Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Floor Speech

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Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, for centuries, Black Americans have been denied the right to define our own existence. How we live, how we work, and how we raise our children have been judged, appraised, scorned, and dismissed. To this day, we must fight back against harmful stereotypes and brutal discrimination.

There are forces that seek to maintain the status quo that discriminates against Black Americans, and these forces don't just wear white hoods. Racism can be subtle. It persists because too many people fail to notice or don't want to notice how bias and discrimination infect the systems in which we live our lives.

They claim color blindness and deride wokeness when, in actuality, they fail to look out and see the world around them for what it is.

This is the failure that leads a Member of Congress to utter such an offensive phrase on the floor of this body, to insult me and my colleagues on the floor of this sacred Chamber.

This is why we refuse to back down when Republicans propose cutting programs that promote diversity and educate us on our history because it is not just about history. Black women are three times more likely to die in childbirth. Black Americans are more likely to be victims of gun violence. Black Americans are more likely to be denied the right to vote. Black Americans are more likely to be saddled with crushing student debt.

We face these disparities because of systems that were built to exclude us. When Republicans oppose diversity and inclusion, they are not just denying our history; they seek to resurrect the worst impulses of our history. We cannot and will not let them. Nothing less than the fate of our democracy is on the line.

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