The Aquilian
February 2022 Volume 83 Number 4
Gonzaga College High School Men For Others Since 1821
19 Eye St, NW Washington, DC 20001
Photo Courtesty: Madame Alexia Gino-Saliba
Rep. James Clyburn Comes to Eye Street The story of the lightbulb is one that’s often told. We’re taught that Thomas Edison, one of our country’s most ingenious and most hard-working innovators, engineered the product after hundreds of failed attempts. But did you know about Lewis Latimer, the creator of the filament - one of the most vital elements of the device? Neither did I nor most of the student body until Representative James Clyburn illuminated the story during his speech at
the Black History Month assembly on February 1st. The event was orchestrated by Gonzaga’s Onyx Club, who led Rep. Clyburn’s introduction and also put forth some of their own poets and singers to speak. From Kadari Machen ‘22, we heard about the more overlooked events in the struggle for African Americans civil rights, encompassed in his poem, “Dig Deeper”. Later, works from EJ Anders ‘22, JoJo Hammond ‘22, and a joint piece put together by Jon Rogers ‘22 and Gavin Bryson ‘22 all focused on the
different facets of the movement for equality that Black Americans have advanced for centuries. Representative James Clyburn, the third-ranking Democrat in the House, was born in South Carolina in the midst of the Jim Crow period. From a young age, Rep. Clyburn had a passion for the civil rights movement, evidenced by him holding the presidency of his local NAACP chapter at age 12. Rep. Clyburn remained in South Carolina through college, as he attended South Carolina State University.
Before earning his spot in the House of Representatives in the early 90’s, Clyburn grew a reputation in the region as someone committed to racial justice through his work on other political campaigns/ movements. In his last three decades in the House, Rep. Clyburn has spearheaded the passage of legislaton that has advanced healthcare access, education quality, and workers’ rights. The pinnacle of the assembly came as Rep. Clyburn delivered a packed speech on the prolonged endeavor we all are committed
2021 Year in Review, 2
Ukraine/Russia Situation, 3
The Dingell Corner, 5
Gonzaga Patch: 200.2.1, 8
By: John Ferrara ‘22 Editor-in-Chief
to as Men for Others to create a more unified society - one where we identify based on our similarities and not on our differences, one where we highlight the discoveries and advancements made by all people of all races. Representative Clyburn’s address served as an optimistic encouragement of how far we’ve come, but his echoing reminder of how much more needs to be done gives us an objective to strive for as budding Gonzaga graduates.