The publication is reproduced in full below:
SUPPORTING THE CBC'S LIVING HISTORY EVENT AND CONDEMNING THE CAPITOL
INSURRECTION OF JANUARY 6, 2021
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HON. DONALD M. PAYNE, JR.
of new jersey
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss Black History Month and the insurrection against our Capitol Building on January 6, 2021.
Since 1926, America has celebrated Black History in some form. It started as a week and now it is a month to honor the achievements of Black Americans throughout our nation's history. Schools and organizations conduct seminars and events to highlight the month. It is a positive way to acknowledge the power of diversity in the growth of our country.
But there are still those in America who disagree with diversity. They want to return to a time when only a small minority of Americans were allowed to have rights and the full protections of the U.S. Government. They believe that `white is right' and everything else is wrong. Luckily, their numbers have been decreasing across the country during the last few decades.
Unfortunately, they are not going quietly. The forces of white supremacy were strengthened and emboldened by former President Trump. In the last few years, they have acted out in ways both public and private. They were the ones who attacked our nation's Capitol Building on January 6th. They were the ones who wanted to ``hang'' former Vice President Mike Pence. They were the ones who brought a Confederate flag, one of the nation's foremost symbols of hate and prejudice, into the Capitol Building. And they forced elected officials of both political parties, Republicans and Democrats, to flee for their lives on that fateful day.
We know that white nationalists have become empowered to commit acts of hate like this one nationwide because they had support in the White House. In 2019, the total number of hate crimes rose to 7,312 and marked the fourth increase in the past five years. We know that white supremacy-supporting domestic terrorists pose a greater threat to our nation's peace and security than foreign terrorists. And we know how to fight and defeat white nationalism. The question is when are we going to defeat it for good?
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 39
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