Prior to being elected to congress, she served on the bostons city council for eight years and was the first woman of color elected to the council in its 100 year history. Please welcome congresswoman ayanna pressley. E] rep. Ressley today, i am thinking of the ancestors, not just the ones recorded in our history books, but those omitted from the pages. The freedom riders, the organizers, the community builders. Every loved one passed a brownbag lunch. Lunch, read a freedom song, set up a prayer. Sacrifice and selfdetermination shaped history and brought us to this moment. The truth of the matter is we are because of them. We are black with a capital b. We are the manifestation of the movement. We are and cultural proud blacks. If my granddaddy the reverend e. James echols were here, he would whisper in my ear and say baby, make it play. I intend to do just that, make it play area we are in unprecedented and uncertain times. We are challenged by the state of the nation and the crisis w
I w my from both sides of the aisle f senator again us somethingew. Nn hearshese and bigger na by saying this. The letterrom j wr clergy as senator was speaking about the importance os liberties, the o thing he said at the end was, we s all the the economic] racial issues, and i thought its and appropriate that following that its important and e that following that speech you have the reading of the letter from the birmingham jailo leaders, the religious leadezb to become struggle. Change comes to america. Thank you leading this mr. Kennedy madamresident . The presiding offir the senato from louisiana. Mr. Nnedy madam president , with me today is one of my colleagues from my office, mr. Blaine clus. Madam president , the dr. King. Letter from a birmingham jail. E city jail, i came across youram recent statement calling my unw . Untimely. I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If i sought to answer all of th, my secretaries would have little time other than such correspondenc
Today we do it again. I am pleased that we have one again three republicans, three democrats to take part in this historic reading. And at this point, as we get to that letter, id like to yield the floor to my friend from south carolina, senator scott, for a special introduction to this important reading. I yield the floor, madam president. Mr. Scott thank you, madam president. The presiding officer the senator from south carolina. Mr. Scott thank you, maam. Madam president , we are at a critical time in our nations history. I think we can all sense the opportunity that is before us. Through the challenges of covid and the death of george floyd and its aftermath, we can affect real lasting change. Perhaps the most famous line from dr. Kings letter from birmingham jail is injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Let me say that one more time. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere where. More than at any time i can remember, people of all ages and races are st
Want to thaideading t jones foreign rinsomething new the thesepen mind. And an ope heart. Ck t the time. Stthe rmjigioib0 should sta l zs 2v elow their environment. The other jesus christ was an extremist for love. Truth and goodness. And thereby rose above his environment. Perhaps the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists. Senator from utah. I continue reading a letter from birmingham jail but doctor Martin Luther king junior. I had hoped the white moderates would see this need. Perhaps i was too optimistic. Perhaps i expected too much. I suppose i shouldve realized that with few members of the oppressor race can understand deep row race. And still fewer had been division to see the injustice must be rooted out by strong persistent and determined action. Im thankful however some are White Brothers in the south have grasped the meaning of the social revolution committed themselves to it. They are two in quantity, beginning quality some such as ralph Mcgill Willia
As a whole, the events of the past few months and days have opened old wounds and laid bare the disparities in our society, from access to health care and education to Economic Opportunities and equal justice under the law. The fact that we are facing so many at one time is both overwhelming and clarifying. I spoke sunday afternoon at a rally for justice at kelly ingram park in birmingham where 57 years ago, in the shadow of the 16th Street Baptist Church, the Birmingham Police turned fire hoses and vicious dogs on peaceful demonstrators many of them schoolchildren who were making a stand for equal rights and importantly a stand for dignity. The scenes from birmingham at that time and around the world made it clear that the inequity in our society could no longer be ignored. Sadly, the legislative changes that came from that movement have been eroded over the years in far too many ways. There is a clear and direct path from the shadow of the 16th Street Baptist Church where four little