Floor Speeches

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August 4, 2007
CELEBRATING NEW YORK'S AFRICAN DAY PARADE
Mr. RANGEL: Madam Speaker, today I rise up to honor what is expected to be an exciting first in the history of my congressional district--New York's first ever African Day Parade and Street Festival this Sunday, August 5, 2007. I can think of no better place to hold such an event than in the village of Harlem. Although many people around the world hold common African value and traditions, unity of purpose and a shared history does not equal a monolithic culture. Too often ``Africa'' is presented without the richness of diversity, an oversight that helps continue backward stereotypes and …more

August 4, 2007
CELEBRATING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL DOMINICAN DAY PARADE
Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, today I join with the hundreds of thousands of Dominican residents of my congressional district and the millions of Dominicans around the world in celebrating August 12's 25th Annual Dominican Day Parade. What was once an expression of pride through Washington Heights has grown to be one of the largest and loudest displays of cultural pride seen along New York's Sixth Avenue, a culmination of a series of events celebrating the Dominican Republic's traditional second day of Independence, El Día de la Restauración or Restoration Day. It is also a time to remember Dominican achievements, on …more

August 4, 2007
CELEBRATING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF MR. DAVID DINKINS
Mr. RANGEL: Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my friend, my brother, Mr. David Dinkins, for his public service career, and to congratulate him on his 80th birthday. I feel it quite appropriate to honor David by highlighting his accomplishments and the contributions he has made, and continues to make, to the city of New York and this great Nation. David Dinkins, born July 10, 1927, in Trenton, NJ, moved to Harlem in 1953 and has been an integral part of New York since then. He served his country during World War II in the United States Marine Corps, …more

August 4, 2007
A TRIBUTE TO RUBY DEE
Mr. RANGEL: Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ruby Dee, an American actress, poet, playwright, and civil fights activist. Her career in acting has crossed all major forms of media over a span of eight decades. Ms. Dee has been active in civil rights causes and is a living legend whose grace and life has inspired many. Born Ruby Ann Wallace on October 27, 1924, in Cleveland, Ohio, she grew up in Harlem, New York. Ms. Dee is a graduate of the famed American Negro Theatre in Harlem where she studied with Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte, often working …more

August 2, 2007
IN HONOR OF THE 120TH BIRTHDAY AND LIFE OF MARCUS MOSIAH GARVEY
Mr. RANGEL: Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the life and contributions of the late Marcus Mosiah Garvey and to acknowledge the 120th anniversary of the day of his birth, August 17, 1887, a day which will be celebrated later this month in the United States, the Caribbean, and throughout the diaspora. One hundred and twenty years ago, on August 17, the revolutionary, Marcus Mosiah Garvey was born in Saint Ann Bay, Jamaica. His father was a mason and his mother was a farmer. Although his dad used his hands to make a living, he loved literature and created …more

August 1, 2007
CELEBRATING THE NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL LATINO FILM FESTIVAL
Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, today I rise to congratulate one of my constituents, Calixto Chinchilla, on the completion of what has quickly become a New York film tradition: the New York International Latino Film Festival. This past Sunday, Chinchilla and a group of dedicated volunteers and sponsors closed out another fantastic 5 days of film screenings and panels for the eighth straight year. Chinchilla, then a young marketing executive, founded the festival in 1999 to showcase the talent of the growing Hispanic community, at home and abroad. Its crazy to think that despite's New York's immense Latino talent, there …more

August 1, 2007
HONORING CALVIN COPELAND
Mr. RANGEL: Madam Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to Calvin Copeland, the legendary owner of Harlem's Copeland's Restaurant and Reliable Catering. I rise because while the kitchen of this Harlem staple may have served its last meal this past Sunday, it will always be open in the hearts of many a beacon of hope and great cuisine that you could call home. Calvin Copeland, was born in Smithfield, Virginia, one of eight children and grew up in Newport News, VA with relatives when both his parents died. If you ask him, Copeland still remembers the names and …more