House Passes Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s Bill to Award Willie O’Ree Congressional Gold Medal

Today,the House of Representaives passed Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley's (MA-07) bill to honor hockey legend Willie O’Ree with the Congressional Gold Medal. The bill, which is co-led by Representatives Mike Quigley (IL-05), Brian Higgins (NY-27), Tom Emmer (MN-06) and John Katko (NY-24), passed the Senate in July and will now head to the President’s desk.

O’Ree was the first black player in the National Hockey League (NHL) and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018.

“Black history is American history, and I am thrilled to see our bill to award Willie O’Ree with the Congressional Gold Medal pass the House of Representatives today,” said Rep. Pressley. “Willie has had a tremendous impact both on and off the ice and the Congressional Medal is a testament to his lifetime of service, his contributions to the game, and the example he has set for Black athletes everywhere. I am honored to play a small part in getting him the recognition he so rightfully deserves, and ensuring Willie takes his rightful place in American history. I am grateful to Congressman Quigley, our colleagues, and the grassroots organizers who helped to make this a reality.”

O’Ree is an extraordinary athlete and activist who overcame numerous challenges and broke historic barriers to ensure that future players of diverse racial backgrounds would have equal opportunities to play hockey. In 1958, O’Ree was called-up from the minors to play for the Boston Bruins, becoming the first black player in NHL history. As the sole black player in the NHL, O’Ree endured racism, bigotry, and prejudice from players and fans on and off the ice. Despite this, he spent more than twenty-four seasons as a professional player in both the NHL and minor leagues. Following his professional hockey career, he became the NHL’s Diversity Ambassador, where he established the Hockey Is For Everyone initiative to offer marginalized and disadvantaged children an opportunity to play hockey, create community, and develop important life skills.

Hon. Cynthia A. Baldwin elected chair of Fulbright Association Board of Directors

The Honorable Cynthia A. Baldwin, retired justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania, was elected and became the Chair of the Fulbright Association Board of Directors on January 1,2022.

A veteran jurist and Fulbright Scholar who taught Constitutional Law, Legal Philosophy and Trial Advocacy on the Law Faculty of the University of Zimbabwe, she is serving on the Fulbright Board for the second time.

Baldwin was the first African American woman elected to the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas and only the third African American and the second African American woman to serve on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. She retired from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2008. After her retirement from the Court, she became a partner with Duane Morris and also served as the first General Counsel for Penn State University.

She has chaired the boards of the Association of Governing Boards of Colleges and Universities (AGB) and Penn State University as well as serving on the board of Duquesne University. A Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania, she retired from the corporate board of Koppers, Inc. Among her many awards are the ATHENA Award, the Heinz History Center History Maker Award and the HistoryMakers Award.

During her tenure as Chair, the Fulbright Prize, which has been awarded to Nelson Mandela, Colin Powell, Doctors Without Borders and Angela Merkel among others, will be awarded in 2022 to Bono, lead singer of U2 for his work in AIDS advocacy, global healthcare and poverty.

The Fulbright Association, located in Washington, D.C., has 8,000 Fulbright members throughout 54 local chapters in the USA. The Association has a wide variety of programming including Advocacy and Fulbright in the Classroom. The Fulbright Program is considered the largest and most prestigious educational exchange program in the world. The mission of the Association is to continue and extend the Fulbright tradition of education, advocacy and service.

Stevie Wonder's blunt message to U.S. Senators about voting rights

Music legend, Stevie wonder posted a video message to his YouTube channel in which he rather blunty expressed his thoughts about the voting rights bill that Senate Democrats are expected to meet about on Tuesday.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson's letter to U.S. Senators asking them to pass voting rights reform

The president of the NAACP Derrick Johnson penned a letter to all U.S. senators on Tuesday stating that it is essential that they approve voting rights reform. Read the entire letter below.

Kamala Harris Calls On Senate To ‘Do Its Job’ & Pass Voting Rights During MLK Day Address

Watch Vice President Kamala Harris deliver remarks to the congregation at Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church remotely from Washington commemorating Martin Luther King Day. She called on the Senate to “do its job” and pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act in order to secure the freedom to vote.