Wasserman Schultz on Black History Month
Confronting repression is a critical American value, and this Black History Month we honor those African Americans who heroically resist violent and oppressive forces that undermine our nation’s quest for a more perfect democracy.
Washington DC – U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) released the following statement today in recognition of Black History Month:
“Confronting repression is a critical American value, and this Black History Month we honor those African Americans who heroically resist violent and oppressive forces that undermine our nation’s quest for a more perfect democracy. Recognizing these contributions is even more urgent today, as reactionary forces seek to erase the foulest chapters of America’s past, and dishonor all those who bravely fought to close them. In that respect, the resistance continues.
From organized uprisings against oppression and terror, to forging alternate paths of learning, work and art, we pay tribute to these African Americans who enriched our nation’s moral and cultural foundation – and touch every part of our nation. In my own home state of Florida, the Rosewood community valiantly took up arms to battle white terrorists. Mary McLeod Bethune, a giant in education and the humanities, built alternate learning paths for Black children. Harry and Harriette Moore laid down their lives to tear down voting barriers. Zora Neal Hurston reclaimed Black peoples’ rich cultural heritage, as the Harlem Renaissance reached Eatonville, Florida, and its artistic resistance reverberates globally still today.
These Florida foot soldiers for justice held up and locked arms with giants like Congresswoman Shirley Chisolm, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Congressman John Lewis and Organizer Fannie Lou Hamer. These and countless individuals built Black-led institutions that maintain this fierce resistance to injustice. From sit-ins and protests to boycotts and marches, these historic demands for freedom and fairness still echo in America’s statehouses, courts, city halls, and streets.
Even this moment demands resistance. Right now, powerful extremists in Florida continue to hinder Black voting rights, access to quality affordable health care, and now seek to censor or mute Black history. So, during this Black History Month, just honoring these resisters is not enough. We must join them in tearing America’s lingering discriminatory barriers down. This resistance to inequality remains a well spring of American democracy. Without that resistance, a fairer future for our children and grandchildren will remain out of reach.”
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