The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING SADIE DELICATH AND HER OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO BLACK
HISTORY MONTH
______
HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO
of connecticut
in the house of representatives
Friday, February 26, 2021
Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, February is Black History month. This month, and every month, let us celebrate the Black Americans who built this nation, amplify the voices of those who continue to fight for a more just society, and recommit to taking real action. We must remember that Black History is American History as we reflect on the people who have strengthened our nation.
This past year, the fight for racial justice was especially important in wake of unspeakable tragedies like the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. People of all ages protested from coast to coast, calling for justice, saying enough is enough, and demanding change. I was particularly inspired by a group of young students led by Social Studies Teacher Nicole Clark, English Language Arts Teacher Monica Powell, and Inclusion Specialist Courtney Legg at Two Rivers Public Charter School in Washington, D.C.--where my granddaughter Sadie Delicath attends. During their recent school showcase they presented their ``resistance poems'' which I have shared with my colleagues in an e-booklet and posted to my website at:
https://delauro.house.gov/sites/delauro.house.gov/files/documents/
TwoRiversPoems.pdf.
As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, ``our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.'' During these unprecedented times, where we are also struggling to combat a pandemic that is disproportionately affecting communities of color, we must have the courage to make meaningful change. It is clear that the young authors of these poems certainly have that courage. I was particularly inspired by their words, and I am confident that my colleagues in the Congress were as well.
It is through their dedication and commitment of young people--and that of so many others before them--we are able to continue this fight for equality, justice and opportunity today and for many years to come.
I would like to share the poem written by my granddaughter Sadie. I am inspired by her every day:
Change Needs To Come
(By Sadie Delicath)
Do you know what it's like to be a Black person in America?
'Cause I don't.I don't look at the tv and see another brother, mother, daughter, or father hanging from a tree or getting shot in her sleep wondering if next time it will be me.Do you know what it's like to be a white person in America?
'Cause I do.When I see a cop car there are no butterflies dancing in my stomach or the sinking feeling something bad is going to happen.Is that how everyone feels, or just me?Do you know what it's like to be a white person in America?
'Cause I do.Having privilege because of the color of my skin, being protected by something I'm born in.History is a broken record, skips a couple of times, but always repeats itself.Our laws and our norms always find a way to keep racism around.Slavery led to Jim Crow and Jim Crow to police brutalityWe have the power to put an end to this pain, but Black people are silenced as if by thunderous rain.Denouncing racism is not enough, a black square is not enough, do you really care or is it just a bluff?Black Lives Matter is not a trend, we have to put racism to an end.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 37
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
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