February 1, 2009

Congressman Gregory Meeks Statement on Black History Month

(WASHINGTON, DC)–Congressman Gregory Meeks released the following statement today in celebration of Black History Month:

“Black History Month is always a significant time of the year; this Black History Month reminds us that much has changed and extraordinary accomplishments have been achieved.  This month we honor the centennial celebration of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth and the election of our the first African-American as President of the United States. The historic inauguration of President Obama as our 44th president served as a reminder and inspiration to all Americans that dreams can become reality and that all things are possible here in the greatest country on earth.

The sacrifices of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman and countless others have allowed us to live the American dream that they envisioned for their ancestors; a dream where a person of African American descent would be the leader of this nation and bring about needed change to all Americans. I am extremely honored to have been a witness to this and look forward to working with our nation's new President, Barack Obama.

Even though our nation has come far, there is still a ways to go. My colleagues and I serving in the 111th Congress will continue to fight for opportunity and equality in all segments of our society.  One of the first bills passed by the House, and the first major legislation signed into law by President Obama last week, was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This measure ensures that men and women are paid fairly for the work they do, will have a direct impact on America’s women, as well as every child growing up in our country and send the strong message that discrimination will not be tolerated.  I look forward to working to address the challenges facing our nation and  trying to help turn the dreams and aspirations of our fellow American’s into reality.”

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