Charlie Rangel

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, criminal justice issues continue to plague our communities to the point that they threaten our national security. In this Congress we should make a commitment to address the issue of illegal guns distribution, recidivism, crack-cocaine sentencing disparities and systemic disenfranchisement of ex-offenders. We owe this to the many, primarily minority, families that are destroyed every year because of these devastating social ills that can be prevented. First, the use of illegal guns is a serious problem across America. Everyday illegal guns are used to commit violent crimes, particularly in urban communities. The loss of life as a result of use of an illegal gun has ruined families and communities. We can no longer stand and watch as criminals illegally obtaining guns and use them to cause havoc. I serve as co-chair on the Congressional Task Force on Illegal Guns. Our focus is to address the Tiahrt Amendments, a series of ``riders'' in recent Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriation bills that limits local law enforcement access to data on gun tracing. These amendments which have become increasingly restrictive since Fiscal Year 2003 deny local law enforcement agencies the ability to identify illegal gun traffickers. National security encompasses addressing issues that lead to poverty and hopelessness, for these feelings of despair threaten the safety of all Americans. Preventing individuals who have served their time in jail from obtaining employment, education and health care only leads to the unfortunate alternative; resort to careers in crime. Almost all states have in place a system of expunging records or providing a meaningful chance for ex-offenders to rebuild their life. The federal government has no such system. Therefore, I introduced H.R. 623, the Second Chance Act of 2007, which provides that federal ex-offenders have the same second chance as many state offenders. Federal first time ex-offenders who prove that they have fulfilled all requirements of their sentence, parole and supervised released have been completed; they have obtained a high school or GED equivalency degrees; they have remained free of drug and alcohol dependency; and they have completed a full year of community service can qualify for re-entry into society and have their records expunged. In addition, the rate at which blacks and whites are sent to prison for drug offenses continues to be grossly disparate and raises a clear warning flag concerning the fairness and equity of drug law enforcement across the country. We need to continue to build momentum to eliminate the sentencing disparity that keeps defendants convicted of trafficking crack in jail far longer than those convicted for powdered cocaine. Under the existing law, a defendant convicted of trafficking five grams of crack cocaine receives the same five-year mandatory penalty as a defendant convicted of trafficking 500 grams of powder cocaine. In addition, a mandatory minimum penalty of five years is automatically imposed for possession of five grams of crack cocaine, whereas simple possession of any quantity of any other substance--including powder cocaine--is a misdemeanor offense punishable by a maximum of one year in prison. To begin to address this, I introduced H.R. 460, the Crack Cocaine Equitable Sentencing Act, moves us one step closer to eliminating the disparity in sentencing for crack and powder cocaine offenses. Finally, deprivation of the right to vote is not an inherent or necessary aspect of criminal punishment nor does it promote the reintegration of offenders into lawful society. Nationally, an estimated 5.3 million Americans are denied the right to vote because of laws that prohibit voting by people with felony convictions. This fundamental obstacle to participation in democratic life is exacerbated by racial disparities in the criminal justice system, resulting in an estimated 13 percent of Black men unable to vote. The impact on the political power of the minority communities is nothing short of devastating. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support legislation that will help address the criminal justice issues that have been left unattended for far too long.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to the life and acheivements of Parren James Mitchell, the first black Congressman to represent the State of Maryland, 1 of the 13 founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus, CBC, and a champion of civil rights. Mr. Mitchell was a powerful force in the 20th century resurgence of Black political strength in the United States and I was proud to serve with him in the Congress. Born in Baltimore, MD, on April 29, 1922, Parren Mitchell was the ninth of 10 children in his family. He earned a bachelor's degree from Morgan State College in 1950 and was the first Black to earn a master's degree from the University of Maryland--College Park in 1952, after a successful suit that granted him fair admission, Mitchell returned to his undergraduate institution to teach sociology and serve as the assistant director of the Urban Studies Institute. He was also a commissioned officer of the 92nd Infantry Division during World War II, receiving the Purple Heart. Having amassed more than 3,000 awards and 14 honorary degrees, Mitchell was a leader in politics and business. He served on the Supreme Bench of Baltimore City from 1954 to 1957 and as executive director to both the Maryland Human Relations Commission and Baltimore Community Action Agency. Mr. Mitchell was elected to the 92nd United States Congress in 1971 and reelected for seven successive terms. As the first Black to head the House Committee on Small Business, his greatest triumph was in leading a fight to ratify bills providing special aid to Black business owners on the grounds that Blacks had been subjected to discrimination for generations. In addition to heading the Small Business Committee, he was also Democratic whip at large, the senior member of the House Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs Committee, and chairman of its Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy. In 1980, Mitchell founded the Minority Business Enterprise Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc., MBELDEF, whose accomplishments include a successful lawsuit against Burger King in 1988 for discriminatory practices in awarding franchises. As a mentor to African Americans committed to improving American civil rights, such as former president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, NAACP, Kweisi Mfume, Mitchell was selflessly committed to uplifting his people and was even referred to during his chairmanship of the CBC as ``the Little General.'' Parren is remembered in Congress as a soft-spoken yet eloquent speaker with a large presence. Former Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Richard Lugar asserted it was Mitchell's impassioned plea for sanctions against South Africa that persuaded him to accept a tougher measure than the Senate originally backed in 1985. Parren, along with other family members have dedicated their careers to public service and specifically to representing the people of Baltimore for many years. His brother, Clarence Mitchell, Jr., the late civil rights activist, was the chief lobbyist for the NAACP for 30 years and was instrumental in the passage of several civil rights bills. Two of his nephews, Clarence M. Mitchell III and Michael B. Mitchell, Sr., were elected as Baltimore city councilmen and Maryland State senators. His nephew, Keiffer Mitchell, is currently serving as a Baltimore city councilman and plans to campaign for the upcoming mayoral election in Baltimore city. His legacy of inspiring others to serve the public still lives on. In remembering the life of Parren Mitchell, I am grateful to have known him personally and am confident that America is a better place because he lived.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the life and contributions of the late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and to acknowledge the 50th anniversary of the independence of Ghana, which is being recognized and celebrated this year. Kwame Nkrumah is the father of his nation, Ghana, and its anniversary of independence is an appropriate time for us to recognition his contribution. I introduce into the Congressional Record an article from CaribNews by Michael D. Roberts. Dr. Nkrumah was born on September 21, 1909 in Ghana, the same country he led to liberation from Great Britain and was elected as Prime Minister in 1960. He attended college in the United States, studied philosophy, and developed an interest in the ideas of Marcus Garvey. Realizing the need for self government, he served as General Secretary of the United Coast Gold Convention, a political party interested in Ghana's independence. Involvement in this movement was unconventional and by all means unpopular. Despite, the lack of popularity, Dr. Nkrumah, had a vision not only for Ghana, but for all African countries. His leadership inspired 23 other African nations to gain independence in just 3 years after his election. In addition to inspiring African countries to gain independence, Dr. Nkrumah envisioned unity. His vision to unite African countries was embodied with his influence in founding the Organization of African unity, established on May 25, 1963. The organization focused on ways to unify African nations and to speak with one continental voice. The organization changed over the years and was replaced with the African Union in 2001. On March 6, 2007, Ghana celebrated the 50th anniversary of its independence. Celebrations were held all over the country and attended by world leaders. I pay honor and homage to Kwame Nkrumah for dedicating his life to Ghana democracy and working towards unifying African nations. His legacy and work still lives on with the celebration of Ghana's independence 50 years ago. [From CaribNews] Kwame Nkrumah: The Man and His Times--Ghanaian Political Visionary, Pan-Africanist and Advocate of African Unity (By Michael D. Roberts) The African Antecedent: Setting the Stage for Africa's Independence ``Our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the African continent.'' Kwame Nkrumah, Accra 1957. Those words were uttered 6 years before the formation of the Organization of African Unity (OAD) on the 25th May 1963. It was an organization formed with the express purpose of uniting all of Africa but from the onset those leaders who signed this historic document in Ethiopia, were divided by insularity and a profound lack of vision. That is all of them except one. Today his vision has been realized and modified, perhaps for better or worse--no one knows--in the development of the African Union (AD) that came into being in 2001. This new organization replaced the OAU that many felt had did its time and served its purpose but was unrealistic and lacked any new mechanism for dealing with the vagaries of modern, emerging Africa and the rest of the world. But his vision and steadfast belief in African Glory has made him a legend in his lifetime and clearly one of the great sons of Africa. Today, he stands tall for his contribution to African political consciousness and African unity. He was a man whose ideas were far advanced for the era in which he served. In 2007 Africa needs to revisit his life and times. His name was Kwame Nkrumah. As Ghana's leader he had developed a reputation of total commitment to the improvement of not only the people of Ghana, but all of Africa. In a very real way the building blocks for today's modem Africa is the sacrifice and vision of leaders like Nkrumah. Observe that on the eve of the signing of the document that would formally ratify the OAU this was the warning that Nkrumah gave to African leaders about the powerful forces lined up against the continent: ``Our essential bulwark against the sinister threats and other multifarious designs of the neocolonialists is in our political union. If we are to remain free, if we are to enjoy the full benefits of Africa's rich resources, we must unite to plan for total defense and the full exploitation of our material and human means, in the full interests of all our peoples. To go it alone will limit our horizons, curtail our expectations, and threaten our liberty . . . Unless we meet the obvious and very powerful neocolonialists' threats with a unified African front, based upon a common economic and defense policy, the strategy will be to pick us off and destroy us one by one.'' Nkrumah's prophetic and visionary words were based on his profound study of how Europe colonized Africa and his experiences abroad. His study of Garveyism, the ideology of Marcus Mosiah Garvey, lent his thoughts and actions a sense of African pride and independence. But more than that Nkrumah demonstrated selfless leadership and completely dedicated himself to the emancipation of his people.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to enter into the Record an opinion editorial published in the CaribNews newspaper the week of May 17, 2007 titled ``Caribbean Aims to Cash in on Face Time with Bush''. This article expresses the importance of the CARICOM Summit meetings to be held in Washington, D.C. from June 19-21, 2007. The heads of states of the 15 nations that comprise the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will be in Washington meeting with the Administration, as well as members of Congress. During their meetings in Washington, they wish to discuss U.S.-Caribbean trade relations, cooperation in education and security initiatives, immigration, disaster preparedness and mitigation, and other issues arising from our important relationships with our Southern neighbors. A Summit of this magnitude and with the full leadership of CARICOM represents the first of its kind under the Bush Administration. I commend the Administration's initiative in establishing stronger and more consistent relationships with island states whose strategic importance has been recognized by their designation by former Secretary of State Colin Powell as our ``third border.'' This Summit comes at an important time for the American people as we celebrate the contribution of millions of Caribbean-Americans during Caribbean American Heritage Month. It is estimated that over 2.6 million Caribbean-Americans currently live in the United States. People from the Caribbean have contributed to the building of this great nation as the earliest and largest source of Black immigrants to the U.S. It is important to recognize the Caribbean as strategically significant to the U.S. in terms of security, international trade, and education initiatives. Members of CARICOM serve as crossroads for major air and sea routes between North America, Africa, Europe and Asia. It is in our country's national security interests to make certain that the issues of poverty, illiteracy and HIV/AIDS in the region are addressed. An unprecedented threat to the economic and social development of the Caribbean Community is HIV/AIDS. With a rate of 1.2 percent in 2006, Caribbean nations are second only to sub-Saharan Africa in adult HIV/ AIDS prevalence. AIDS is one of the leading causes of death among adults aged 15-44 in the Caribbean, which threatens the Community's ability to achieve sustainable development. Migration from the Caribbean can contribute to the risk of HIV in the U.S., as acknowledged in USAID Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean Adolfo Franco's testimony in 2005, citing statistics that Caribbean immigrants account for 46 percent of all immigrants testing HIV positive in New York City. High mobility in the region necessitates a regional approach in combating the epidemic. By supporting legislation that will include all the CARICOM nations in the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), we can expand our reach in fighting HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean and at home. Although CARICOM countries receive preferential trade treatment under agreements such as the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI), CARICOM views its existing trading arrangements with the U.S. as no longer adequate. The CBI preferences are set to expire in October 2008, which could jeopardize an annual $8 billion worth of trade. The current CBI also includes only eight of the 15 countries that comprise CARICOM, further emphasizing the need to establish a new trading relationship. Serving as a backdrop to the Summit this month is the establishment of a CARICOM Single Market in 2006 and plans for full economic integration in 2008. In terms of trade with the U.S., the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) serves as an opportunity to strengthen ties and better prepare the region for a free-trade agreement (FTA) with the United States. In addition to U.S.-Caribbean trade revisions, there is also a need to create a framework to manage the negative impact of the deportation process on the CARICOM nations. Caribbean governments assert that rising crime rates in some Caribbean nations can be attributed in part to the large number of criminal deportees they receive from the United States, with over 5,000 being sent from the U.S. to the Caribbean between October 2005 and October 2006. High rates of crime and violence in the Caribbean are undermining growth and investment, threatening human welfare, and impeding social development. Our national security is also threatened by a failure to manage the deportation process. When deportees are sent to the Caribbean--many of whom acquire assets and connections in the United States--they are often sent empty-handed without a family support network in the Caribbean. This situation breeds poverty among deportees, which can make weak States vulnerable to terrorist networks and drug cartels within their borders. According to the World Bank, murder rates in the Caribbean are higher than in any other region of the world, and assault rates are significantly above the world average. These challenges compounded by narcotics trafficking, which is at the core of these high rates, transcend national boundaries, threaten America's national security, and require a coordinated regional response. As Members of Congress, we have a significant opportunity to respond to the economic and political challenges facing the nations of the Caribbean, by encouraging educational exchange programs, promoting trade and supporting legislation that provides funding to address the HIV/AIDS situation in the region. The issues I outlined today provide the foundation for a rich dialogue between the U.S. and the Caribbean Heads of State. I encourage my colleagues in Congress to play a significant role in fostering a mutually beneficial relationship with our friends of the Caribbean Community by supporting and participating in the CARlCOM events that will be taking place on the Hill from June 19 through June 21. Caribbean Aims To Cash In on Face Time With Bush (georgetown) On Jun. 20, Caribbean leaders will sit down with George W. Bush for the first full summit meeting with a U.S. President in a decade, and from all indications, they have a plethora of issues to put on the table, chief among them trade and disaster preparedness. Since Democratic President Bill Clinton flew to the eastern Caribbean island of Barbados for a day in May 1997, the two sides have not met for any length of time at the Heads of Government or state level, though they have formalized annual and sometimes twice yearly meetings with secretaries of state and other high-level officials. Analysts say the June summit comes at a time of serious anxieties for the 15-nation Caribbean Community (CARICOM), 10 of which form a free trade bloc that has functioned smoothly over the years save for the odd row over some members' protectionist policies. High-ranking CARICOM officials like Assistant Secretary-General Colin Granderson and others agree that the region would be remiss if leaders do not jump at the chance of reinforcing their geopolitical importance to the United States, being right in its backyard. For one thing, the Ronald Reagan era Caribbean Basin Initiative and its offshoot, the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, governing trade with the U.S., are now subject to annual unanimous approvals by each member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), a development Governments say makes them feel very insecure. Washington has also expressed its discomfort with the fact that it has to ask every single country to say yes to renewing the preferential trade deal, which expires in two years. Caribbean leaders and foreign ministers argue that trade worth an annual average of eight billion dollars is operating at the whims of WTO members and should have some formal, more structured cover. They are considering asking Washington to negotiate and sign a U.S.-Caribbean free trade agreement, since it has become clear that efforts to forge a hemispheric umbrella agreement have collapsed under the weight of objections from regional Latin American powerhouses like Brazil and Venezuela, among others. The region's Central American neighbors have already negotiated their own deal with the U.S., but a definitive position on the Caribbean may well emerge in the days leading up to the summit.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to respond to and support the testimony by Mr. John Feinblatt, Criminal Justice Coordinator for the City of New York before the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Domestic Policy Subcommittee on May 10, 2007, regarding illegal guns and the Tiahrt amendment. First, I applaud Michael Bloomberg for his leadership with reducing crime in New York City. Crime fighting is tough and it requires strong and bold leadership to be effective. Second, I along with other Members of Congress formed the bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Illegal Guns in January of 2007. This task force was formed during the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Summit held on January 23, 2007 in Washington, DC. The bipartisan task force is solely concerned about illegal guns and crime control. Let me be clear that the task force supports the Second Amendment and believes in protecting the rights of responsible and legal gun owners. We oppose the traffic in illegal guns which presents a danger to our society. Third, to begin to address the problems associated with crime and illegal guns, members of the task force and other Members of Congress sent a letter to the leadership of the Commerce Justice and Science Subcommittee requesting Mr. Mollahan and Mr. Frelinghuysen to change the language in the Tiahrt Amendment. We support providing local law enforcement agencies with the tools and information they need to fight crime, particularly getting information on gun trace data. Lastly, day in and day out, reports are aired in local and national media outlets about people being wounded and killed by guns. I'm certain that the vast majority of those incidents are committed with illegal guns. This is deeply troubling and disheartening to me. Action is needed and it is needed now.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay honor to a great man, Ambassador Val McCombie, of Barbados and to enter into the record an article from Carib News by Tony Best titled, Diplomat Who Paved The Way For Others. He passed away after a lengthy illness and was funeralized on May 9, 2007. Val McCombie inspired me in so many ways. He was a man who had a commanding presence, but was not commanding at all. He was powerful, but gentle. Further, he was well respected, articulate, and giving. Serving as a public servant was the calling on his life. Early in his career, he spent a great deal of his time teaching French and Spanish to young people. Pursuing the desire to represent the people of Barbados, he became the Ambassador to the United States. Serving as an ambassador provided him an awesome opportunity to bridge a gap between Caribbean nations and Latin American nations. His great ability to lead and serve paved the way for other public servants, some of which he mentored. I'm honored to have known him and feel blessed to have had the opportunity to learn from such a dignified man. I urge young people and my colleagues to learn more about his life and contribution to Barbados. Diplomat Who Paved the Way for Others (By Tony Best) Two diplomats who took turns occupying the same Ambassadorial office offered different assessments of the man who had set the standard they later followed. ``He built a career strengthening relationships'' between CARICOM and ``the rest of Latin America,'' said Michael King, Barbados' current top diplomat to the U.S. and the Organization of American States. Sir Courtney Blackman, King's immediate predecessor, succinctly summed up the diplomat's career in a different way. ``He was an Ambassador's Ambassador,'' said Sir Courtney. Both men were reflecting on the life and career of Valerie Theodore McComie, Barbados' first resident Ambassador in Washington, who later became the first person from the English-speaking Caribbean to be elected Assistant Secretary- General of the OAS, a position he held from 1980-1990. McComie died in Washington on Friday after a lengthy illness. Called ``Val'' by his friends and colleagues, the linguist and educator who once taught French and Spanish to students in Barbados and St. Kitts-Nevis, English to Venezuelans and French-speaking students in Martinique and France and both languages to Americans and Ghanaians in high schools in the U.S. and Africa used his facility with language to advance the Caribbean's cause on the international stage. He did that during a diplomatic career that began in 1967 and ended in the early 1990s. Along the way, he served as Barbados' Ambassador in Caracas, the first diplomat from the country to do so; its non-resident envoy to Brazil; and Alternate-Governor to the Inter-American Development Bank. Born in Trinidad and Tobago on April 1, 1920, McComie received his early education in his birthplace and Barbados, before he went on to London University in England which awarded him a Bachelor's degree in mediaeval and modern languages; and later the University of Bordeaux in France and the University of California at Los Angeles. As Barbados' first resident Ambassador in Washington McComie was his country's eyes and ears in the U.S. capital and in Latin America at a time when Caribbean nations were just beginning to extend their diplomatic links to Latin America. Whether it was at the OAS headquarters or along ambassador's row, McComie was at home, so to speak. ``He had a tremendous presence and in any room he stood out, tall, handsome and very comfortable with strangers,'' Sir Courtney said. But even more than that, he earned the respect of the Latins, who were skeptical of the interest the small English- speaking nations with a British orientation were showing in the OAS, first with Trinidad and Tobago's membership in the Western Hemisphere body. Next was Barbados. ``The respect was tremendous and it came from all of the ambassadors and their governments,'' added Sir Courtney who served in Washington in the 1990s. ``It was that respect that enabled him to become the Assistant Secretary-General of the OAS.'' By any objective assessment, McComie performed his OAS duties with aplomb, ever mindful though of the gap in influence between the Secretary-General and the Assistant. Still, he paved the way for Chris Thomas, the Trinidad and Tobago diplomat, who succeeded him. His ability to play the diplomatic game with ease and his record of getting results allowed him to serve as a role model for many of the young people in the Caribbean who aspired to diplomatic careers. ``He was a pioneer in our foreign service and a driving force behind our membership in the OAS in 1967 and he ably performed the duties of Ambassador in Venezuela when we opened a mission in Caracas in 1974,'' said King. ``He was a mentor to many people. He was able to use his brilliance as a teacher to encourage many young diplomats to develop their careers in the area of representation. `` Less than four years ago at a ceremony in which he was being awarded the Order of Christopher Columbus by the Dominican Republic, Luigi R. Einaudi, at the time the OAS Assistant Secretary-General, described McComie as a visionary, who like Columbus ``sailed unchartered waters, who came to harbors that became the ports and bridges of the future.'' But it was Barbados' Prime Minister, Owen Arthur, who best summed up McComie record, when he told the OAS General Assembly in Barbados in 2002 that ``his contribution as an educator in Barbados and St. Kitts-Nevis helped to encourage many key decision-makers in newly independent states to become more aware of our Latin neighbors at a time when political contact could have been said to be almost nonexistent.'' Little wonder, then, that the Barbados leader, speaking for the entire Caribbean told him ``Val, we all owe you debt of gratitude for having the foresight of and appreciation for the value of cross-cultural contact.''

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to the great accomplishments of one of this Nation's most accomplished community activists and physicians, Dr. Muriel Marjorie Petioni. Dr. Petioni has been a role model for all women and is especially beloved in my Congressional District. Born on January 1, 1914, in Trinidad, young Petioni immigrated to the U.S. in 1919, settling with her family in New York City, where her father soon became a prominent Harlem physician and activists in the Carribean nationalist movement. She followed her father and other relatives into the medical field, working locally at Harlem Hospital after she graduated from Howard University's School of Medicine in 1937. Her community and its residents have never been far from Dr. Petioni's mind. After a short break during the 1940s to get married and start a family, she returned to the medical profession in 1950, setting up her practice in the same office that her father had decades earlier. She maintained that practice for over 40 years, working diligently to ensure that hardworking residents and their families received the proper attention they deserved. When Harlem Hospital stumbled on financial difficulties in the 1980s, she founded the Friends of Harlem Hospital Center to raise private funding for the institution. Dr. Petioni has also been a tireless educator, working hard to open up the doors of college and medical school to all underrepresented groups, especially women and African Americans. In 1974, she founded the Susan Smith McKinney Steward Medical Society for Women, a professional association of black women physicians. Named after the first African American female doctor, the organization provides institutional support for students and its members. Dr. Petioni has also worked with the Coalition of 100 Black Women to develop mentorship programs to encourage and guide young black women into the medical field. Dr. Petioni's efforts have also led to her involvement with local government officials to ensure equal access to healthcare. She served for 30 years as a school physician for Central Harlem for the New York City Department of Health and as supervising physician for East and Central Harlem from 1980-1984. Today, Petioni is on the board of a number of non-profit institutions and government agencies, including the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, the Columbia School of Social Work, the Harlem Council of Elders, and the New York and Harlem branches of the American Cancer Society. Numerous organizations and institutions have deservedly showered Dr. Petioni with awards and other honors. The venerable National Medical Association, which has named their annual Women in Medicine Luncheon after her. This May, New York's Barnard College is bestowing her with The Barnard Medal of Distinction, the school's highest award, for her ``service to the Harlem community as a physician, community activist and philanthropist for over 70 years.'' It is great to see such a good friend receive the accolades she so rightly deserves for the years of service that she has given to our community and Nation. Going strong at 93 years of age, she continues to be a trailblazer and an inspiration, a New Year's Day gift to us all that has touched the lives of countless children and families.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise to draw attention to the life of a remarkable woman, who despite all her illnesses lived a wonderful life. Alice Bernice Hill was afflicted with asthma and other diseases early in her life, yet through all her ailments lived past 85. Born in Harlem Hospital on December 1, 1919, Alice was sent to the West Indies for ``two years, one month and eight days'' due to her severe illnesses. She never had a lot of money, and had even less when on disability, and still she was able to support herself. In her early years, Alice was forced to join the workforce to support her family, as required by the welfare program. She later rose through the ranks and became a union administrator, with groups like the International Ladies Garment Workers Union and the United Auto Workers. Through union courses at Cornell University, she obtained a bachelor's degree in labor relations. Her efforts to refuse to let her ailments cripple her saved her life. Surviving a stroke, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and arthritis, lived on to watch her brother Arthur, six nieces and nephews, two grandchildren and one grandnephew grow. Truly a woman of great dignity and honor, Alice is deserving of this recognition for her strength, intelligence, and compassion. I ask my colleagues in the House to join me in recognizing the life of Alice Bernice Hill and her relentless strength.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Ambassador Val McComie, of Barbados, a consummate professional and diplomat who established a high bar for his nation in the achievements of his illustrious career. I place in the Congressional Record a tribute by Ambassador Michael King to Val McComie. Today, I had the honor and privilege to speak at the funeral service for Ambassador Val McComie. My heart was warmed to see the outpouring of love by his family members and friends who attended the service to pay their final respects to a great man. It was obvious that he touched the lives of many with his wisdom, knowledge, and commitment to public service. He will be missed by many, but he leaves a legacy that will continue to inspire all those who knew him. I was very encouraged by the tribute to Ambassador Val McComie by Ambassador Michael King, which was read at the funeral service today. I will reflect on the tribute when I think of my friend and his contribution to my life, democracy, and the people of the Caribbean. Tribute to the Honourable Valerie T. McComie, C.H.B. The Honourable Valerie Theodore McComie, C.H.B. was a quintessential Caribbean man. His whole life was spent teaching his students, his colleagues and interlocutors--and anybody with a keen ear--about the dynamics of Caribbean politics and society. His strong love and appreciation for the Inter-American System played a major role in convincing the Government of Barbados to join the Organisation of American States in 1967 and to service the Permanent Mission with quality staff with the necessary professional and linguistic skills to interact effectively with their colleagues from the rest of the Hemisphere. Val mentored anyone who was willing to listen to his wise advice and to benefit from his institutional memory. His knowledge of Latin America and the key decision-makers was incredible and one could only marvel at his ability to keep abreast of the rapid changes of government during a period when the word ``democracy'' was not often part of the lexicon of the Region. He was a stickler for detail and thorough preparation and he always felt that all diplomats should not take the floor to speak unless they had full access to facts and knowledge about the subject. He demanded and expected a certain level of excellence in the area of diplomatic representation. As Assistant Secretary General from 1980-1990 Val was a major source of advice to several CARICOM leaders on matters related to the Inter-American System. He relished the role like a kid in a candy store. Sometimes his frankness was not appreciated but he never wavered from his strong views. I had the privilege to be in La Paz in October 1979 when he created history by winning a very close election to the post of Assistant Secretary General. It was not an easy task for him and the delegation of Barbados but there was no doubt that the esteem with which he was held in the Hemisphere was the primary reason for his success. His re-election by acclamation in Brazilia in 1984 bought similar joy to us. Val loved sports, especially cricket and football. He always reminded me that he was close to selection for the Barbados Cricket Team. I can also recall the joy he felt when he returned from the 1982 Football World Cup in Spain and the attention he paid to subsequent events. He followed in death by 100 days, his good friend, the Honourable Oliver Jackman, C.H.B., who also had the great honour of serving as Ambassador of Barbados to the United States of America and the Organization of American States. They were among the first persons selected to represent Barbados immediately following the granting of Independence in November 1966. All of you will agree that Barbados, the Caribbean and the Inter-American System are better off from their leadership and commitment to improving the quality of life and the promotion of justice for all citizens of the Hemisphere. On behalf of the Government and people of Barbados I wish to express our sincerest expression of sympathy to his wife, Elia and daughter, Gail and the rest of the family. I wish to end by reading the first verse of the poem ``Los Heraldos Negros'' (Black Messengers) by the great Peruvian, Ceasar Vallejo: ``Hay golpes en la vida, tan fuertes . . . Yo no se! Golpes como del odio de Dios; como si ante ellos, la resaca de todo lo sufrido se empozaro en el alma . . . Yo no se! In English: There are in life such hard blows . . . I don't know! Blows seemingly from God's wrath; as if before them The undertow of all our sufferings is embedded in our souls . . . I don't know! May he rest in peace!

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, today I rise to praise Harry Belafonte, legendary musician and world renowned entertainer, for a lifetime of activism for equality and human rights for people across the globe. His passion, sincerity, and empathy for those who are overlooked and underprivileged have inspired many to act and have brought about significant change in our society. Harry Belafonte's courage to speak out against the war in Iraq, to support the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and to fight for an end of the AIDS epidemic is a mirror to his integrity and undying commitment to improving society Amy Goodman reflects on his endless service in her article ``Harry Belafonte, The Lion at 80'' published by Carib News. Harry Belafonte is a true humanitarian for his lifetime of endless work for all. [From the Carib News, Apr. 3, 2007] Harry Belafonte, The Lion at 80 (By Amy Goodman) Harry Belafonte just turned 80. The ``King of Calypso'' was the first person to have a million-selling album and the first African-American to win an Emmy, and is perhaps the most recognizable entertainer in the world. On Saturday, March 3, I attended his birthday party at a restaurant adjoining the New York Public Library. The setting seemed very appropriate, as Belafonte himself is a living library of not only the civil rights movement but of liberation struggles around the world. In 1944, just before shipping out as a U.S. Navy sailor in World War II, he was banned from the Copacabana nightclub in New York. Ten years later, he headlined there. He knew Rosa Parks, Paul Robeson and Eleanor Roosevelt. He corresponded with the imprisoned Nelson Mandela when the U.S. government considered the South African leader a terrorist. Belafonte was a close confidant of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. He spoke daily with King. The FBI was listening. Taylor Branch, the award-winning author of a trilogy of books on King, was at Harry's party. Belafonte describes how Bunch's final book in the trilogy, ``At Canaan's Edge,'' uncovered extensive FBI wiretaps of their conversations. For fighting for the right to vote and to end segregation, Belafonte says: ``We were looked upon as people who were insurgents, that we were doing things to betray our nation and the tranquility of our citizens. That engaged the FBI. Everything we talked about was tapped.'' The FBI even went to his house when he was away and frightened his wife and children. He tells me: ``The essential difference between then and now is that no previous regime tried to subvert the Constitution. They may have done illegal acts. They may have gone outside the law to do these, but they did them clandestinely. No one stepped to the table as arrogantly as George W. Bush and his friends have done and said, `We legally want to suspend the rights of citizens, the right to surveil, the right to read your mail, the right to arrest you without charge.''' His criticism is not limited to President Bush (whom he called, while visiting President Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, ``the greatest terrorist in the world''). President Bill Clinton crashed Belafonte's birthday party, which was taking place as the Democratic presidential contenders battled for the African-American vote. Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were in Selma, Ala., for the 42nd anniversary of the famous voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery. [Bill Clinton went to Selma to join his wife for the commemoration.] In his remarks, Clinton toasted Harry: ``I was inspired by your politics more than you can ever know. Every time I ever saw you after I became president, I thought that my conscience was being graded, and I was getting less than an A. And every president should feel that way about somebody as good as you.'' I asked Harry how he felt about Clinton showing up. ``I'm very flattered, OK, but I'm mindful of all the things that need to be done.'' In his succinct reply, a lifetime of struggle remembered, a keen edged skepticism, ``He knows what I think. He said I didn't give him an A.'' I then asked him about both the Clintons and Obama going to Selma. ``We are hearing platitudes, not platforms. What do they plan to do for people of color, Mexicans, for people who are imprisoned, black youth? What are their plans for the Katrinas of America?'' In 1965, Belafonte was on the original Selma march with Dr. King before they reached Montgomery. Jude's Catholic Church offered its grounds to the thousands of marchers. Belafonte called in artists from around the country. Tony Bennett came, as did Pete Seeger (both were at Harris birthday party), Sammy Davis Jr., Mike Nichols, the conductor Leonard Bernstein, Odetta and Joan Baez. In the rain, they built their stage in the mud with donated caskets from local mortuaries. The stakes were incredibly high. People were shot and killed, people were beaten. Viola Liuzzo, a white Detroit homemaker, was fatally shot by Klansmen while driving marchers back to Selma. Weeks before, police shot a man named Jimmie Lee Jackson, who later died. Despite all that, Belafonte says that the stakes are higher today. Like the two stone lions that guard the New York City Public Library, Harry Belafonte-fierce, fearless, and focused--protects the soul of struggle. Even as he enters his ninth decade, this lion does not sleep tonight.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the life of my friend, Val McComie, who after a distinguished career and a lifetime of service, passed away on May 4, 2007, and to enter into the Record his obituary. Ambassador McComie dedicated his life to public service. He served as a secondary teacher, and then embarked upon a career in diplomacy that saw him reach and contribute at the very highest levels. He began at the entry level of the Barbados Diplomatic Service, then rose quickly through the ranks to become his nation's ambassador to Venezuela from 1974 to 1976, and Assistant Secretary General of the Organisation of American States from 1980 to 1990. His dedication to public service is noteworthy. I'm particularly proud of his interest in human rights and environmental issues. His legacy within the inter-American community will live on. I will keep his wife, Elia Garcia McComie and daughter Gail McComie in my thoughts and prayers. Obituary--Val McComie, Former Assistant Secretary General of the Organisation of American States Val McComie, 87, a former ambassador of Barbados to the United States and Assistant Secretary General of the Organisation of American States, died May 4 after a lengthy illness at the Washington Home hospice in Washington, DC. Ambassador McComie was born in Trinidad and received his secondary education in Trinidad and Barbados. He attended the University of London, graduating in Modern Languages. He completed post-graduate studies at the University of Bordeaux and the University of California, Los Angeles. Val McComie taught at secondary schools in Barbados, Arizona, and Ghana, and then joined the Barbados diplomatic service after the country became independent in 1966. He was appointed as ambassador to the United States and permanent representative to the OAS in 1968. He was instrumental in negotiating Barbados' entry into the OAS and the Inter- American Development bank. He subsequently served as ambassador to Venezuela from 1974 to 1976. Ambassador McComie was elected as Assistant Secretary General of the OAS in 1979, and served with distinction for two successive terms from 1980 to 1990. He retired in 1990. He was well known in inter-American circles for his outstanding and successful efforts at creating greater links of understanding and practical cooperation between the Latin American countries and the countries of the English-speaking Caribbean. He also encouraged the promotion of human rights and environmental concerns in the hemisphere. His first wife, Margery Clarke McComie, died in 1956. Survivors include his wife of 32 years, Elia Garcia McComie of Washington; a daughter from his first marriage, Gail McComie of Fort Lauderdale, FL, and two sisters.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I stand before you today to acknowledge the business achievement of Cheryl McKissack Felder and to enter into the Record an article from the Carib News. I am so proud to acknowledge the achievements of Cheryl McKissack Felder, descendant of Moses McKissack, a slave who became a master builder and one of America's first contractors. Ms. McKissack is a part of a family that has a long history of entrepreneurship and accomplished architects. She obtained a BS degree in civil engineering from Peabody Demon stration School and a M.S. degree from Howard University. Her career began at the Department of Defense where she was involved with quality assurance and control for government research projects. Later, she worked for firms in New York City as a civil engineer and estimator. A major project that she worked on involved the restoration of the Schomburg Theatre. Following in the footsteps of her ancestors, she opened the architecture and design firm McKissack and McKissack in 1999. Her firm has worked on several significant projects including the Lincoln Financial Field football stadium and the US Airways International Terminal both in Philadelphia. Most recently the firm was selected to oversee the reconstruction of the Vanderbilt Rail Yards as a part of the Atlantic Yards Project in Brooklyn New York. Being selected for this project is remarkable and I congratulate Cheryl McKissack and her firm. I'm extremely happy to know that minority owned firms are being selected for projects that will enhance the economic and residential life for New York City residents. The Atlantic Yards Project will provide much needed jobs, housing, and commercial real estate. For that I'm grateful and wish Cheryl McKissack and her firm well on this and other future projects. Cheryl McKissack Felder, CEO Of The McKissack Group Inc. Takes On First Phase Of Atlantic Yards Project Construction crews recently kicked off the prep work needed for the first phase of The Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn, a residential and commercial development that will include an arena for the Nets basketball team. Under the Atlantic Yards Community Benefits Agreement, negotiated with Forest City Ratner Companies (FCRC), qualified minority- and women-owned contractors were among the firms given due consideration for execution of the project. Cheryl McKissack Felder, CEO of The McKissack Group, confirmed to Carib news that her firm has been selected to oversee the reconstruction of the Vanderbilt Rail Yards. A firm with a proven track record of having successfully executed similar projects, CEO Cheryl McKissack comes from a family of architects that started with an enslaved Ashanti ancestor in 1790. As a slave, Moses McKissack first became a master builder under the tutelage of his owner, William McKissack, one of America's first contractors. Grandfather Moses McKissack founded the family business in 1905. Felder's father, William DeBerry McKissack, took it over in 1968 and Felder's mother, Leatrice Buchanan McKissack managed the business after her husband died. Felder attended Peabody Demonstration School, earning a B.S. degree in civil engineering in 1981 and M.S. degree in 1983 from Howard University. At the United States Department of Defense, Felder provided quality assurance and quality control for government research projects, including MX missile silos, the United States Embassy anti-terrorist program and a large space structures project for NASA. From 1985 to 1989, she worked as a civil engineer for Weidlinger Associates and, in 1989, she served as an estimator for Turner Construction, both New York City firms. Felder also served as the estimation manager for the $2.5 million restoration/addition of the historic Schomburg Theatre. In 1991, she formed The McKissack Group (TMG), a full service construction management firm now with offices in New York City and Philadelphia. In 1999, Felder launched McKissack and McKissack Associates, an architecture and design company. As The McKissack Group's chief executive officer, Felder managed construction of the US Airways maintenance hangar in Philadelphia. She also served as project executive for the Medgar Evers Academic Building and Student Support Services buildings in Brooklyn, New York. Felder was the principal in charge of Philadelphia's $395 million Lincoln Financial Field football stadium, the $450 million US Airways International Terminal in Philadelphia and the $1.5 billion renovation and reconstruction of the School District of Philadelphia. As Felder intimated, the prep work will involve the reconstruction of the Vanderbilt Rail Yards and is expected to extend for some two years into 2008, alongside the works for construction of the arena. In her view, this represents a great economic boost for Brooklyn in terms of the creation of jobs. In spite of protest from some community groups, the inclusion of an affordable housing component as part of the plan will also ensure that not all of the residents will be permanently uprooted. ``The At1antic Yards'' CBA is an important milestone for New York's construction industry,'' she said. ``By including diverse firms--and diverse individuals--from the start, I think this project is living up not only to the extraordinary standards of Forest City Ratner, one of the most committed and progressive companies out there today, but living up as well to the values of Brooklyn, where inclusion is a way of life and diversity is a badge of honor.'' In response to queries regarding challenges faced in the industry, Ms. McKissack remarked that she is fully cognizant of the myriad challenges faced by minorities with regard to venture funding and career advancement. However, on the strength of a stellar family reputation in the construction field, her firm has acquired an excellent track record and will continue to maintain the tradition and performance standards commensurate with that of the oldest minority-owned professional design and construction firm.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the birth of Walker Smith Jr., a boxing phenomenon, whose boxing style was so smooth and sweet that he earned the nickname ``Sugar Ray.'' Sugar Ray Robinson was born Walker Smith Junior on May 3, 1921 in Ailey, Georgia. His family relocated to Harlem, New York to escape the racial injustice of the South when he was just 12 years old. After a few years of living in Harlem, he was introduced to the sport of boxing. Since he was too young to register, he borrowed a registration card from his friend, Ray Robinson. He used his name to begin boxing under the Amateur Athletic Union. His boxing style was unique and drew crowds. A boxing coach, George Gainford, thought his style was sweet as sugar and others agreed. Thus, he was called Sugar Ray Robinson. It was his unique style that made him a boxing legend. It all began in 1940, when he won the New York Golden Gloves championship. He was just 19 years old. Immediately after that victory, he became a professional boxer. By 1946, he became the world welterweight champion, a title he held for 5 years winning 91 straight matches. His success continued when he entered the middleweight division. He held the middleweight title five times from 1951 to 1960. He retired from boxing in November of 1965 after his last fight. His outstanding boxing record includes a total of 202 professional fights of which he won 175, and during his career he came to define boxing as ``the sweet sacrifice.'' Due to health conditions, he passed away on April 12, 1989, at the age of 67. He was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1967 and created a foundation for youth in California. A postage stamp was created in his honor in 2006. I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 359, recognizing the athletic achievements and commitment to young people of this great American boxer.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to enter into the Record an opinion editorial published in the CaribNews newspaper the week ending March 20, 2007 titled ``Caribbean-U.S. Summit In Washington: A Photo-OP or Meeting Of Substance, Only Time Will Tell.'' As well as, an article written by Tony Best, appearing the same week in the CaribNews paper, entitled ``Caribbean Leaders and President Bush to Meet; In Washington, In June, U.S.-Caribbean Relations, Economic Development, Trade To Be High On Agenda.'' Both articles comment on the Administration's sudden interest with the Caribbean nations in the Western Hemisphere. The White House has invited the leaders of the Caribbean nations (CARICOM) to a dialog regarding strengthening relationships between these countries and the United States. I am glad to see the Administration is reaching out to our Western Hemisphere neighbors, since these relations have been neglected far too long, making the U.S. an increasingly isolated nation among Western Hemisphere states and placing CARICOM-U.S. relations at an all time low. It is imperative that the United States find a way to pragmatically assess and be responsive to the social and economic challenges facing our neighbors in accordance with Washington's long-term political interests, since the region is often described as our ``Third border.'' CARICOM leaders have accepted Washington's invitation and are interested in addressing trade issues, as well as competitiveness and investment in mutually beneficial ways. In addition, CARICOM leaders during their visit to Washington will be reaching out to the members of Congress most interested in and with the jurisdiction over the issues affecting the Caribbean and the members of the Diaspora here in the United States. As we continue to strengthen our national economy and improve our standing in the international community it is important that we devote serious attention to strengthening U.S. relations throughout the Western Hemisphere. Caribbean Leaders And President Bush To Meet In Washington In June, U.S.-Caribbean Relations, Economic Development, Trade To Be High On Agenda (By Tony Best) Caricom leaders are going to the White House in June to meet with U.S. President George W. Bush. And the invitation list are to Presidents and Prime Ministers, ranging from St. Vincent's Prime Minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, who is the current Chairman of Caricom, Haiti's Rene Preval, Guyana's Bharrat Jagdeo, Jamaica's first female leader, Portia Simpson Miller, and St. Lucia's Sir John Compton, to Trinidad and Tobago's Patrick Manning, Antigua's Baldwin Spencer, his counterpart in St. Kitts- Nevis, Dr. Denzil Douglas, and Grenada's Dr. Keith Mitchell, not to mention Barbados' Owen Arthur, the Bahamas' Perry Christie, Dominica's Roosevelt Skerrit and Suriname's Ronald Venetiaan. In short, quite unlike the invitations, which the White House sent out to a handful of Caribbean leaders a few years ago to sit down with President Bush over breakfast, a glaring attempt to snub those countries, which opposed the invasion of Iraq, all of Caricom's heads of government are to be invited this time around. Although President Bush has met with a few of the region's leaders from time to time, the upcoming summit will be the first of its kind in Washington with Caribbean Prime Ministers and Presidents since Bush took office. It is being arranged at a time when the Bush Administration is under fire throughout the Western Hemisphere for virtually ignoring Caribbean and Latin American economic and social issues. It is scheduled for June 21 when many of the Caribbean leaders are due in Washington for the U.S. Conference on the Caribbean. While the White House agenda has not been finalized, diplomatic sources say trade, investment, economic and social development and U.S. role in the Western Hemisphere may be discussed. It is not yet known how many of the Prime Ministers and the Presidents would attend the conference or accept the invitation to the White House session. ``It's too early to indicate what will be discussed at the conference but it is our expectation that most if not all of the Prime Ministers and Presidents as well as the foreign Ministers will be traveling to Washington for the conference,'' Elsworth John, St. Vincent's Ambassador in Washington and coordinator of the conference told the New York Carib News. But Michael King, Barbados' Ambassador to the U.S., pinpointed a few issues, which might be discussed during the Caribbean conference. ``We are hoping that all 15 heads of government will attend from our region,'' said King. ``The conference is going to look primarily at three or four issues, mainly the strengthening of the relationship between the U.S. and Caricom with a view to addressing the priority areas for the Caribbean's future growth and development. We will be looking at such issues as trade, competitiveness and investment in mutually beneficial and reinforcing ways. Obviously, we would be looking at deepening and broadening the dialogue between the Governments and peoples of Caricom and the United States.'' John said that when Caricom leaders met recently in his country under the Chairmanship of Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, St. Vincent's Prime Minister, they approved the broad outlines of the conference and approved the summit with President Bush. ``The conference was discussed at the recent Caricom Heads of Government Conference held in St. Vincent & the Grenadines. The Heads of Government meeting signed off on the conference and supported the program as it was structured,'' he explained. ``The meeting with President Bush is scheduled for the Thursday, the final day of the conference which begins on June 19th and ends on the 21st. It will be at the White House.'' Dr. Gonsalves, current Chairman of Caricom, has already urged the region's leaders to ``clear their calendars for that particular time'' so they could participate in the conference and the meeting with President Bush, said John. The conference will be part of the celebrations marking Caribbean Heritage Month that is being observed across the United States in June to underscore the contributions of Caribbean immigrants and the countries themselves to America's prosperity. After much prodding, President Bush last year signed into law a Bill that designates June as Caribbean Heritage Month and West Indians in such places as New York, Washington, Miami, California, Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore are planning a variety of cultural, economic, religious and other social events to draw attention to the region. ``Caribbean Heritage month is important to all of us,'' said King. John put it differently. ``This conference comes at a time when the United States is beginning to show a lot more interest in its relationship with this Hemisphere,'' he said. ``This conference came out of a meeting between the U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, and the foreign ministers from the Caribbean where it was decided that it would be a good idea for the leaders from the Caribbean to come to Washington to meet with the President in a summit and the Foreign Ministers to meet with the Secretary of State. But the plans go beyond Caribbean and U.S. Government officials sitting down and talking about political and economic issues. ``We felt that it was an opportune time for us to have a people to people connection, seeing that there are so many people from the Caribbean in the Diaspora,'' John added. ``In addition, we want to establish closer links between the businesses, the private sector from the Caribbean and the United States. What we are doing is to proceed on all of those fronts in our preparations for the conference.'' Hence, sessions on the Diaspora, the private sector and culture and a meeting with key Congressional leaders, including Congressman Charles Rangel, Chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee. ``We are in the process of having consultations with the State Department on exactly what the content of the discussions will be,'' said John. The World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Organization of American States are also being consulted on the plans for the different sessions. Mr. Bush is winding up a week long tour of Latin American nations where he was met with demonstrations and criticisms from thousands of citizens who oppose the Bush foreign policy, especially the war in Iraq. Caribbean-U.S. Summit in Washington--A Photo-Op or Meeting of Substance, Only Time Will Tell After six years of lost opportunities, the Bush Administration has decided to open the White House doors to all the leaders of the Caribbean whose countries form Caricom. What a pity it has taken so long for the United States Chief Executive, George Bush, to do what was right and to come to terms with the realities of the Western Hemisphere in general and the Caribbean in particular. The invitation to the Presidents and Prime Ministers to a sit down meeting shouldn't simply be a photo opportunity but a chance to open up a meaningful dialogue with countries that have been principled allies of the United States for centuries. The summit which is scheduled for June 21, the end of a three day U.S. Conference on the Caribbean can be made into a meaningful exercise with sessions, not simply at the White House but on Capitol Hill, with the Congressional Black Caucus and other lawmakers who have the Caribbean's interest at heart. Meetings with the Diaspora and the private sector, all with the goal of advancing the economic and social development of the countries in the region can be useful to the process of bringing people together and helping the region to attain its goals. Although trade, investment, immigration and broad areas of economic and social development are expected to dominate the agenda, it's our hope that the region would resist the temptation to put 30 items on an agenda for a series of short meetings. That has prevented previous meetings from turning out to be productive exchanges of views. How much better it could have been if the high-handedness of Republicans in and out of the White House and the Congress hadn't been a fact of life for the Caribbean. Only if the Bush Administration and the Republicans in the House and Senate had recognized the importance of treating small countries with dignity and respect, instead of trying to make them feel as if they were Lilliputians that should be ignored. Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton thought it was useful to travel to the Caribbean to exchange ideas and discuss programs and policies with America's neighbor, but not this Chief Executive. Indeed, Bush behaved in such an unfortunate manner by seeking to snub those countries and their leaders who disagreed with the invasion of Iraq and the resulting debacle that he dissipated so much goodwill. For at a time when Bush should have been making friends with his natural allies he sought to punish many of them by declining to meet with critics of his policy. That pettiness is unbecoming of the most powerful nation in the world. Tony Blair, the British Prime Minister and Mr. Bush's principal ally in Iraq had the good sense to schedule a meeting in London, invited all of them for a session in London, so they could talk about the way forward, economically and socially for the Caribbean. That's why Caribbean-U.K. relations are so warm. The conference and the summit offer Bush and the Caricom heads a chance to address questions of common concern such as Washington's future role in efforts to strengthen economic and trade links within Caricom itself and in the Hemisphere as a whole. For their part, the Prime Ministers and Presidents can send a strong message to Congress that the unresolved immigration mess, including the deportation of all criminal aliens, regardless of their individual histories, was damaging the Caribbean's social system. It's important that the dialogue in Washington reaches out to the Diaspora across the United States. With the exception of Trinidad and Tobago, remittances and other forms of assistance from the Caribbean immigrants abroad are a vital source of foreign exchange, so much so that in Jamaica's case they top the list while in others they amount to number two or three. Caricom has paid lip service to the Diaspora, with officials making periodic forays into North America and England but avoiding the creation of any permanent method of communication and follow-up to initiatives that are talked about but allowed to fall by the wayside. If that problem isn't addressed the conference during Heritage Month would end up as yet another exercise in futility. In the past, town meetings have been held, presentations by leaders were scheduled and made but afterwards, nothing happened. For instance, cricket World Cup has started and the promised collaboration with U.S.-based Caribbean firms and other interests have not materialized. A somewhat similar thing is happening with the Caribbean Single Market and Economy. Caricom as an institution should use this conference to put meaningful and permanent links and establish effectively relationships with the communities that pump more than $2 billion in foreign exchange annually into the economies back home.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I wish to express my full support for commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade as called for by H. Res. 272, which was introduced by Representative Barbara Lee. The Transatlantic Slave Trade is a very important part of world history that should never be forgotten. Millions of men, women, and children were forcibly removed from their homeland, packed into ships under inhumane conditions, and then after being lucky enough to survive the treacherous high seas, sold like pieces of disposable property to slave owners. Further, to add insult to injury, they were treated horribly by their masters throughout their lives. For those that survived the voyage, their strength is still unbelievable and nothing short of a miracle. For these and other reasons, Americans and people all over the world should be reminded of their immeasurable suffering and how the abolishment of the Transatlantic Slave Trade impacted the end of that atrocity. The abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade was a pivotal step to the full abolishment of slavery in Great Britain and the United States. Since this action was monumental, it needs to be commemorated. A commemoration offers an opportunity to educate youth and remind others of the importance of ending the Transatlantic Slave Trade. There simply is not enough attention given to educating people on the history of slavery. Although it represents a dark part of history, it needs to be highlighted and explained. It has been said and it is true, that America is a melting pot. Since our great country is so diverse and will continue to grow, every opportunity to commemorate and share history should be seized. I encourage my colleagues to support this important resolution.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to enter into the Record an article, ``Harlem's Uptown Renaissance Experience,'' published April 3, 2007, by the CaribNews. The article, written by Robert Rodney, celebrates the Uptown Restaurant's contribution to the new Harlem Renaissance. During the Harlem Renaissance, also known as the New Negro Movement, African American art, literature, music, and culture came to the fore. Beginning sometime around 1919, depending on which historian you reference, and ending in the mid 1930s, the Harlem Renaissance was a time for celebrating all things black. Harlem, the community, provided all those who visited, with pulsating excitement and unparalleled liveliness while cultural productions by African Americans gained world wide attention while redefining blackness. In addition to the contributions of literary heroes like Zora Neale Hurston, Countee Cullen, and Langston Hughes; artistic achievements of masters like Romare Bearden, Aaron Douglass, and William H. Johnson; intellectuals and visionaries like James Weldon Johnson, Marcus Garvey, and Jessie Fauset, the cultural production of food, typically associated with African people throughout the Diaspora, was also celebrated during the Harlem Renaissance. The Uptown Renaissance Restaurant, which opened its doors in 2004, is quickly gaining recognition for its blend of authentic soul food, savory steaks, and hearty salads. Serving food that one would easily find at popular House-Rent Parties--where hosts would welcome guests into their homes in exchange for financial contributions that would be used to pay rent--the Uptown Renaissance Restaurant is contributing to the revitalization of Harlem in what most people are calling the New Harlem Renaissance. It is important to remember the past, especially as we continue to shape our future. I encourage everyone to visit the Uptown Renaissance Restaurant. Tell them I sent you. [From the CaribNews, Apr. 3, 2007] Harlem's Uptown Renaissance Experience (By Robert Rodney) The Uptown Renaissance restaurant opened its door in April of 2004, as ``the Ultimate Blend of Steaks, Soul Food and Salads''. The restaurant boasts a delectably comprehensive menu from breakfast through dinner, where hearty and tasty servings are the order of the days and nights with customers coming back for more. Owners and operators of the Uptown Renaissance restaurant, the husband and wife team of Rene and Claudia Calliste pride themselves on an all-Halal meat service, a pork free environment complimented by healthful whole wheat breads as stable or accompaniments to respective dishes. From Monday through Thursday, the doors of Uptown Renaissance are open from 7 a.m. to Midnight, on Friday and Saturday, they are open around the clock. The establishment astutely recognized the importance of their community, and therefore remained sensitive to its needs by ensuring that the clientele from the surrounding community continue to feel welcome while simultaneously catering to consumers from all areas. The other day I had the pleasure of visiting the Uptown Renaissance restaurant to dine and experience one of their specialties, the Barbecue Fish. Now, let me tell you this, I am a Jamaican and a lover of fish and I have consumed fish that have been prepared in many different ways; escoveitched, fried, roasted, jerked, you name it I have had it, but never barbecued. So I'll admit that I was a little skeptical about having barbecue fish but I was pleasantly surprised by the presentation, the generous servings and most of all the taste. This meal was comprised of well seasoned fried breaded whiting covered with a nice, not too heavy barbecue sauce served with generous portions of collard greens, sweet yams, macaroni and cheese with corn bread on the side. I totally enjoyed this meal and now had discovered a new way of having my favorite fish thanks to Uptown Renaissance. I would definitely recommend this dish to all fish lovers. I also enjoyed the ambiance of the place, I found it to be very relaxing with an intimate tone. The service I must say was very pleasant and professional and the prices for the portions that you are served cannot be beat. I would encourage every one to go to the Uptown Renaissance and experience a new trend in dining. Rene, Claudia, Eleanor and crew are always ready to welcome and give you the royal treatment. The Uptown Renaissance Restaurant is located at 108 West 116th Street, in Harlem, New York.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 50th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Ghana. On March 6, 1957, Ghana became the first country in Africa south of the Sahara to gain independence from colonial rule. The theme for the anniversary is: Championing African Excellence. There are three main objectives for the jubilee celebrations, which are: celebrate and commemorate Ghana's landmark achievement as the first country in Black Africa to attain independence from colonial rule; reflect on the evolution, development, achievements and drawbacks of the country over the past 50 years; and to look forward to the future vision of excellence in all fields of endeavor in the next 50 years towards the centennial anniversary of the nation. Year-long activities marking the Golden Jubilee have been scheduled, beginning in January 2007 and ending in December 2007, with monthly themes including: Reflection, African Unity, and Heroes of Ghana. April's theme is ``Our Nation, Our People,'' and I would like to enter into the Record this article, regarding another ``first'' for Ghana, reported by BBC News International on April 24, 2007, entitled ``La Scala Brings Beethoven to Ghana.'' It details the recent visit to Ghana by Milan's La Scala orchestra and chorus and speaks about the hopes of expanding the appreciation of classical music to other countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The Republic of Ghana continues to experience economic growth and the government continues to work on improving the energy generating capacity of the country. Recently an Educational Reform Program has been implemented, which primary vision is to align education to national aspirations to develop disciplined, socially conscious and well-rounded Ghanaians who can hold their own as global citizens anywhere. All these efforts promise that Ghana will reach its goal of excellence in all fields as they look towards the centennial anniversary. I urge fellow members to continue to support Ghana's independence by working towards victory over poverty, disease, gender in equality, and lack of education. La Scala Brings Beethoven to Ghana (By David Willey) Italy's famous La Scala orchestra has played in sub-Saharan Africa for the first time. The venue: Accra's 1,400 seat ultra-modern National Theatre. The occasion: celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of Ghana's independence. The cast: Daniel Barenboim and 160 members of the orchestra and chorus of Milan's La Scala. The programme: Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, the Choral, whose Ode to Joy has become the official anthem of the European Union. electric The evening began in an unusual way, with the beating of a traditional tribal drum, a traditional Ghanaian welcome. It ended with a standing ovation for the prestigious orchestra and their equally famous conductor. A member of the Ghanaian organising committee told me he remembered having music appreciation lessons at school 50 years ago, when Ghana was still a British colony, but he could not remember any similar event in his lifetime. Most of the audience were invited to attend, with the few hundred tickets actually put on sale costing between US $30- 50, well beyond the reach of the pockets of the average Ghanaian. In sub-Saharan Africa, 60 per cent of people live on less than two US dollars per day. So, unsurprisingly, the auditorium was packed with local officials and diplomats. A quick trawl around Accra's teeming markets confirmed earlier suspicions--that the Ghanaian capital completely lacks CD shops selling classical music. While African faces on the crowded stage were limited to two, one the African-American bass-baritone Kevin Deas, and the other, the soprano Measha Brueggergosman, a Canadian national. The impact of the music on those lucky enough to be present was, however, electric. Daniel Barenboim, the musicians and the four soloists (who included La Scala newcomer and rising British star, tenor Ian Storey) gave their all. They had time for only a single rehearsal, but their performance was impeccable. Barenboim told me during rehearsal: ``The problem is, you cannot articulate the content of music in words. This can only be expressed through sound. This is what I hope we are bringing to them.'' This extraordinary event was the result of a casual invitation to Daniel Barenboim in New York last December by Ghana's highest-profile international figure, Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General and a friend of La Scala's new ``maestro'' conductor. The president of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano, and the Mayor of Milan, Letizia Moratti, also helped to make Kofi Annan's dream come true. spirited rendition Annan was beaming afterwards at the Ghanaian President's post-concert party in Accra's State Banqueting Hall. ``In international affairs, you have to learn how to create pillars and foundations in order to realise dreams,'' he said. At the post-concert party some of La Scala's violin players playfully took over from a local Accra orchestra, giving a spirited rendition of Guantanamara. But was it really worth the vast expense ($500,000) to charter an Airbus and fly this huge and talented company 6,000 miles across the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara desert to Ghana, and back, for a single Beethoven performance? Barenboim says emphatically ``yes''. He would like to return to Africa, either with La Scala or to give a series of solo piano recitals in various African countries. The former child prodigy, who has replaced Riccardo Muti as conductor at La Scala, and who built up the now famous West- East Divan orchestra of Israeli and Palestinian musicians, believes music may hold the key to bridging the North-South cultural, and even economic, divide. ``You have to listen to the other players if you want to play in an orchestra,'' he said. But as one of the first violins in the orchestra whispered to me as we were flying back high over the Sahara desert, while she had enjoyed this unique experience, she was not so sure that a charity concert in Milan to raise money for Ghana might not have been preferable. The audience shouted for more after the Accra concert, but a performance of this quality of Beethoven's Ninth hardly lends itself to an encore. Now we shall have to see whether Daniel Barenboim's ambitious dream of stimulating a demand for classical music in Africa is going to be fulfilled. It will require a lot of money, and a lot of politics. The encore is not yet assured.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to enter into the record an article titled ``. . . And How Are The Children?'' published in Witness for Justice on April 9, 2007. The article highlights a monumental gathering of over 50 organizations that came together to sponsor the annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days Conference in Washington, DC. The theme of the conference was ``. . . And How Are The Children?'' The answer, offered by executive minister M. Linda Jaramillo is ``the children are not doing so well.'' Included in the article are abominable facts that speak to the crisis facing our nation's children. For example, 9 million children are without health care. That is more than the total population of large states like Georgia, Minnesota, and Virginia. Almost 90 percent of these children live in working households, most in two-parent families; a fact which destroys the myth that only those from broken homes are without access to essential resources like health care. We owe it to our children, to ourselves, and to our country to stop the senseless neglect experienced by far too many of our most precious resource--the future of our nation. The article endorses the call to conscience and action sponsored by the children's defense fund. I too am in support of their efforts and will do all I can to advance this critical issue. [From Witness for Justice #315, Apr. 9, 2007] ``. . . And How Are the Chilren?'' (By M. Linda Jaramillo) How are the children? This is an African proverb, but it is not an uncommon question for us in our culture. We often greet one another with hello, followed by asking the question, ``How are you and how are the kids?'' This question can be directed to a parent, a teacher, a grandparent, an aunt, an uncle, or anyone who spends time around children. It doesn't matter if we are actual birth parents because ``the children'' are really part of all our lives, so it seems that we should be asking that question to everyone we greet. However, I wonder if we listen long enough to find out how the children really are? A few weeks ago, over 50 organizations jointly sponsored the annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days Conference in Washington, DC. This year's theme was ``. . . And How Are the Children?'' Over 800 persons attended, sharing information and stories about critical justice issues that have serious impact on children all around the world. As I went through the days of workshops and discussions asking the question, I have to answer that `` . . . the children are not doing so well.'' Distinguished theologian, Dietrich Bonheoffer said it best when he wrote, ``the test of the morality of a society is how it treats its children.'' I would have to confess that our nation, the richest nation in the world, has failed this moral test. We have failed by directing billions of dollars to engage in war rather than investing in the future of all children. We can make excuse after excuse about how we spend our public dollars, but we cannot excuse our disregard for children. We cannot respond and say that the children are doing fine. For example, there is no excuse for 9 million children to be without health insurance in this country. Almost 90 percent of these children live in working households, most in two parent-families. Parents are working hard, sometimes taking on two jobs to provide shelter and food for their children. These parents often have to make the choice between feeding their families and taking them to the doctor or to the dentist. These 9 million children belongto all of us. How they are is everyone's responsibility. Nine million children. That is more than the entire population of states like Georgia, Virginia, Indiana, Arizona, Minnesota, or New Jersey. That is more than the total population of almost any single city in this nation. These 9 million children come from rural, urban, and suburban communities. These 9 million children represent all races and are of every age under 18. ``. . . And How are the Children?'' We can do something to help make them better by joining the Healthy Child Campaign to cover all children with health insurance this year. Get involved. Sign the Call to Conscience and Action at http:// www.childrensdefense.org.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal to the Tuskegee Airmen on March 29, 2007. The Tuskegee Airmen were welcomed into the Capitol Rotunda to an excited and proud crowd of more than 700 people including family members, friends, press organizations, members of Congress, Colin Powell, and President Bush. As they came in walking and some being escorted in wheelchairs, I could clearly see the happiness on their faces. This was a day they had been anxiously waiting and living for. Finally, they received the honor and recognition that was so long over due. I was overwhelmed with joy and excited to see those in attendance. Never in the history of Congress has such a large group been awarded a Congressional Gold Medal and I'm extremely proud to have been a part of this historical ceremony. I was overwhelmed with joy to see the excitement of the Tuskegee Airmen and their guests. The Rotunda was absolutely filled to capacity. This clearly demonstrates the value and appreciation people have for the contribution and sacrifice of the Tuskegee Airmen. Their outstanding service during World War II was legendary. They fought the enemy abroad and racism at home. Despite being discriminated against, they rose to the challenge and broke down racial barriers in the United States Armed Forces. I'm forever grateful for their courage, bravery, and leadership. I extend special thanks to Senator Levin for his leadership. I also extend thanks to you, Speaker Pelosi, Colin Powell, the United States Mint, and the Smithsonian Institution. My heart was warmed by the salute to the Tuskegee Airmen by President Bush. The entire ceremony was a memorable event and I will never forget it.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise to enter into the Congressional Record remarks on the life and work of the Honorable Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald. Congresswoman Millender-McDonald served seven terms for the 37th Congressional District as a Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives. She died of cancer on April 22, 2007 at age 68. Mrs. Millender-McDonald was born in Birmingham, Alabama on September 7, 1938. She always placed education and women's rights in the forefront of her issues and values; after graduating from the University of Redlands with an undergraduate degree, she became a teacher for the Los Angeles Unified School District. When she attained her Master's Degree from California State University at Los Angeles, she gave up her job as a teacher to be an editor and writer for the school district. Her lifelong fight for women's rights emerged when she became the manuscript editor for Images, a textbook designed to enhance the self-esteem of young women. Before running for local office, she was named the Director of Gender Equity Programs for the Los Angeles school district. In 1990, she was elected the first African American woman to the Carson City Council, and in 1992 the first woman to represent the 55th Assembly District in the California State Legislature in 1992. In both roles she attacked the congestion and transportation problems of California infrastructure. As an assemblywoman, she helped push the Alameda Corridor, a $1.8 billion public works project to lay new tracks and build trenches and bridges. Her concern with transportation continued in her national office. As a member of the House, she was appointed to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and its Subcommittees on Aviation and Surface Transportation. She also served on the Committee on Small Business and as one of the ranking members on the Subcommittee on Tax, Finance, and Exports. After two years in the House, she was named the Region One Democratic Whip, and was honored with the Watts Walk of Fame for her work on behalf of the 37th District. In 2006, the Congresswoman became the first African American chair of the House Administration Committee. For her entire life, Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald has fought for social justice. She was a leader in election reform, women's rights, and transportation solutions; she was a credit to her district and to all the people she served as a Representative of the United States. Her husband, five adult children and five grandchildren survive her. I commend her and her life's work, and ask my colleagues to recognize her memory.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I extend my strong support ``The Small Business and Work Opportunity Act of 2007'' as included in the Conference Report to H.R. 1591. I am glad that both chambers of Congress, in passing this Conference Report, have spoken to the fact that an increase in the Federal minimum wage enjoys broad bipartisan, bicameral support, as does the approximately $5 billion in small business tax relief also included in the agreement. Passage of the Conference Report is an important step in achieving an important goal--ensuring an increase in the Federal minimum wage for hardworking American taxpayers. The minimum wage has not increased in more than nine years--the longest period in the history of the law. During that time, Members of Congress have received a $31,600 pay raise. More astounding is the fact that an average CEO earns more before lunchtime in one day than a minimum wage earner earns all year. Raising the minimum wage to from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour over two years would benefit 13 million Americans including 7.7 million women, 3.4 million parents, and 4.7 million people of color, and provide an additional $4,400/year for a family of three, equaling 15 months of groceries, or over two years of health care. It is wrong to have millions of Americans working full-time and still living in poverty, and at $5.15 an hour, a full-time minimum wage worker makes $6,000 less than the poverty level for a family of three. Americans overwhelmingly support increasing the Federal minimum wage. An Associated Press poll conducted in January showed almost 80% of those polled supported the $2.10 increase. In fact, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly supports increasing the minimum wage, and passed H.R. 2 with 315 votes in favor. The President has also been supportive of the increase. I hope that combining the tax provisions of this bill with a Federal minimum wage increase will encourage the President's quick action on signing these provisions into law without further delay. The ``Small Business and Work Opportunity Act of 2007'' as included in the Conference Report to H.R. 1591 expands and extends the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), which serves as an incentive to encourage employers to hire individuals from targeted groups which typically experience barriers to work. The WOTC provision in the Conference Report offers additional incentives to hire disabled veterans. The Conference Report also extends and expands the increased expensing amounts for small businesses, allowing them to invest in new technology and equipment. And as a complement to the minimum wage increase, the tax provisions of the Conference Report allow restaurants to continue claiming the full tip credit despite any increase in the Federal minimum wage. Finally, the Conference Report provides a permanent waiver of the individual and corporate AMT limitations to ensure that small businesses are fully able to claim the WOTC and the credit for Social Security taxes paid with respect to cash tips. The Conference Report contains provisions that continue the Federal government's commitment to the still-recovering areas hit by Hurricane Katrina. It would extend the placed-in-service date as applies to special credits designed to encourage development of low-income housing. The extension of this deadline helps accelerate the use of the credits by eliminating the reallocation process that otherwise would be used. The Conference Report also modifies a tax-exempt bond financing program to allow funds to be used to refinance existing mortgages on homes that were damaged by the hurricanes in the area. Finally, the tax provisions of the ``Small Business and Work Opportunity Tax Act'' as included in the Conference Report to H.R. 1591 are fiscally responsible and fully offset in a revenue-neutral package. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Baucus and I have asked the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation to make available to the public a technical explanation of the bill. The technical explanation expresses the Committee's understanding and legislative intent behind this important legislation. It is available on the Joint Committee's website at www.house.gov/jct.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the accomplishments of David J. Johns, a Congressional Black Caucus Fellow, currently working in my office, who convened an important policy discussion on the subject of African-American high school Underachievement and the No Child Left Behind Act on Monday, April 16, 2007. I am also entering into the record an article titled ``America Has Lost A Generation of Black Boys,'' written by Phillip Jackson for the CaribNews on the week ending April 17, 2007. Both address the importance of recognizing and tackling the significant challenges faced by young African-American males both in and outside the classroom. In inner cities, more than half of all African-American males do not finish high school. One third of male youth of color are unemployed or not seeking employment; and 1 in every 3 African-American men between the ages of 20 and 29 is under correctional supervision. In many school districts throughout the United States, African-American males are more likely than any other group to be expelled from school, a practice that begins as early as kindergarten. African- American males are more likely to be classified as mentally retarded or suffering from a learning disability, more likely to be placed in special education and more likely to be absent from advance placement and honors courses than any other student group. These statistics are distressing and inexcusable. Sadly, the dismal state of African-American males, by far the most vulnerable and neglected population, has become all too familiar. Frequently, the severity of these statistics and the ways African- American men cope with tremendous barriers and challenges are brushed over or ignored altogether. Sometimes we blame the males themselves, insisting they subscribe to a culture of deviancy or refuse to ``act white'' by doing well in school. Other times we acknowledge that there are grave inequalities but fail to provide resources to adjust for gaps. The policy forum, which featured experts including: Jeffrey Robinson, Principal, Baltimore Talent Development High School; Robert Balfanz of the Center for Social Organization of Schools at Johns Hopkins; James Forman, Jr., professor at Georgetown University Law Center; Amy Wilkins of The Education Trust; and Governor Bob Wise of the Alliance for Excellent Education moved past simply highlighting the litany of issues facing African-American male youth to make recommendations designed to instigate lasting and relevant positive change now. Among these recommendations were increased funding and support for mentor programs; uniform calculations of graduation rates, calling for States to equalize funding by leveraging Federal dollars, and expanding the length of the school day. Many of these themes are reinforced by Mr. Jackson's article, which insists we teach all Black boys to read at grade level by third grade and to embrace education, provide positive role models, and investing as much money in educating black boys as we do incarcerating them. I applaud and support the efforts of both David J. Johns and Phillip Jackson who have contributed greatly to a much needed conversation about the state of African-American males in America today. America Has Lost A Generation of Black Boys (By Phillip Jackson) There is no longer a need for dire predictions, hand- wringing, or apprehension about losing a generation of Black boys. It is too late. In education, employment, economics, incarceration, health, housing, and parenting, we have lost a generation of young Black men. The question that remains is will we lose the next two or three generations, or possibly every generation of Black boys hereafter to the streets, negative media, gangs, drugs, poor education, unemployment, father absence, crime, violence and death. Most young Black men in the United States don't graduate from high school. Only 35% of Black male students graduated from high school in Chicago and only 26% in New York City, according to a 2006 report by The Schott Foundation for Public Education. Only a few Black boys who finish high school actually attend college, and of those few Black boys who enter college, nationally, only 22% of them finish college. Young Black male students have the worst grades, the lowest test scores, and the highest dropout rates of all students in the country. When these young Black men don't succeed in school, they are much more likely to succeed in the nation's criminal justice and penitentiary system. And it was discovered recently that even when a young Black man graduates from a U.S. college, there is a good chance that he is from Africa, the Caribbean or Europe, and not the United States. Black men in prison in America have become as American as apple pie. There are more Black men in prisons and jails in the United States (about 1.1 million) than there are Black men incarcerated in the rest of the world combined. This criminalization process now starts in elementary schools with Black male children as young as six and seven years old being arrested in staggering numbers according to a 2005 report, Education on Lockdown by the Advancement Project. The rest of the world is watching and following the lead of America. Other countries including England, Canada, Jamaica, Brazil and South Africa are adopting American social policies that encourage the incarceration and destruction of young Black men. This is leading to a world-wide catastrophe. But still, there is no adequate response from the American or global Black community. Worst of all is the passivity, neglect and disengagement of the Black community concerning the future of our Black boys. We do little while the future lives of Black boys are being destroyed in record numbers. The schools that Black boys attend prepare them with skills that will make them obsolete before, and if, they graduate. In a strange and perverse way, the Black community, itself, has started to wage a kind of war against young Black men and has become part of this destructive process. Who are young Black women going to marry? Who is going to build and maintain the economies of Black communities? Who is going to anchor strong families in the Black community? Who will young Black boys emulate as they grow into men? Where is the outrage of the Black community at the destruction of its Black boys? Where are the plans and the supportive actions to change this? Is this the beginning of the end of the Black people in America? The list of those who have failed young Black men includes our government, our foundations, our schools, our media, our Black churches, our Black leaders, and even our parents. Ironically, experts say that the solutions to the problems of young Black men are simple and relatively inexpensive, but they may not be easy, practical or popular. It is not that we lack solutions as much as it is that we lack the will to implement these solutions to save Black boys. It seems that government is willing to pay billions of dollars to lock up young Black men, rather than the millions it would take to prepare them to become viable contributors and valued members of our society. Please consider these simple goals that can lead to solutions for fixing the problems of young Black men: Short term--(1) Teach all Black boys to read at grade level by the third grade and to embrace education; (2) Provide positive role models for Black boys; (3) Create a stable home environment for Black boys that includes contact with their fathers; (4) Ensure that Black boys have a strong spiritual base; (5) Control the negative media influences on Black boys; and (6) Teach Black boys to respect all girls and women. Long term--(1) Invest as much money in educating Black boys as in locking up Black men; (2) Help connect Black boys to a positive vision of themselves in the future; (3) Create high expectations and help Black boys live into those high expectations; (4) Build a positive peer culture for Black boys (5) Teach Black boys self-discipline, culture and history; and (6) Teach Black boys and the communities in which they live to embrace education and life-long learning. NOTE: As the Executive Director of The Black Star Project, Phillip Jackson has become a national leader advocating for community involvement in education and the importance of parental development to ensure that children are properly educated.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to enter into the Record an article titled ``Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce Joins New York City in Promoting Minority and Women Owned Businesses,'' published in CaribNews on the week ending April 3, 2007. The article celebrates the partnership between the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce and the great City of New York and efforts to increase the number of and provide necessary support to minority and women owned businesses. The partnership has been forged in an effort to help minority and women owned businesses become certified to provide goods and services to the City of New York. According to the article, ``companies that become certified obtain greater access to and information about contracting opportunities, receive technical assistance to better compete for those opportunities, and benefit from inclusion in the City's Online Directory of Certified Firms.'' Each of these benefits is essential to the success of minority and women owned businesses, many of whom face considerable challenges in starting and sustaining their operations. I applaud the partnership between the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce and the great City of New York and look forward to the continued growth of minority and women owned businesses in New York City. Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce Joins New York City in Promoting Minority and Women Owned Business Harlem, USA--The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce (GHCC) has joined with the NYC Department of Small Business Services in a partnership to help Minority and Women Owned Businesses become certified to provide goods and services to the City of New York. The New York City Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Program certifies, promotes, and fosters the growth of the City's minority and women-owned businesses. Companies that become certified obtain greater access to and information about contracting opportunities, receive technical assistance to better compete for those opportunities, and benefit from inclusion in the City's Online Directory of Certified Firms. GHCC began actively promoting this initiative in the Fall of 2006. Early outreach activities included the Miller Urban Entrepreneur Series at Terrace In The Sky Restaurant on December 9, 2006 and the End of Year Reception at Pier 2110 Restaurant on December 20, 2006. On February 20th the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce hosted a special workshop on the importance of M/WBE's being certified with the city at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on Broadway and 45th Street prior to its Quarterly Membership meeting. That workshop was the first in a series of seminars and individual training sessions that will take place through June 2007 in an effort to get more Minority and Women Owned Businesses to be certified with the city and make it possible for more minority companies of all kinds to do business with

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate Jackie Robinson, a sports trailblazer, civil rights activist, veteran, and great American and to enter into the record an article from the New York Daily News by Lisa Olson entitled ``Barriers Still Need Breaking-- Up to us to complete Robinson's great work.'' Long before Jackie Robinson stood up to racism and smashed through the barriers of segregation in Major League Baseball on April 15, 1947, he was fighting for equality. He enlisted in the Army in 1942 and rose to the rank of Second Lieutenant. In July of 1944, he refused to sit in the back of a segregated military bus and although a court martial was issued for insubordination, he was found not guilty and honorably discharged in November of that same year. The courage displayed during this incident, as well as his commitment to the Army, helped prepare him for the battlefield of discrimination he would encounter on the baseball diamond. Despite the hostility of opponents and even teammates, on April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson had the courage to join the Brooklyn Dodgers and became the first Black man to play in baseball's major leagues. He knew that excellence was the calling and he proved his skill and talent on the baseball field. With tremendous pressure and opposition from fans and even some teammates, he handled himself with grace on and off the field. Because of his commitment and determination to be the best in the face of prejudice, African American and other minority athletes have been afforded the opportunity to compete in professional sports today. Jackie Robinson received numerous awards and honors during his extraordinary career, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. His legacy and outstanding contribution to Major League Baseball and America is representative of what America is all about. This country is about opportunity, diversity, and humility. I applaud Jackie Robinson for leaving a legacy of excellence, breaking down segregation, and inspiring people to strive for the best. [From the Daily News] Barriers Still Need Breaking--Up To Us To Complete Robinson's Great Work (By Lisa Olson) They don't have to dress in the broom closet. They can drink from the same water fountains, eat at the same buffet, stay in the same ritzy hotels, swim in the same pools. It's almost incomprehensible to imagine the America that greeted and jeered Jackie Robinson 60 years ago yesterday, when he bounded out of the dugout at Ebbets Field and became the first African-American Major League Baseball player of the modem era. There were racial slurs and despicable letters, flying cleats and death threats, opponents who turned their back on him and Brooklyn Dodger teammates who wouldn't sit near him. We blithely toss around the words ``courage'' and ``hero'' far too often these days, but they can't be used enough to describe Jackie Robinson. MLB retired his No. 42 on April 15, 1997, the 50th anniversary of Robinson's major league debut, and temporarily suspended it yesterday, a serendipitous gesture that coincided with yet another hit to the American conscience. Ken Griffey Jr. was the first contemporary player to push for the movement, to ask commissioner Bud Selig for permission to honor Robinson by wearing No. 42. Griffey, who donned six different jerseys in the Reds' game against the Cubs, told reporters, ``I think a lot of people wouldn't be in this locker room if it wasn't for what he did.'' More than 200 players and managers joined the tribute, and there was No. 42 on the back of every Dodger last night, and on the Cardinals' Albert Pujols as he tipped his cap, Robinson-style, while crossing the plate after belting a home run, and on Arizona's Tony Clark as he swatted two of his own, and on Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia as he struck out 10 White Sox and then talked about how he wanted to make sure he represented Robinson's legacy with grace and class. There was Dontrelle Willis, an All-Star, a 20-game winner, saying wearing No. 42 was ``the highest honor I've ever received in my life.'' There was Chris Young, Padre starter and Princeton graduate, recalling how he wrote his senior thesis on Robinson while sitting in the back of the bus as his Class A team, the Hickory Crawdads, traveled the South Atlantic League roads. Young took America's pulse by analyzing newspaper reports, both before Robinson broke the color barrier and after. ``I observed there was significant improvement in the attitude of the media toward African-Americans. Not from negative to positive so much as negative to neutral,'' Young told ESPN The Magazine. ``I excluded sports, but prior to Robinson breaking the color line, you'd see reporters frequently using expressions like `a Negro hoodlum' in their stories. I noticed coverage that was much more neutral after the integration of baseball.'' And there was the Twins' Torii Hunter, pulling his black socks high and dropping into a curling slide as he safely nailed home on the same day his op-ed piece appeared in the Pioneer Press. ``You don't have to be African-American to know what (Robinson) went through. You've just got to be a smart person or a person who knows what pain is like,'' Hunter wrote. ``For the past 10 years, I've been called the N-word, like, 20 times. Not in Minnesota. In Kansas City. In Boston.'' Clearly we haven't yet demolished the racial barrier, or wiped out negative language. Sixty years after Robinson authored the most seminal moment in American sports history, Hunter is still called the N-word, and the Rutgers women's basketball team gets bombarded with hateful E-mails simply because it had the misfortune of being caught in the maelstrom created by Don Imus' nasty mouth. In August 1945, in a conversation now cemented in American lore, Dodger president Branch Rickey told Robinson, ``I know you're a good ballplayer. What I don't know is whether you have the guts.'' ``Mr. Rickey,'' Robinson asked, ``are you looking for a Negro who is afraid to fight back?'' ``Robinson, I'm looking for a ballplayer with enough guts not to fight back,'' Rickey said, and thus an unspoken pact was sealed. Robinson altered the complexion of our pastime and forced Americans to understand blacks could be equal with whites. How shocking, how depressing, that 60 years later, not everyone seems to get it. ``The course of history probably would have changed had he quit because he was the smartest of the Negro League players,'' Hunter wrote. ``This was a guy who went to UCLA and played four sports in college. He had an education. If he had quit--the guy who was supposed to be the strongest of the Negro League and the smartest of the Negro League--why go get the others? They wouldn't be able to handle it if he couldn't handle it.'' They took No. 42 out of retirement and put it on their backs yesterday, black and white and Latino and Asian players proudly wearing the digits. In clubhouses and stadium seats all across the land, stories were repeated about how Pee Wee Reese, a white shortstop from Louisville, once draped an arm over Robinson's shoulder in a silent show of support. It ought to be Jackie Robinson Day every day.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, these words that I speak today do not come easily. They flow forth from a deep reservoir of sorrowful emotions that compel me to take this podium. What we witnessed on the campus of Virginia Tech was too much. Too much for anyone to bear. Too much for a nation to bear. America weeps, Mr. Speaker. In my life, I've seen the horrors of war. It is something I wish upon no one. To have battlefield casualties on an American college campus, is something I never thought I would see. 33 lives . . . 33 young, bright lives on the cusp of experiencing the greatness that life has to offer. We must be mindful of everything we do. We must ask ourselves what we are doing that has created a world where this could happen. As much as it hurts we must reexamine what kind of society we want to be. I cannot even begin to comprehend how such a terrible tragedy like this came to pass. It would be too easy to say that this horrific incident calls for some type of action by this body. That may become necessary, but that is for another day. Today is a day for us to look within ourselves. To examine who we are as a people and never forget what happened on April 16, 2007.