While we will continue to fight for the passage of this bill in the senate, we wanted to highlight today the efforts of the Congressional Black Caucus defined find on many different manifestations of systemic racism. That thisly inspired new movement has elevated the issue, and that people understand this was not a tragedy, one tragedy, and anomaly, but it was a manifestation of much deeper problems in our country. Proud to be joined by members of the Congressional Black Caucus who have been on the front lines, and the house of representatives, fighting for change, and they will share those areas where they have been fighting for with you today. After you hear presentations from members of congress, we will open it up to hear your questions and comments. Right now, i have the honor of introducing representative barbara lee. She is is apart of the congressional caucus and is the founder of the task force in the house of representatives to address poverty. And we have a slogan in the house and actually in her district that barbara lee fights for me because she is always on the front lines fighting for social and Economic Justice in our community. Youme now bring before congresswoman barbara lee. Thank you, madam chair. Can you hear me . Yes. Thank you for that spirited introduction. We are in our 49th year now and i cannot think of an individual who really has risen to the based on theead aspiration and dreams of our founders. Thank you so much. I want to thank all of my colleagues who are with us today for their longstanding brilliant and very visionary and powerful words at this historic moment but also for so many years in the past. Floydagic murder of mr. And the current covid19 crisis has illustrated once again the painful and dangerous legacy that White Supremacy has had on our country. We have to acknowledge it in hell systemic racism has been built into this country for the of the1 years and all insidious ways it remains part of our criminal justice system, our educational system, our economic system. It is really reflected in the dna of the United States of america. Racism is at the heart of every crisis that we are dealing with right now from Police Murders and brutality, mass incarceration to the economic and Public Health crisis disproportionately affecting the Africanamerican Community, to the crisis of poverty were africanamericans have large numbers in the majority in this country in the percentage of poverty as it relates to the Africanamerican Community is the highest. How it has blocked many black families from achieving the american dream. I have worked on this for over three years. We have to fully account for and bring to the public, a Historical Context of the generational effects of slavery and White Supremacy in this country. That was 401 years ago where this started as it relates to the africanamerican population in america. I introduced legislation to create the first u. S. Submission untrue, racial healing and transformation. It now has over 100 30 cosponsors and we are continuing to gain more cosponsors. We have been working with activists, with elected officials, was so many people throughout the country, who have actually started in many communities with racial here and lean with racial healing. We know we have to have that National Push to really make s real and ringing the end the ends real and bring of systemic racism. Had 40 countries have commissions on truth and healing, but we m never made a serious attempt to address the deeply rooted truth of this country. We have to have this truth telling day of reckoning in this country before we move forward toward any form of racial healing and transformation. Racism has been woven into this country. Slavery and jim crow to the genocide of native americans to modernday mass incarceration and Police Brutality. Witnessing the brutal murder of mr. Floyd and so many murders by police of africanamerican and black and brown people, we must address systemic racism in this country. It is literally a matter of survival. The commission will examine the effects of slavery committed to a racism and discrimination against africanamericans and how our history impacts laws and policies today, and make recommendations for transpiration for transformation. We have to hear the truth about the last 401 years. The public needs to have this, and this country has never had the historical document of reckoning. This will provide that opportunity for that and to move forward toward some former racial healing, but to make recommendations on how we can deconstruct most of the policies that have created this country based on systemic racism and our laws, and also move forward on how we actually implement laws a stone justice. And so finally let me say, we are working with my colleague on hr 40. In my community has long endorsed reparations. Have an allwe must hands on deck to finally break these chains of 401 years ago. And so, now is the time for us to seize the moment with all of these efforts to begin to dismantle systemic boundaries and obstacles to moving forward so i look forward to working to usher in the change to live up to the promise of this nation. Thank you again to give us the opportunity to speak today, and i want to thank my colleagues and all of those who really have present ideas and proposals to stop tinkering around the edges as it relates to systemic racism, but to make the real andges that need to happen the institutions and policies of this country. Thank you again. Thank you for that powerful message from congresswoman barbara lee. Likewise, so thank you very much for the powerful chair thatour realizes that systemic racism is a disease comparable to the 5a we are in even today to the fight that we are even today. I am delighted to be here with my colleague, the honorable john green. I will mention something briefly. I know that he will take up the cause. Omare been with bill and ilhan omar in minneapolis. I do spend time with George Floyds family and express my deepest sympathy for them. As we proceed in fighting for justice in policing, let it be known that these families, George Floyds family, the last 24 hours, had to hear video and sound on officers again trying to overcome the law and their dastardly deeds, and here again, the pain of george floyd saying he could not breathe and wondering why he was in that predicament as a lovable, largesized africanamerican male and why Breonna Taylor was in that predicament when everyone said she was nsn or why Ahmaud Arbery was in that predicament. It is a question of systemic minds that captures the and hearts of those who dont attend to do good, and are. Gainst the real value if you take this year values of america on its face, on the words of the declaration of independence, we are all created equal to create a more perfect union, those words, if you did not have any action, we say everybody should be in a place of equality. That is not the case. I would call the commission to study and develop reparation proposals as the mother of this movement of trying to get us where we need to be. If you are listening or viewing this, i ask you to be sure to send messages to your Congress People because this is a bold effort that people want to not do. You must, as a community, and sure that the Congress Moves on hr 40, and that is call your members of congress to ensure that they are cosponsors. Our numbers are growing, but we are the provocative legislation that people wanted think twice about being on because it clearly sends that somebody must that something must be done about the governmental action that was done to enslave africans, and then, the descendents of enslaved africans. We know that slavery is the original sin. This legislation deals with restoration. Deals with the question that it deals with the question of repair, and it also deals with the question of a government influence and the question of restoration. We know first of all that slaves go as human beings, were not counted in the constitution. Freedw that we were not the emancipation proclamation freed some in 1863, but did not free of quarter of a million until 1865. Then the general said, you dont have to go anywhere. You can stay here and work on the plantation field, thinking that black folks do not have sense. We did not get legally the compensation and the wealth transfer by not getting 40 acres and a mule. So, we have seen the government clamp down on our opportunities for equality, the failed reconstruction only lasted for 12 years, even though there was a push of africanamericans and descendents of enslaved africans , and they were lieutenants, clearlys, and they were people of dignity, but it did not last long. They went to congress. On the floor stood of the house in 1901 and was drawn out never to be found again, if you will. Loss of theseen the land continuing to deny africanamericans the wealth. We have seen the disparities in the environment, economic opportunities. We have seen the calling, if you a better education, and of course, wealth transfer. It is important to know that this is not unlikely. We can do this. And we can look at systemic racism and get into the overall broad solution by law, by policy changes, and of course, embracing the work of healing as indicated embracing the work of the department of reconciliation, but focusing in on this commission that is been in the Congress Since 1989, using examples like the 10 million settlement for those in 177milar study, and the black people are forced sterilization. Must be responded to pra we must be responded to for systemic racism and the development of the response back to the community of africanamericans as well is the individual actions that should be taken to draw away from these horrible disparities. Forank you so very much letting me discuss this. I hope the people on the line will pierce into what we are doing and ask questions on how you can help advocate to get hr 40 and the collective body of work we are doing the deal was systemic racism. Let me be very clear. We will be able to hold hearings and be able to hear from you, scholars, appointed by the house and senate, and looking foward to really putting this on the national forefront, and to make sure we do the actual work that needs to be done. I am delighted to introduce and yield to the distinguished gentleman from houston, texas, al green, as we Work Together to heal this nation. Thank you, congressman. Rep. Green thank you ever so much, sheila, if i may say so affectionately to congresswoman lee, you and i have been great partners here in houston, and i look forward to continuing this longstanding relationship that we have developed over the years. I am also honored to thank the chairperson. It appears she was sculpted and for timef you will, such as this. She seems to have all of the havesary attributes that been a great benefit, not only to the cpc would also to the people of this country. This has been a wonderful experience serving under your leadership, madame chair bass in an look forward to continuing to do so. I would like to reference the honorable barbara lee. We have a friendship that started upon my arrival in congress. I have been to her district. She is a hardworking congressperson who really does reach out to what i call the and the lost. T, those who have been locked up or left behind, she brings them in and they receive an opportunity to be heard. She is a person i have Great Respect for. I look forward to continuing the relationship with her as well. And to the neophytes who came as prepared as any to serve in congress, representative omar, i cannot tell you how much i have been impressed with her. She had an agenda when she arrived. Unfortunately there are some who , are not prepared for agendas. Difficults, the most challenge we have is setting an agenda for ourselves. Everyone has an agenda. Everybody. If you meet someone on the street, they have something for you to do, but she came with an agenda, and i respect that she has moved forward that with that agenda. I look forward to continuing to serve with her. Now to what i have been asked to do. I have been given an assignment that incorporates two rather lengthy recitations. I have decided that i will commend first to you an article from the new york times. The style of the article is the fullest look yet at the racial inequity of the coronavirus. I am commending it to you because it is thorough, but also because just this topic alone would consume an inordinate amount of time. It is an easy read. Cts. Ives you fa it gives you the figures you need, and it addresses some of the salient issues that we have to embrace. It looks of the inequity of the coronavirus at the inequity of the coronavirus. It is dated july 5, 2020. It is something that can make a real difference in how we a brace embrace the way forward with the coronavirus. I will address a couple of issues that it raises. First, it cost to our attention that africanamerican and latinx persons are three times as likely to become infected. They have been twice as likely to die from the virus. Very strong statistical information. The query we have to address is why . Why is this likely . Well, first of all, we are persons, who have an out of home, hands on experience with our work. , good many of us africanamericans, let inexpert, x persons, we work out of the house. Out of necessity. Not because we enjoy riding the bus. By necessity, we have to do it. When we traverse the community, going away from home, we are more likely to encounter the virus. We work in many jobs where, initially, there was no ppp available to us. Traverse thewe city, we find persons without ppe. Ppe, excuse me. Im on financial services, and we deal with a lot of ppp. I mean personal protective equipment. We are out of home working. Why do we find ourselves having to be out of home and working. Is it because we have not properly educated ourselves . Is it because we have not been as dutiful as we should be . Well, it really goes back to what my colleagues have called to our attention. Thisact that discrimination has happened since we arrived in what we call the americas. It really goes back to being emancipated, but not having reconciled. Emancipation requires reconciliation if it is going to give us the relief we richly deserve as human beings. That hasnt happened. Emancipation, general Gordon Granger read executive order number three. It allowed us certain freedoms, but it literally required us to stay with the slave masters and become employees. Imagine what it is like. So the death and sickness literally can be traced back to 1619 and the fact that we have not been given equal access to opportunities in this country. After slavery, we found ourselves dealing with jim crow. We have had to deal with redlining. We have had to deal with lawful segregation. Now we deal with discrimination. We have not had the opportunities others have had. Because we have not had these opportunities, health care has not been readily available to us. It is true we have comorbidities. I will just say this. Die morethat we ha because we have the comorbidities is something we need to expose. It is true that we have comorbidities, but it is also true that we have to get sick before we will die. You have to get sick first, and we are more likely to get sick. White people work from home, they dont get sick, they dont die. We leave home to work, we have the comorbidities, we get sick. As a result, we die more. In houston, the largest Medical Center in the world is here. It sees 7. 2 million persons per year. Right now, the beds at the Medical Center that are now assigned for icu persons, they are full. We are in phase two now. We are getting other beds to utilize to serve people. And these are feeling up. Filling up. We in houston are in the middle of a crisis. The crisis exists in large part because we did not practice using masks. We did not practice social distancing. We did not practice the things that have made a difference in other places. Because our governor was late to the game. He opened up early. Late to get involved shutting down. Havingsult, we are now to experience this influx in comorbidity. And a virus that causes death. Having said this, it is my honor now to yield to the person i spoke highly of earlier. I have a very special place in my head and my heart for her because of how she has conducted herself under some extreme circumstances. I salute to you and i yield to you. The honorable congresswoman omar. Rep. Omar thank you so much. Al,brother out congressman al green. Honor to have the opportunity to serve with people whou recognize recognize the importance of the value of our voices and the reason we need to have a seat at and why we should fully utilize that seat. To rid ourselves of injustices of the past. I want to thank the chairwoman, karen bass, who has been leading us as the Congressional Black Caucus with vision and vigor. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson lee, barbara lee, who have been not just been big sisters, but really anchors for me as i have navigated this interesting space of existing in an environment that wasnt really designed to consume people like us, and the works every day to invalidate our voices, our pain, and our struggle. I do appreciate our fellowships. Our kinship. Our ability to collectively fight for a more just world. I appreciate everyone who put this townhall together. And addressing the critical needs that our communities have. As many of you know, i represent the district in minnesota where george floyd lived and was murdered by the Minneapolis Police department. And as many of you know, Structural Racism is not limited to police departments. Whether it is here in minnesota or across our nation. We continue to struggle with challenges in education and juvenile justice. And in health care. Spend we, like many oftes, spend millions dollars a year to pursue an agenda of mass incarceration. At the same time, we ignore education and training opportunities in our communities. I believe that education is a basic right. All students, regardless of race deserve equal access to it. ,tudents of color, particularly boys and gir