Recy Taylor honored by Congressional Black Caucus

The Congressional Black Caucus commissioned 200 of these “Recy” pins to honor Taylor’s legacy.

After listening to Oprah Winfrey’s passionate and inspiring speech about Recy Taylor, #TimesUp and the #MeToo movement at the Golden Globes in January, the Congressional Black Caucus decided to honor Recy Taylor for her courageous testimony about her brutal rape in 1944.  (Read about Taylor and her history here) Mrs. Recy Taylor passed away on December 28, 2017 just a few days before her 98th birthday. She lived to see how her brave decision to speak out against sexual violence inspired millions of women and girls around the world. Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) issued the call to honor Taylor at this year’s State of the Union speech, to both honor Taylor’s legacy and to remind others of the importance of centering the voices and needs of marginalized women, who remain the most vulnerable to sexual violence. I was the guest of Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), who graciously shepherded me around the Capitol all day and introduced me to other members of Congress. It was my great honor and pleasure to be there to help tell Recy’s story and to talk about how important it is to use our voices as weapons against sexual violence, white supremacy, and patriarchy.  Speaking out is never easy. It takes tremendous courage and strength to tell the truth fearlessly and without shame. Recy Taylor modeled that for me and for millions of other women when she spoke out against her white assailants despite death threats and a terror campaign directed at her family. She never stopped telling her truth, even though justice was elusive and officials in Alabama accused her of lying. She continued speaking out until it became difficult to speak. But even in her late years, she was a beacon of hope and resistance–a reminder of what others have endured so that we, too can speak out and carry on the struggle for human dignity and bodily integrity.

Danielle McGuire and Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence at the State of the Union on January 30, 2018