Congressman tells crowd: ‘It was black history that made America great’

With “alternative facts” and “fake news” prominent in politics these days, Congressman Cedric Richmond attempted to set the record straight on Monday while visiting Columbus.

Richmond, who represents Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District, is the youngest person to serve as chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus on Capitol Hill. He spoke at the 32nd Annual Black History Observance Breakfast held at the Columbus Convention & Trade Center.

Reflecting on the sacrifices made by Frederick Douglass, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr. and other black pioneers, Richmond said many black Americans are anxious about President Donald Trump. Richmond said they see it as an affront to all that was accomplished by the civil rights movement and the election of the country’s first black president.

Richmond said that’s why it’s important to know black history and the sacrifices made by previous generations.

“... We have someone running around here from every mountaintop, every radio, every TV, talking about ‘We’re going to make America great again,’” he said. “Well, it was black history that made America great in the first damn place.

“So, if you want to talk about how this country got to be a more perfect union, it got to be a more perfect union because of the blood, sweat and tears of the civil rights movement,” he said. “It became a more perfect union because John Lewis was beaten, and because King was killed, and because Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. That’s how America became a more perfect union.”

He said America didn’t wake up an “exceptional country,” it became an exceptional country.

“So no matter what you hear, or how often you hear it, or how many times you see it on a baseball cap, just know and take pride in how this country became great in the first place,” he said.

The Black History Month Observance Breakfast is an annual event under the direction of Congressman Sanford D. Bishop Jr. In previous years, keynote speakers have included Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee; Congressman Elijah Cummings; former Congressmen Floyd Flake, Bill Gray and J. C. Watts; former U.S. Surgeon Gen. David Satcher; House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn; and then-Sen. Barack Obama.

Proceeds from the event have benefited local nonprofit organizations such as the House of Mercy, the Columbus African American History Museum, and the Liberty Theatre and Cultural Center.

On Monday, Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson and Phenix City Mayor Eddie Lowe also addressed the audience, emphasizing the importance of black history. Music was provided by the Carver High School Fine Arts Department.

Three awards were presented to notable community leaders. Greg A. Davis Sr., founder and CEO of Davis Broadcasting Inc., won the the Legacy Award. Bennie Newroth, a retired Columbus Regional Health executive, received the Unsung Hero Award. Shae Anderson, director of the historic Liberty Theatre and Cultural Center, and Norman Hardman, a branch manager at Columbus Bank & Trust, both received the Emerging Leader Award. Each recipient received a video tribute.

Recipients of the Unsung Hero and Emerging Leader awards were revealed before the breakfast. Davis’ award remained a secret until it was announced at the event.

Bishop, who leads the Black History Month Observance Committee, described Davis and his wife as friends whom he admires greatly.

“I’ve known Greg and Cheryl Davis for over 30 years since they first came to Columbus,” the congressman said in a video tribute to Davis. “I’ve watched their children grow up and become integral parts of the family business. Together, they have grown Davis Broadcasting with integrity and have faced challenges and adversity with faith and determination.”

Also featured in Davis’ tribute video were his wife and three children who described him as a frugal, hard-working man who doesn’t like a lot of attention.

When Davis stood to accept the award, he turned away from the audience to wipe his eyes. He reflected on the day in June 1986 when he and his wife, Cheryl, drove from Cincinnati to Columbus. They started Davis Broadcasting, which now owns 10 radio stations — six in Columbus and four in Atlanta.

“We came here sight unseen; didn’t know but one person in this city, that was Dr. Delmar Edwards,” the Arkansas native said Monday. “We came here and we came on a vision, not by mistake. This was an opportunity that I felt at that time is where I needed to be.

“I came here with one goal in mind and that was to make a difference in the community that we live,” he said. “People ask me all the time, ‘What are you most proud of?’ I’m most proud of my children. They have been the delight of our lives.”

During his speech, Richmond made fun of some of Trump’s recent comments about black history and black elected officials.

“Despite the White House not knowing, the Congressional Black Caucus is alive and well,” he said. “We are 49 members strong. We represent 78 million Americans, 17 million black people, and that’s 41 percent of black people.

“But that means we represent about 61 million people who are not African American, who are not urban, who are not inner-city,” he added. “We represent the suburbs. We represent rural America and we fight for distressed communities. We fight for underrepresented communities, we fight for poor people. But you know what we’re really just fighting for? Justice and equality for all.”

And while the CBC is alive and well, Richmond said Frederick Douglass is not, referencing remarks that Trump made about Douglass during a recent Black History Month event.

During a “listening session,” Trump praised the abolitionist, who died in 1895.

He mentioned Douglass as “an example of somebody who has done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more, I notice,” Trump said.

On Monday, Richmond said of Douglass: “He was an amazing man, but despite their description during the black history ceremony, Frederick Douglass is not alive.”

Richmond said black Americans have made tremendous strides over the decades, and many can’t believe the current state of affairs.

“... This year is a little different; it’s been colored by uncertainty and distress,” he said. “And we need a little bit more than our usual reflection and goal-setting. We have to be reminded of our resilience. We need to be reminded of the power we hold. We have to be reminded that, yes, we do matter.”

He reminded the crowd of the resistance their forebears endured over the decades and how they overcame.

“We know that we were brought here in 1619 against our will,” he said. “We know we were beaten as slaves, raped, brutalized and all of those things - tortured.

“But one thing we do know - and I want you to take with you today,” he said. “ ... If we could survive torture, the Klan and Jim Crow, we certainly can stomp Trump.”

This story was originally published February 20, 2017 at 11:26 AM with the headline "Congressman tells crowd: ‘It was black history that made America great’."