This Tuesday, U.S. Representative Terry Sewell (AL-07) spoke at the White House for the Black History Month Civil Rights Descendants event. At the first-of-its-kind meeting, Congressman Sewell was joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, White House Director of Public Engagement Mayor Stephen Benjamin, and Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chairman Stephen Horsford (NV-04). , welcomed 2 or more people. More than a dozen descendants of civil rights icons and historical figures attended a reception honoring their ancestors' legacy in the fight for racial equality.
Congressman Sewell praised the guests' personal sacrifices and efforts to preserve and protect the legacy of their ancestors. She thanked President Biden and Vice President Harris for their commitment to advancing progress in the civil rights movement.
“As a daughter of Selma and a representative of the Alabama Civil Rights District, I know that I stand on the shoulders of the giants we look up to today. It is because of their courage that I am now the first black member of Congress,” said Congressman Sewell. “I commend the personal sacrifices of these families and their tireless efforts to preserve and protect the legacy of their ancestors. Now that our fundamental freedoms are once again under attack, we must We are grateful not only for President Biden to convene this event, but for his commitment to advancing the progress that our ancestors and ancestors fought for and died for.”
Among the guests were Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Emmett Till, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, Ida B. Wells, Dred Scott, Homer Adolph Plessy, Sally Hemings, Oliver Leon Brown, Rodney King, George Floyd.
Yesterday's event marked the first time these descendants and family members gathered at the White House to discuss the civil rights issues that exist in the United States. This comes as right-wing extremists work to reverse the gains made during the civil rights movement. Restrict voting accessbanning books, dismantling affirmative action, attacking diversity and equity efforts, and limiting the teaching of Black history.
