HONORING JAQUIE ALGEE

On 2026-06-09, Representative Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL-3) delivered a floor speech titled "HONORING JAQUIE ALGEE" in the House.

HONORING JAQUIE ALGEE

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 97 (Tuesday, June 9, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 97 (Tuesday, June 9, 2026)] [House] [Pages H3998-H3999] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING JAQUIE ALGEE (Mrs. Ramirez of Illinois was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor and celebrate Jaquie Algee, a powerful and loving champion for justice, humanity, and solidarity. As the daughter of civil rights activists from the south who marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jaquie's political education began at home. She was raised on the stories of neighbors fighting side by side to defend their dignity and to realize their collective liberation. Those early lessons shaped her consciousness and became the foundation on which her impressive life's work is built. [[Page H3999]] For decades, Jaquie has organized people to build power, to demonstrate solidarity, and to stand up and fight back against injustice. Whether as the board president and founding member of Chicago's Women's March, her work with the Poor People's Campaign, or her current service as the vice president of external relations for SEIU Healthcare, Jaquie has not only been on the front lines for some of the most significant struggles, but she is the light that has guided our movements with fierceness, joy, authenticity, and powerful love. The work she holds closest to her heart unfolded over two decades ago after the murder of her son and only child, Kenneth. Kenneth was a victim of gun violence. As an assignment of love, Jaquie helped organize one of the biggest marches in the Nation's Capital that the Nation had ever seen: the Million Mom March on Mother's Day of 2000. In front of the White House, she held up Kenneth's picture, honored her son and every single child we have seen lost to gun violence. For Algee, marching is a sacred act. When we march, we resist despair. When we stand up and press on, we demonstrate that we will keep fighting until we are, in fact, victorious. When we lock arms, we remember that we are not alone. That is the gift of Jaquie Algee. For so many of us, she has motivated us to persist, to face the light, to never give up, and to hold out hope because we, in fact, are not alone. Whenever she can be, she is right next to us, arm in arm, marching on. On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, it is my honor to commend Jaquie Algee for her lifelong commitment to building the beloved community, championing civil and worker rights, and practicing solidarity across our intersections, across our identities, and across our issues. I thank Jaquie Algee for being a spiritual mother for me. We know that all power is to the people. Celebrating Life of Kevin Gonzalez Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life and legacy of Kevin Gonzalez, my 18-year-old constituent who was a U.S. citizen boy who lived his last few weeks of life fighting to be reunited with his parents, showing us all the power of love. (English translation of the statement made in Spanish is as follows:) Born in Chicago, Kevin was a U.S. citizen whose family was separated after his parents, Isidoro and Norma Anabel, were deported to Mexico. To keep their family together, Kevin moved to Mexico. But during a recent visit to Chicago, he became ill, was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer, and began undergoing treatment. After Kevin stopped responding to treatment, his parents sought permission to travel to the U.S. to see their son. Their visas were denied by DHS. Desperate to reach their son, they tried to return to him the only way they knew: by crossing the border. But instead of being reunited, they were detained by CBP for a month. That is when Kevin showed us the power of love. He fought--even as he lay dying--to be reunited with his parents. He spoke out. And while a community came around him to reunite him with his parents, Kevin's love kept him alive until he could see them one more time. He waited for them. And he passed away less than 24 hours after reuniting with them. Kevin's example invites us to love one another in a way that defies borders and death and authoritarians and all those who would separate our families and seek our destruction. So, on behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, it is my honor to commend Kevin Gonzalez. May we honor his memory by fighting for a more compassionate and just world that honors our shared humanity and dignity. ____ Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life and legacy of Kevin Gonzalez--my 18-year-old constituent, who showed us all the power of love. Kevin, nacido en Chicago, era ciudadano estadounidense; su familia fue separada despues de que sus padres, lsidoro y Norma Anabel, fueran deportados a Mexico. Para mantener a la familia unida, Kevin se mudo a Mexico. Sin embargo, durante una visita reciente a Chicago, enfermo, fue diagnosticado con cancer de colon terminal y comenzo a recibir tratamiento. Cuando Kevin dejo de responder al tratamiento, sus padres solicitaron permiso para viajar a Estados Unidos y ver a su hijo. El Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS) les nego las visas. Desesperados por llegar hasta el, intentaron reunirse con su hijo de la unica manera que conocian: cruzando la frontera. Pero, en lugar de reencontrarse, fueron detenidos por CBP durante un mes. Fue entonces cuando Kevin nos mostro el poder del amor. Lucho-- incluso mientras moria--por reencontrarse con sus padres. Alzo la voz. Y mientras la comunidad se unia para lograr ese reencuentro, el amor de Kevin lo mantuvo con vida hasta que pudo verlos una vez mas. Los espero. Y fallecio menos de 24 horas despues de haberse reunido con ellos. El ejemplo de Kevin nos invita a amarnos unos a otros de una manera que desafia las fronteras, la muerte, a los autoritarios y a todos aquellos que pretenden separar a nuestras familias y buscan nuestra destruccion. Por eso, en nombre del Tercer Distrito Congresional de Illinois, es un honor para mi reconocer a Kevin Gonzalez. Honremos su memoria luchando por un mundo mas compasivo y justo, que respete nuestra humanidad y dignidad compartidas. Descansa en paz. Mrs. RAMIREZ. May Kevin rest in power. I thank him for showing us the power of love, the power of a boy who just wanted to be reunited with his parents one last time. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Schmidt). The gentlewoman from Illinois will provide the Clerk a translation of her remarks. ____________________