THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS FOUNDATION (CBCF) HONORS
WOMEN OF THE CBC, UNVEILS NEW ONLINE EXHIBIT

The CBCF hosted a special Women’s History Month program in Washington, DC on Monday evening, March 26, 2007, to present awards to past and present female members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). The CBCF also unveiled a new exhibit on the Avoice website to honor the legislative achievements of the Women of the CBC. News Journalist Michel Martin emceed the hour-long program, which included remarks from Rep. Kendrick B. Meek, CBCF Chair; Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, CBC Chair; Dr. Elsie L. Scott, CBCF President and CEO; and Kim Goodman, Vice President of Software & Peripherals at Dell Inc.

Four former members, Carrie Meek, Eva Clayton, Barbara Rose Collins, and Carol Mosely-Braun, attended the event and were presented with lifetime achievement awards. The 14 African American congresswomen currently serving in the 110th Congress also received awards to recognize their continued legislative efforts. All of the honorees and guests were treated to a preview of the Avoice website exhibit.

The new “Women of the CBC” exhibit charts the rise and endurance of African American women in politics beginning with Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to Congress. Chisholm was the only woman out of the 13 congressional members who founded the Black Caucus in 1970. Chisholm went on to make a presidential bid in 1972. Since that time 24 African American women have served in political office including Barbara Jordan, who participated in the Watergate hearings and Cardiss Collins, the longest-serving black congresswoman who held her seat for 23 years.

The Avoice site also features Carol Moseley-Braun’s 1992 win that placed her as the first African American woman to serve in the U.S. Senate. The exhibit specifically highlights the roles of African American women in the advancement of health care policies.

Avoice offers a unique collection of original congressional and political papers from African American legislators. The content includes exhibits on the Voting Rights Act, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Holiday Bill, the anti-apartheid movement and a history of the Congressional Black Caucus.

The website site was officially launched in September 2006 as part of a collaborative partnership among the University of Texas, Howard University, Dell Inc. and the CBCF.

For more information visit the Avoice virtual library at www.avoiceonline.org.