HONORING JOHN WILLIS MENARD

HONORING JOHN WILLIS MENARD

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 7 (Tuesday, January 14, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 14, 2025)] [House] [Pages H124-H125] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING JOHN WILLIS MENARD (Mr. FIELDS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.) Mr. FIELDS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the profound legacy of Mr. John Willis Menard, who in 1868 became the first African American elected to Congress. Even after winning 64 percent of the vote, Members of this body denied him the rightful opportunity to take his seat by a vote of 57- 130. Nevertheless, Mr. Menard bravely defended his right to represent the people of Louisiana and became the first African American to speak on this floor. His fight for representation, even when denied his dignity and his seat, paved the way for people like me. While in 1868 there was not a single African American in Congress, today there are 67 African Americans serving in the 119th Congress, a record number, largely due in part to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and heroes like John Willis Menard. [[Page H125]] ____________________