Press Releases

Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-24) issued the following statement on the amendment
that would have allowed Confederate flags at federal cemeteries

On the same day that South Carolina took a huge step forward by voting to remove the Confederate flag from its state capitol grounds, the U.S. House of Representatives took steps to take a major leap backward by introducing an amendment that would undo a measure to bar the display of this symbol of hate in federal cemeteries and prohibit the National Park Service from doing business with gift shops that sell the flag and related merchandise. The measure has for now been dropped from the bill it was attached to, but it is a sad commentary on the state of our union that it was ever up for consideration.

There is no adjective strong enough to describe how vehemently I oppose the Calvert amendment. In 2001, while serving as chair of the Legislative Black Caucus in the Florida House of Representatives, I worked with then-Gov. Jeb Bush to remove the Confederate flag from our state's capitol. It is an accomplishment I will never forget.

The flag is a reminder of one of the darkest periods of division in our nation's history and more recent evidence of the hate that still divides some of us as manifested by the June 17 massacre of nine African-American parishioners at Charleston's Emanuel A.M.E. Church.

As I said 14 years ago, the Confederate battle flag is an advertisement for racism and hatred. I urge my colleagues to close this shameful chapter in our nation's history once and for all.

Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson is a third-term Congresswoman from Florida representing parts of Northern Miami-Dade and Southeast Broward counties. A former state legislator and school principal, she is the founder of the 5000 Role Models for Excellence Project, a mentoring program for young males at risk of dropping out of school. Congresswoman Wilson also founded the Florida Ports Caucus, a bipartisan taskforce that coordinates federal action in support of Florida's harbors and waterways.