Maryland Governor Wes Moore, the late Sheila Jackson-Lee, Dr. Carla Hayden, and Jaime Harrison were also honored at the gala ceremony, closing out the 53rd Annual Legislative Conference, at which Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris also spoke.
President Joe Biden, left, is joined on stage by Rep. Terri Sewell, D-AL., center, and Rep. Steven Horsford, D-NV., right, during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Phoenix Awards, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The work of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) was honored last Saturday by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris – both noting during their remarks that these bodies have helped advance freedoms for all Americans that are now under threat ahead of November’s presidential elections.
As he was honored with the CBC Lifetime Achievement award at the Annual Phoenix Awards Dinner, the flagship event of the CBCF’s Annual Legislative Conference, Biden noted that his administration’s achievements were bolstered by the actions of the CBC.
“With the CBC, we went big and we went bold, and we are better off today than we were four years ago,” the president said. “I’m being very sincere when I say [that] a big reason why is because Congress boasts the highest number of Black members in American history.”
“We must show up — we must look to the future,” Biden said. “I’m looking to you to help lead the way, to help push us forward and be the country we say we are — a country of freedom, justice, and equality, and proving that Black history is American history, and Black excellence is American excellence.”
Harris called on the CBC to leverage its history as “the conscience of the Congress” to provide a vision for the future of the country.
“As a proud former CBC member I know first-hand America relies on the leaders in this room not only for a conscience, but for a vision,” Harris said. “The CBC has always had a vision for the future of our nation — a future where we can see what is possible, unburdened by what has been, a future where [we] fulfill the promise of America; a promise of freedom opportunity and justice, not just for some but for all. And today that vision is under profound threat.”
“Each of us has a job to do, and the bottom line is we know what we stand for and that’s why we know what we fight for,” Harris concluded. “And when the CBC fights, we win.”
Other 2024 Phoenix Awards winners are: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who won the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference Honorary Co-Chairs’ Award; the late Sheila Jackson-Lee, former U.S. representative for Texas’s 18th Congressional District, Congressional Black Caucus’s Body Award; the 14th Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Chair’s Award; and Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison, Mission In Action Award.
Speaking at the event, CBCF board chair, Rep. Terri A. Sewell (D-AL), noted that the murder of George Floyd has sparked a renewed commitment to addressing racial inequalities across American society.
“The racial reckoning, brought about by the murder of George Floyd has renewed our energy and our commitment to work for social justice and economic prosperity, and to close the racial gaps that confront all of American society – in education, in income, in home ownership, in environmental justice, in public safety, and so much more,” Sewell said.
CBCF President and CEO Nicole Austin-Hillery said that this year’s ALC theme — “From Vision to Victory: Amplifying Black Voices” — acts as a challenge to engage, advocate, and drive change, adding that every voice and action strengthens our unity and determination, essential for achieving victory.
“Some have noted that I am making history as the first woman and the first African American in this post, and that is true,” Hayden said. “As a descendant of people who were denied the right to read, to now have the opportunity to serve and lead the institution that is our national symbol of knowledge is a historic moment, and receiving the Phoenix Award is truly one of the capstones of my career.”
“I am standing before you as probably the most improbable governor in America,” Moore said. “I say that as somebody who had handcuffs on my wrists by the time I was 11, as someone who joined the army when I was 17, and as someone who went to a two-year college, but is now standing in front of you as the 63rd governor of my state and the first Black governor in the history of the state of Maryland. It is an exciting time for our state. It’s an exciting time for our country, and I’m so grateful to be your partner in the work.”
“As DNC Chair, the third Black person and the first CBCF intern and CBCI boot camper to ever serve in this role, I have been fortunate enough to use this platform to uplift our voices and fight for our communities, but most importantly, to give our people hope,” Harrison said.
“My life is a testament that in America the son of a teen mom, the progeny of those who came to this country in chains, forced to pick cotton and clean houses, relegated to the back of the bus, can go on to chair the oldest and most powerful political party on the planet, and pick presidents.”
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