Cleo Fields · TranslatePolitics.com

House of Representatives

Giving Voice to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Principles

2026-09-02

“I like our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Caucus. The President was wrong to go against diversity, equity, and inclusion. Diversity is good. Equity is good. Inclusion is good. The military is stronger when it is diverse. Affirmative action is good. Voting rights are good. Our country is better when we include everyone. I don't like it when people say these things are bad. We need to keep fighting for them.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and including me in this very Special Order. In fact, I remember the first day we were here. The late Sylvester Turner and I were sitting right on this floor, and the gentleman from Illinois invited us to be a part of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Caucus. Let me just tell the gentleman that I am so proud to be a part of this caucus. When the President signed an executive order to do away with diversity, equity, and inclusion, it was, in my view, totally wrong, and I think people need to stand up for what they really believe in. I was going through the dictionary today, Mr. Speaker, and I was looking at all three of these terms. First, diversity. Diversity simply means the quality or condition of having or being composed of different elements, such as forms, types, and ideas. There was a time that our military wasn't diverse, and then the American people said there is nothing wrong with African Americans serving in the military. There is really nothing wrong with women serving in the military. There were some folk all across the country who said, oh, you are going to weaken the military. Did it make the military weaker? No, you bet it didn't. It made the military stronger. When we became diverse, it became the most fierce fighting machine in the world. We need to talk about what is good about diversity, equity, and inclusion and not talk about all of these scare tactics that we have heard from people all across the country. Second is equity. What is equity? The quality of being fair, just, especially in a way that takes account and seeks to address existing inequities. Let's be honest about it. There are people in this country who have been facing all types of inequities from the day they were born. We used to debate affirmative action, for example. Folk used to say affirmative action is two parallel lines where you take somebody who is unqualified and elevate them to the level of somebody who is qualified. That wasn't affirmative action. Affirmative action should be viewed as a circle instead of two parallel lines. When you take a certain person out of the circle, they are all equally qualified. We have been fighting those battles all along. There has been some talk that there is no need for equity. Businesses across America have decided to end their diversity, equity, and inclusion programs as a result of the Executive Order No. 14151 signed by the President on January 20, 2025. Finally, Mr. Speaker, inclusion. Who can be against inclusion? Inclusion means inclusion. People of all walks of life. There was a time in this country that Blacks weren't able to even register to vote. This Nation said that was wrong, and they changed it and passed the 15th Amendment. Did you know there was a time in this country that folk did not even allow women to vote? How crazy is that? This country said no, we need to include everybody. Every single person, every single U.S. citizen, should, when they reach a certain age, be eligible to vote. It didn't make our democracy weaker. Inclusion made our democracy stronger. Mr. Speaker, I urge the gentleman from Illinois to keep on fighting for diversity, equity, and inclusion because it is not a bad thing. It is a good thing.

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House of Representatives

Recognizing the Life and Legacy of Louisiana State Senator Larry C. Selders

2026-07-13

“A man from my state died. He was a state senator. He had a wife and kids. He helped some people. He was a nice guy. That is very sad.”

Official Congressional Record

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and legacy of a great man. Louisiana recently lost one of its brightest lights with the unexpected passing of Louisiana State Senator Larry C. Selders at just 44 years of age. Larry leaves behind his wife, Kendra, and his two sons, L.J. and Luke. The boys were, by every account, inseparable from his side, and he loved them dearly. Larry devoted himself to helping people rebuild their lives. His compassion stayed consistent while he earned his social work degree from Southern University all the way to the Louisiana Legislature, first as a State representative for District 67 and then as State senator for District 14. Described as a gentle giant whose kindness made everyone feel like he was an old friend, he humbly approached public service, always lifting up others rather than seeking recognition. Larry Selders leaves behind a legacy built not on titles but on the countless lives he touched as a devoted husband, a proud father, a trusted friend, and a true public servant. Louisiana is better because of him, and as a good friend of mine personally, this is a loss.

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