The Hill: Swearing-In of the Congressional Black Caucus of the 112th Congress

January 6, 2011
In The News

By Kate Oczypok
Thursday, January 6, 2011

The 43 members of the Congressional Black Caucus were ceremonially sworn in at a ceremony Wednesday morning in the Congressional Auditorium at the Capitol Visitor’s Center.

Outgoing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) stopped by to give her best to the group, praising them for their efforts of the last two years. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), outgoing majority leader, also gave a speech, saying the group has emerged as “positive leaders” and what they did required a lot of blood, sweat and tears.

After awarding outgoing CBC chairwoman Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) with a commemorative plaque for her efforts, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) gave remarks, sharing stories from his childhood, acknowledging his father, wife and child who were in the audience.

Surgeon general Regina Benjamin, EPA administrator Lisa Jackson and actress Cicely Tyson were also in the audience.

The members of the Congressional Black Caucus include:
Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.), Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), Rep. Donald Payne (D-N.J.), Del Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Rep. Sanford Bishop, Jr. (D-Ga.), Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.), Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Tex.), Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), Rep. Robert Scott (D-Va.), Rep. Melvin Watt (D-N.C.), Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.), Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.), Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-Ill.), Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), Del. Donna Christensen (D-V.I.) – first vice chair, Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.), Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.), Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) – second vice chair, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) - chairman, Rep. Al Green (D-Tex.), Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) - secretary, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Calif.), Rep. Andre Carson (D-Ind.) - whip, Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.), Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio), Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), Rep. Hansen Clarke (D-Mich.), Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.), Rep. Allen West (D-Fla.) and Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.)