States of America and the Department of Defense that we are working here to fund today are unequivocally responsible for the protection of American citizens from all enemies, all threats foreign or domestic. All threats mean all threats, whether the threat is kinetic, economic, infectious, in cyberspace or on Main Street. It is our job to provide the defense of the Nation and its people. We must continue to come together to seek and promote the truth, and I urge my colleagues to approve this amendment. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Chair, we all believe in the importance of the First Amendment. We all believe in the American people's ability and their right to be able to speak out. What we also need to be aware of is the use of misinformation, disinformation by our foreign adversaries, and for the ability of our government to label that as such. It is not to stop people from saying it. It is the ability for us to tell what are lies and what is truth. I am the ranking member on the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, and what the American people have seen thus far from that committee is the weaponization of Congress to be able to put forward conspiracy theories and lies to support power and quest for conquest over the American people. Mr. Chair, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum).

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Chair, I have nothing further, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, as we in Washington argue over the budget and the depletion of FEMA funds for rebuilding, children in the Virgin Islands are suffering from excessive heat in classrooms that has affected the academic calendar year of students in the territory. Excessive heat has literally contributed to substantial interruption of the learning at a critical part of the school year. Students have been so deeply affected by these issues that they have taken to the streets on the island of St. Croix to protest what they believe to be the current administration's lack of maintenance of the school. Our students have embraced the spirit of protest that runs so strongly in the heritage of Virgin Islanders as a means of challenging the establishment. A week ago, St. Croix teachers, led by a local arm of the AFT, executed a job action and staged a strike to call attention to a myriad of issues that continue to plague the schools in the territory--lack of AC units or fans amidst a heat wave, much-needed electrical upgrades, limited supplies, et cetera. The students themselves joined the teachers, and I am incredibly proud of the youth. We need to put pressure on FEMA. We need to work collaboratively together to get these schools in the order they need to be for the children. Virgin Islanders must come together for our children.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, we find ourselves in a critical juncture in our Nation's history. You have heard my colleagues say that we have 16 days left. That is only 9 legislative days away from a government shutdown. The extreme MAGA Republicans in the Republican Conference are driving the entire Republican majority to time and time again pursue their divisive agenda at the cost of American lives. This would inflict untold harm upon millions of hardworking families and jeopardize our national security. This is not governance; this is political gamesmanship. Let me be clear. They have chosen to embark on a perilous path that threatens the very fabric of our government and the well-being of our citizens in an attempt to slash vital investments in healthcare, childcare, education, and food assistance. This senseless self-manufactured crisis would disrupt critical government services. I implore my colleagues across the aisle to stop playing political games and join us in the commitment to the American people.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, as we mark the solemn sixth anniversary of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, I am reminded of the indomitable spirit of Virgin Islanders who faced these devastating Category 5 storms, and the invaluable support we received from Members of Congress who rallied to secure much-needed funding for our recovery. The impact of two twin Category 5 hurricanes unleased unprecedented destruction upon the Virgin Islands of the United States, leaving a trail of devastation that will be remembered for generations. September 6, 2017, witnessed the relentless fury of Hurricane Irma as it swept across our territory, carving a path of devastation that lingers in our collective memory. A mere fortnight later, Hurricane Maria descended upon our already devastated islands, compounding the damage exponentially. In the wake of these unparalleled catastrophes, the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands demonstrated incredible resilience and determination, while other places receiving such damage cried and wailed about what had happened to them. Virgin Islanders, as always, not believing that support would come, looked to one another. We came together to support one another, rebuild our communities, and lay the foundation for one more resilient future. The road to recovery has been long and arduous, but the spirit of Virgin Islanders remains unbroken, and the commitment to rebuilding stronger and more resilient persists. As we approach the exhaustion of FEMA disaster relief funding, we face an impending crisis. FEMA has announced the implementation of immediate needs funding due to the dwindling disaster relief fund. Under INF, immediate needs funding, new obligations for public assistance not essential for lifesaving and life-sustaining activities, permanent work, and the hazard mitigation grant program will be paused until the disaster relief funding is sufficiently supplied. Without FEMA funding, crucial programs such as public school reconstruction and essential services hang in the balance. Moreover, we are only 10 legislative days away from a government shutdown, with some of our colleagues more concerned about baseless political vendettas than the well-being of the American people. I implore my colleagues to rise above partisan extremes and deliver for the American people. The Biden-Harris administration has requested $16 billion in supplemental funding to replenish the disaster relief fund. This request should receive bipartisan support for disaster-impacted areas across the United States. It is crucial that we put the needs of our constituents first, prioritizing disaster relief over political bickering. I say to my Virgin Islands brothers and sisters, that opportunities are fragile and don't always come through for us. We have got to do what needs to be done to support our own rebuilding if Washington cannot. Mr. Speaker, I will continue to work on behalf of Virgin Islanders to assess the support needed for our ongoing rebuilding efforts. Together, we share the responsibility of ensuring that the U.S. Virgin Islands emerge from the twin tragedies stronger and more resilient. The opportunity before us is significant, and we must not let it slip away. Let us act swiftly to provide the necessary funding and support for all disaster-impacted areas across America to build a more resilient preparedness plan. Mr. Speaker, may we rise to this challenge with the strength and unity it demands, and may we, as Virgin Islanders, remain VI strong.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to congratulate my predecessor, the Honorable Dr. Donna Christensen, on the unanimous approval of the Virgin Islands legislature to rename the Charles Harwood Memorial Complex in her honor. Dr. Christensen has spent her life as a public servant and a leader in each of her roles, whether it is medical, educational, or political. For decades, she has built a legacy as a pioneer. She was the first female physician to serve as a Member of Congress, the first female to represent an offshore territory in Congress, and the first female to represent the Virgin Islands in this body. Acutely aware of the unique challenges faced by Virgin Islanders, Dr. Christensen has remained a staunch advocate for health equity for minorities in the territory and underserved communities, such as her influential work for minority health in the Affordable Care Act. In my work, I continue to build on her legacy through the tireless battle to attain equitable treatment for the people of the Virgin Islands. I thank Dr. Christensen.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I stand here today on behalf of slain Virgin Islands Detective Delberth Phipps, Jr. Detective Phipps was killed in the line of duty on July 4, 2023. He and his fellow officers rushed to the scene of an active shooting where a gunman, armed with an AR-15 rifle and bulletproof vest, opened fire. He gave his life in service to his community. My prayers and deepest condolences go to his family, his son, Demel Phipps, along with his loved ones and fellow Virgin Islands Police Department officers. According to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, arms trafficking is a major factor as to why the U.S. Virgin Islands, my home, has had a homicide rate nine times higher than on the mainland. The Virgin Islands does not manufacture guns, yet we have one of the highest per capita murder rates in the world. It is no secret that with open land, there is drug trafficking through our corridor. The weapons that continue to flood our shores are a byproduct of the lax, if not nonexistent, gun laws throughout the continental U.S., particularly Florida, The daughter of multiple generations of law enforcement officers, I understand the commitment of not just officers but their families to protect and serve. I stand with Officer Phipps and all of the Virgin Islands Police Department. You have my commitment to fight for you all.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight my bill, H.R. 3385, the DiasporaLink Act. This critical piece of legislation would request review of the feasibility of an undersea fiber-optic telecommunications cable established between the United States and Africa linked in the Virgin Islands of the United States. This bill offers a significant opportunity to deepen economic connections and aid American regional security by establishing high- speed, secure telecommunications data connection from the American soil to the African Continent. The U.S. territory of the Virgin Islands, which is strategically positioned in transit zones to fight transnational crime and protect U.S. national and regional security, will prove to be a mutually advantageous location. With increased terrorism and Russian, Chinese, and other adversarial nations on the African Continent, U.S. interests, the need for direct linkage is mandatory. The United States undersea cable linked in the Virgin Islands, which is already a hub, is within our national strategic interests.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Madam Speaker, today, I rise to honor my ancestors as we approach the 175th anniversary of our emancipation--the self- emancipation of the enslaved people of the Danish West Indies. It is ironic that now in the United States, right now, there is a war being raged to censor and erase history and heritage, not just of Virgin Islanders but for Black and Brown people in this Nation. The bloody insurrection of American revolutionaries to attain their freedom is celebrated, yet the history of resilience and strength, the story of the African Diaspora in this country, is attempted to be taken away. Shackled and bound, over 120,000 of my ancestors, men, women, and children, were stolen and trafficked from the shores of Africa to the islands of St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John in the Danish West Indies, now known as the Virgin Islands of the United States. From the early 1650s until 1848, the Danish subjected the people of the Virgin Islands to the atrocities of chattel slavery. Forgotten today, the Danes were notorious for having some of the most grueling and inhumane conditions in the Caribbean. Under these conditions and the watchful eye of the Danish, the people resolved to mobilize and seize their freedom. On July 3, 1848, 9,000 enslaved and freed people on the island of St. Croix collected en masse at Fort Frederik and demanded their immediate and indefinite liberation. Under the superior leadership of Moses ``General Buddhoe'' Gottlieb, they had coordinated, strategized, and executed a plan for freedom. Overcome by the people, the Danish surrendered by the declaration of the Danish governor. The Virgin Islands became one of only two places to ever successfully gain their freedom through an organized slave revolt, armed insurrection, in the history of the Western Hemisphere. They would wait for no man to unshackle their chains. This is what it means to be a Virgin Islander, to overcome the most harrowing of circumstances, to reclaim the power that which is kept seemingly out of reach, and to wait for no one to give us freedom, equity, or prosperity. Malcolm X at the founding rally of the Organization of Afro-American Unity stated: ``A race of people is like an individual man; until it uses its own talents, takes pride in its own history, expresses its own culture, affirms its own selfhood, it can never fulfill itself.'' We, the people of the Virgin Islands, must not sit idle expecting that the same system that oppressed our ancestors, that continues to deny us rights, will solve the very problems of its creation. We don't need to look for others to solve our problems. We have within ourselves, within our own diaspora, all the answers to heal ourselves and grow. Throughout the Virgin Islands and the United States and beyond, we are doctors, engineers, writers, educators, builders, economists, organizers. We are a people of immeasurable talent, borne from a history of strength and resilience, possessing a rich and vibrant culture capable of good things, all of which are squandered if we continue to allow our mental slavery to bind our true freedom. We may have the scars of countless injustices, but Virgin Islanders also have the blood of our ancestors that organized and were willing to give up all for freedom of self-definition and their own determination of their lives. Mr. Speaker, 175 years ago, our ancestors abandoned their sense of ``I'' and adopted ``we.'' Through ingenuity, bravery, and unity, they rejected the brutal reality forced upon them and reclaimed the power to manifest a present and future of their will and their creation. We are the heroes of our own story. This is from which we are born. It is in our blood to rise.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Madam Speaker, today I rise in recognition of Caribbean American Heritage Month. This June, we acknowledge and celebrate our diverse Caribbean-American contributions to this Nation's history for the 17th year. Personally, I am so proud of my Caribbean lineage and want to honor the universal pride that all Caribbean people share across the United States. Historically, Caribbean Americans have been key players in the development, growth, and richness of this country. Originally entering the United States in bondage, Caribbean people endured the brutalities of chattel slavery for centuries but fought for and attained liberation. My home, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and Haiti are the only two places to organize a slave revolt that led to successful freedom from that revolt in the history of the Western Hemisphere. Caribbean-American history is one of struggle and of triumph. Descendants of these heroes and heroines would later search for greater opportunities here on the mainland, as well as elsewhere. Wherever we have gone, we have led to become pioneers and revolutionaries of our times. Some of the most influential Caribbean- American figures have indisputably driven change and progress in this Nation and continuously aid in its endeavors to achieve freedom and prosperity. Our unique and colorful cultures, traditions, and stories have enriched and helped transform U.S. history such as the invaluable contributions in government, academia, athletics, business, the arts and sciences, and so many more which have shaped the fabric of this Nation. Members of our leadership, such as Colin Powell, a descendant of Jamaican parents, who shattered racial barriers as the first Black National Security Advisor, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of State. The son of Jamaican immigrants, Powell was a dedicated Army general, awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom twice, following in the footsteps of the first notable Caribbean American, Alexander Hamilton. Susan Rice, Shirley Chisholm, and, of course, our present Vice President, Kamala Harris, all share Caribbean heritage and have served this country as political figures. We honor them and the legacy they have left. Journalists like Karine Jean-Pierre, who is the first Black and Caribbean American ever to become a press secretary for a U.S. President, and others such as Joy Reid, Yamiche Alcindor, and Abby Phillip are Caribbean-American women who continue to disrupt the media by uplifting and amplifying Black voices. Our contributions are not limited to those within the rule of law. Caribbean Americans have a long history of social activists, free thinkers, and revolutionaries. Everyone recalls Denmark Vesey who led the slave revolt in South Carolina, a free man who died to free others. Hubert Harrison, a fellow Virgin Islander and New Yorker who was often left in the shadows, was considered the father of Harlem radicalism. Men like Malcolm X, whose mother was from Grenada; Marcus Garvey of Jamaica; Kwame Ture, formerly known as Stokely Carmichael, founder of the Black Panthers, was from Trinidad; and James Wendell Johnson, who wrote ``Lift Every Voice and Sing,'' whose family was from the Bahamas, all played crucial roles in the civil rights movement, and they left lasting impacts on this country. The Caribbean-American experience has inspired countless works of art. A people rich in imagination, they are continuously at the forefront of exceptional and innovative artistic expression. Jean-Michel Basquiat, a Haitian of Puerto Rican descent, was a leading figure in the neo-expressionism movement. Musicians and actors such as Harry Belafonte, Cicely Tyson, and Hazel Scott are visionaries in their field. We continue to credit much of our scientific advancements to individuals such as Neil deGrasse Tyson, who everybody looks to and applauds, the son of a beautiful Puerto Rican sister, a renowned astrophysicist, author, and science communicator, recognized for his ``extraordinary role in exciting the public about the wonders of science.'' In athletics, an abundance of individuals have had monumental success and shown grace and leadership, such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a son of Caribbean immigrants. Two other athletes, in particular, that I cannot stop mentioning from the Virgin Islands are: Tim Duncan and Aliyah Boston. This month provides an opportunity to reflect on the past, act in the present, and envision the future. We applaud Caribbean American Heritage Month.