Washington, D.C. – The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation has honored President Biden with a CBC Lifetime Achievement Award on September 14 at Walter E. Washington Convention Center in downtown Washington, D.C.
Receiving the Phoenix Award, Biden praised the CBC for its instrumental role in his administration’s successes. “With the CBC, we went big and we went bold and we are better off today than we were four years ago,” Biden remarked, emphasizing the significance of having the highest number of Black members in Congress in history.
Vice President Harris also addressed the audience, urging the CBC to leverage its historic role as “the conscience of the Congress” to guide the country’s future. “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,” Harris said, emphasizing the ongoing challenges to this vision.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore and others were also honored with the Phoenix Award during the gala ceremony closing the week-long 53rd Annual Legislative Conference of the non-profit organization that pushes justice for the Black Community
Governor Moore expressed his joy at receiving the award considering his journey. “I am standing before you as probably the most improbable governor in America. 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,” he said, receiving the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative
Conference Honorary Co-Chairs’ Award.
The former U.S. representative for Texas’s 18th congressional district, late Sheila Jackson-Lee was honored with the Congressional Black Caucus’s Body Award and recognized Dr. Carla Hayden, the 14th Librarian of Congress, with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Chair’s Award. Hayden expressed her deep gratitude, noting, “Receiving the Phoenix Award is truly one of the capstones of my career.”
Jaime Harrison, Chair of the Democratic National Committee, was presented with the Mission In Action Award. Harrison reflected on his remarkable journey from his humble beginnings to his current role, stating, “My life is a testament that in America the son of a teen mom… can go on to chair the oldest and most powerful political party on the planet.”
Caucus Foundation (CBCF).
CBCF President and CEO Nicole Austin-Hillery highlighted this year’s conference theme, “From Vision to Victory: Amplifying Black Voices,” as a call to action. “. Each and every voice adds to our collective strength; every collective action emphasizes our unity and our determination,” she said, stressing the importance of each voice in moving “from Vision to Victory.”
Founded in 1976, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) is a non-profit dedicated to advancing the global Black community by fostering leadership, informing policy, and educating the public towards an equitable society for all.
