Floor Speech2026-03-04

RECOGNIZING THE 300TH SESSION OF THE ALVIN BROOKS WEDNESDAY NIGHT BLACK MEN CHATS

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Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 41 (Wednesday, March 4, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 41 (Wednesday, March 4, 2026)] [House] [Pages H2373-H2374] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] RECOGNIZING THE 300TH SESSION OF THE ALVIN BROOKS WEDNESDAY NIGHT BLACK MEN CHATS (Mr. Cleaver of Missouri was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a towering figure in the history of Kansas City, Missouri, and in the life of Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, Mr. Alvin Brooks, on the occasion of the 300th consecutive meeting of the Alvin Brooks Wednesday night Black men's chats. That is 300 consecutive weeks. That is 300 consecutive weeks of showing up, 300 sacred spaces for dialogue, and 300 opportunities for healing, mentorship, accountability, and growth. At age 93 years young, Mr. Brooks has not only witnessed history, he has helped shape it. As a young man growing up in the super-segregated city called Kansas City, Alvin Brooks refused to accept the limitations imposed on him by racism and injustice. At a time when the color of our skin too often determined the boundaries of our opportunity, Mr. Brooks chose courage. He chose service. He chose to become one of Kansas City's few Black police officers in 1954. That decision was not only about a career. It was about breaking barriers. It was about ensuring that marginalized voices would have a place where they could be heard. Alvin Brooks was a mover and shaker. Throughout his distinguished career in law enforcement, Mr. Brooks became a crucial pillar of our community. He served not only as an officer but as a bridge-builder. He served not only as a public servant, but as a civil rights advocate. He served not only as a leader within the department, but eventually as president of the Kansas City, Missouri, Board of Police Commissioners. Even beyond those titles, Mr. Brooks has always been what Kansas City knows him to be: a steady presence in moments of crisis, a trusted voice in times of unrest, and a moral compass when our city needs clarity and calmness. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once said, ``Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.'' Alvin Brooks has been and continues to be that light: a light of nonviolence, a light of racial reconciliation, a light of justice, and a light to show the way for the changing and coming generations. Even at an age when many would have long ago stepped back, Mr. Brooks stepped up. In the midst of a global pandemic in 2020, a time of isolation, anxiety, and national reckoning, Mr. Brooks established the Alvin Brooks Wednesday night Black men's chats. What began as a virtual gathering became something extraordinary, a consistent intergenerational forum bringing together men from across Missouri and eventually from across the whole Nation. The discussions included faith and public policy, civil rights, education, public health, the history of the Negro Leagues, and the urgent issues facing Black communities in America. For nearly six uninterrupted years, Mr. Brooks has convened those meetings every single week. The chats have brought together civic leaders, education, faith leaders, civil rights advocates, students from historically Black colleges and universities and public officials, including Members of this very House in a space rooted in respect and growth. That consistency is not accidental. It is a reflection of how Alvin Brooks has always been and will always be. His commitment to service extends even further through the work of a civil rights leader and as a former member of the Hickman Mills school board, where he continued to invest in the future of Kansas City's children. He understands that community empowerment begins with education and that equity must be built generation by generation. Mr. Speaker, what makes this milestone so powerful is not just the number 300. It is the discipline, faith, and the love behind it. In an era when civic discourse can feel fractured and fleeting, Mr. Brooks reminds us that democracy is strengthened in small rooms and virtual gatherings just as much as it is on this floor. He reminds us that leadership is not about spotlight but stewardship. For decades, Alvin Brooks has carried the mantle of responsibility with grace, helping guide communities through pain and progress alike. [[Page H2374]] Today, as we recognize this historic man, this giant of a man, his legacy of resilience and courage and service without ego will continue. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Mr. Alvin Brooks. ____________________

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