Press Releases

Yesterday, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) visited Wellspring United Methodist Church in Ferguson, MO in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy and to show support for the local community.  Below are Chairman Butterfield’s remarks:

“The Congressional Black Caucus is honored today to share with Wellspring United Methodist Church and the greater Ferguson community as we celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  We have looked forward to this day.  My colleagues are seated in front of you.  Please receive them with your love and embrace.

“The public life of Dr. King spanned 13 years, from 1955 to 1968.  During those years, Dr. King’s vision and leadership and bold obstruction to the status quo embarrassed this Nation and forced a change to civil rights and voting rights laws. 

“But nearly two years ago, the Voting Rights Act, which turns 50 this year, was severely wounded by the Supreme Court when the preclearance section was made unenforceable.  In its decision, the Supreme Court called on Congress to adjust the formula used in deciding which states should pre-clear election changes.  Just last week, Republican House Members announced they have no intentions of doing so.  This means Dr. King’s work--our work-- continues.

“It must be remembered that Dr. King was not a politician.  He was first and foremost a preacher of the gospel who believed that we could become a better Nation if men and women of good will came together to reconcile their differences.  In his letter from the Birmingham jail, Dr. King said:

‘More and more I feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than have the people of good will. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co-workers with God, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation.’

“Black America continues to be victim of decades of discrimination and neglect by those in power.  Dr. King demanded change.  Today, the Congressional Black Caucus and the people of Ferguson and Staten Island and Cleveland demand change in the way African Americans are treated in this country.

“And so, the CBC comes today united in purpose.  We’ve come in solidarity for this moment; a moment that in future years will be known as a turning point in race relations and opportunity.  When Dr. King was in his prime, he didn’t have 46 members of Congress to be his voice in Washington.  He only had five black Congressmen to coordinate his work. 

“We have come to commemorate Dr. King; but we have also come to promise Ferguson and America that the issue of Criminal Justice Reform is the centerpiece of the CBC agenda.  Empowering black communities to make political change is our agenda.

“We will use our positions to expose racism when and where it is found.  We will use our positions to introduce legislation to address the need for systemic change in the criminal justice system – changes not only regarding the means by which law enforcement officers carry out their duties, but the misconduct of prosecutors and grand juries.  Your fight is our fight.  Your success is our success.

“May God bless this community; May God bless the Brown family and provide grace and comfort to each of them.  We pray that our God will move in a powerful way to change the hearts and minds of those who diminish the value of black life and the empowerment of African American communities.  Thank you.”

www.TheCongressionalBlackCaucus.com

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