Rep. Robin Kelly Floor Speech- The Divine Nine

The gentlelady is recognized Thank You mr. speaker as we observe the final week of Black History Month I’d like to recognize the divine nine historically black fraternities and sororities of the National pennilyn Council for over 100 years brothers and sisters of the divine nine have played an instrumental role in

Altering the cost of American history and the divine nine have served as training grounds for some of our nation’s best and brightest leaders the divine nine organizations our Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity founded in 1906 at Cornell University their Brotherhood includes the Reverend dr. Martin Luther King jr. congressman Emanuel cleaver

Danny Davis Chaka Fattah al Green Gregory Meeks Charles Rangel David Scott and Bobby Scott ambassador Andrew Jackson young the National Urban League president Marc Morial legal pioneers Charles Hammonds Hamilton Houston and Thorogood Marshall and their Honorable grande president mark s Tillman Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority founded in 1908 at Howard University their sisterhood

Proudly boasts congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Eddie Bernice Johnson Terri Sewell and Fredrika Wilson actress Felicia Rashad of The Cosby Show author Maya Angelou civil rights leader Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King and their Honorable President Attorney Carolyn house Stewart Kappa Alpha side fraternity founded in 1911 at Indiana University among their notable achievers

Are Microsoft chairman and CEO John W Thompson civil rights leader the Reverend Ralph Abernathy founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus the Reverend delegate Walter Fauntroy congressman Sanford Bishop William lacy clay John Conyers Alcee Hastings Bennie Thompson and Hakim Geoffrey and Grandpa Marc windy William Randy Bates Omega sci fi fraternity

Founded in 1911 at Howard University they included their ranks Assistant House Democratic leader james Clyburn of south Linna Congressman Hank Johnson of Georgia NASA Administrator Charles Bolden comedian Bill Cosby dr. Charles drew whose medical research in the field of blood transfusions led to the founding of the blood bank and their

Honorable grand basileus dr. Andrew R a Delta Sigma Theta founded in 1913 at Howard University Delta counts as sisters my esteemed colleague and chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus the Honorable Marsha el fudge also congresswoman Yvette Clarke and Joyce Beattie shirley Chisholm the first African American woman elected to

Congress former Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman and their honorable president Paulette C Walker Phi Beta Sigma fraternity founded in 1914 at Howard University not only are the Sigma’s of the fraternity of my husband dr. Nathaniel Horne they also include former President of the United States William Jefferson Clinton Congressman

John Lewis a Phillip Randolph civil rights pioneer and leader of the Brotherhood of sleeping car porters dr. George Washington Carver and their Honorable President Jonathan Mason Zeta Phi Beta Sorority founded in 1920 at Howard University notable sisters include author Zora Neale Hurston jazz greats sara vaughn the late congresswoman Julia Carson and their

Honorable President Mary Bo write Sigma Gamma Rho my sorority founded in 1922 at Butler University the sisters of Simha Gamma Rho include congresswoman Corrine brown of Florida and the late congresswoman Lindy Boggs the first African American winner of an Academy Award had a McDaniel and now esteemed grand basileus Bonita heron and finally

Iota Phi Theta founded in 1963 at Morgan State University they’re notables include congressman Bobby Rush Billy Acacio former alderman to Chicago’s 26 Ward and current adviser to Governor Pat Quinn and their Honorable Graham Polaris Robert Clark whether it’s been standing up for women’s suffrage advancing civil rights by dismantling Jim Crow advancing the

Science of medicine or leading in business innovation the divine nine has been there the entire time leading from the front the divine nine scope of services fell far beyond their organizational borders the work of these fraternities and sororities has helped to make this nation a better place for

All Americans for this and many other reasons I think the entire divine nine for a job well done

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