{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://richmond.house.gov/press-releases/rep-richmond-sworn-chair-congressional-black-caucus", "Rep. Richmond Sworn in as Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus", "2017-01-04", "2017", "2017-01", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Cedric Richmond", "R000588", "richmond.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013Today, Congressman Cedric Richmond (LA-02) was sworn in as the 25th Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) during a ceremony hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) at the Warner Theatre. \u00a0The ceremony marked the induction of the largest class in the CBC\u2019s 46-year history.\nOver the next two years, Chairman Richmond will lead the Caucus in its mission of empowering the African American community and providing a voice for people of color and vulnerable communities.\n\u201cThe 49 Members of the CBC are committed to do our part,\u201d said Rep. Richmond. \u201cTo provide leadership, engage the people across the country, and fight shoulder to shoulder to ensure the arc of history continues to bend toward justice.\u201d\nThe Chairman\u2019s full remarks are included below.\nWe've assembled this morning to celebrate historic achievements and acknowledge the progress of the Congressional Black Caucus as an institution.\nWe now stand at 49 Members--bipartisan, bi-cameral; with 2 of our Members serving in the U.S. Senate. \nJust to be clear, that is 49 Members from 49 jurisdictions that all speak with one voice. \nOur Members are in leadership and head Committees on every major issue debated in the halls of Congress, \nOur Members are on the forefront providing the intellectual strength and moral clarity to light America\u2019s path forward.\nOur Members represent 78 million Americans representing 24% of population, and 17 million African-Americans representing 41% of the African American population- in different parts of the country--urban centers, suburban neighborhoods, and rural counties.\nWe continue to celebrate the past 8 years of successful leadership of one of our own in the White House.\nThere is much to celebrate and that is due to the heroes that came before us.\nLegendary heroes like John Lewis and Eleanor Holmes-Norton, who remind us of the progress our country has made and our people have seen.\nRevolutionary leaders like Maxine Waters and Bobby Rush, who remind us of the many battles we have waged and won.\nSocial Justice Warriors like Jim Clyburn and Elijah Cummings, who show us every day the importance of fighting...fighting for what's right and what\u2019s just.\nBrilliant luminaries like Bobby Scott and Barbara Lee who help light this nation\u2019s path to a more prosperous and inclusive future.\nAnd our next generation of strong and courageous leaders likes Yvette Clarke, Hakeem Jeffries and Andre Carson.\nHowever, we will miss a profound opportunity if we only gather to celebrate.\u00a0 We would not do the people we represent justice if we don't acknowledge the mood of people of color throughout this nation.\nThere are many Americans, especially Black Americans, who can't understand how we got where we are today.\u00a0 Coming off 8 years of hope, pride and inspiration, they are fearful of the current state of division, hate and pettiness.\nMany of our young people are frustrated with the fact that they seem to be fighting the same causes Dr. King, Reverend Jackson and others galvanized the country behind during the Civil Rights Movement: jobs, justice and common humanity.\nIn 1853, Theodore Parker the abolitionist, Unitarian minister and quintessential thinker told us: \"I do not pretend to understand the moral universe; the arc is a long one. . . . But from what I see I am sure it bends toward justice.\"\nA century later, during the civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., an admirer of Parker, quoted his lofty prophecy during marches and speeches, reminding us of this essential point that we know still holds true today. \nOften he'd ask in a refrain, \"How long? Not long.\" He would finish in a flourish: \"Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.\"\nMembers of the CBC know this all too well.\u00a0 While others have thrown up their hands, hung their heads, paralyzed by frustration\u2026 the members of the CBC have remained FOCUSED and DRIVEN.\u00a0 They have remained the \"Conscience of the Congress\"\nMembers like Shirley Chisholm who during her historic term fought to combat hunger in our communities through food stamps and worked to expand opportunities for women in the labor force\u2026 and children in the classroom.\nMembers like Charlie Rangel who fought to maintain America\u2019s commitment to the least of these and move communities of color closer to economic freedom.\nMembers like John Conyers who has dedicated his life to helping people of color find the justice in the criminal justice system.\nEven though it doesn't look like it sometimes, including now, the arc is still bending.\u00a0HOWEVER, It DOES NOT bend on its own.\u00a0 It takes people of all ages and races, with moral conviction and strength to make it bend.\nThe 49 Members of the CBC are committed to do our part: to provide the leadership, engage the people across the country, and fight shoulder to shoulder to ensure the arc continues to bend.\nWe cannot do it alone. We need the fire, passion, and talent of young people to use the tools and resources of today to capture the nation and give life to our movement.\nAs we all know, it was young women and young men who were on the front lines of the fight for freedom in the sixties and it is no different today.\nWe need the wisdom, clarity, and foresight of our elders so that we can stand on their shoulders and achieve much greater heights.\nIf we do not learn from our past, our future will be more of the same.\nAs I close, I want to tell you what you can expect from the CBC this Congress:\n We will confront those who seek to divide.\n\tWe will be clear about our demands on behalf of black people across the globe.\n\tWe will venture outside of Washington regularly to engage our people in the places they live, work and worship.\n\tWe will heed the many lessons from our leaders who came before, but we will innovate and evolve to tackle the challenges of today.\n\tWe will be deliberate in our thoughts and actions and will engage on our own terms.\n We won't give in\nWe won't give up\nWe won\u2019t fall back\nWe will move our people and our nation forward.\nWhat we won\u2019t do is dance if we\u2019re not at a party, laugh if nothing is funny, scratch if nothing is itching.\nAnd we AIN\u2019T RUNNING BECAUSE WE ARE NEVER SCARED.\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://richmond.house.gov/press-releases/rep-richmond-sworn-chair-congressional-black-caucus"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6543418169021606, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}