ou are invited to participate in the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Congressional Black Caucus. Howard University and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation will host a symposium on April 5th at the Ira Aldridge Theater. During this day of reflection and exploration, the CBCF and Howard University will publicly revisit the Caucus' struggles and triumphs. In four separate panels, former and current caucus members and political scholars will retrace the CBC's journey from 1971 to present.

Continental Breakfast

Panel 1: The CBC from the Beginning (1970-1979)

In 1870, Joseph Rainey of South Carolina became the first African American directly elected to Congress. Others soon followed from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia, but it would be 100 years until their numbers in Congress would become politically significant. In 1971, the 13 U.S. representatives established the Congressional Black Caucus. During the 1970s, they established the organization's goals and principles. They stressed key priorities that held the American government accountable to all Americans, including the creation of an alternative budget, full employment and civil rights enforcement.

Panel 2: The Reagan Years (1980 to 1989)

The 1980s were a tumultuous period. The country was in a recession. Inflation and interest rates stood at double digits. Poverty rates rose from 13 percent to 15 percent in the first three years, and the CBC faced, if not a hostile White House, certainly not a friendly one. Economic opportunity and parity were the group's major priorities. CBC members played key roles in protecting African-American interests at home as well as passing anti-apartheid legislation that ultimately led to a free South Africa. There was also a trend of coalition building among the caucuses in Congress to further legislative efforts.

Panel 3: Representing the Conscience of the Congress (1990 to 1999)

The 1990s were dominated by rapid, dramatic change -- the rise of the Internet, the release and eventual presidency of Nelson Mandela, increased globalization and expanding international terrorism. Partly due to redistricting from the 1990 Census, the CBC membership grew, but more importantly it became more diverse. Members represented not only the northern and urban United States, but also southern, rural and suburban areas. Additionally, a greater number of women were elected to Congress, including the nation's first African-American woman senator.

Panel 4: The CBC and the New Millennium (2000 to Present)

With the tragedy of 9/11, two major wars, deepening economic disparities and the heightened pace of international terrorism, CBC members faced challenges on all fronts at the turn of the century. The 2008 election placed the first African American in the White House and swept a number of CBC members into congressional leadership positions as the Democratic Party regained control of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Their ascension, however, was short-lived as Republicans won back the House in 2010 and narrowed the Democrats' margins in the Senate. Members explore the recent past with an eye toward the future.

Reception