Congressman Kim to Hold Black History Month Town Hall

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) announced that he will hold a town hall to celebrate Black History Month on Monday, February 28^th at noon. The town hall will focus on the historic legacy of Timbuctoo, a community of formerly enslaved and free Black people settled in 1862 in the modern-day Westampton Township.

Residents of Burlington and Ocean Counties can sign up for the Black History Month town hall by clicking here.

Congressman Kim will be joined by Guy Weston, the managing director of the Timbuctoo Historical Society, visiting scholar at Rutgers University, and editor of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society Journal.

“Black History Month gives us the opportunity to appreciate and learn about the Black history right here in our back yard that can go unnoticed and underappreciated,” said Congressman Kim. “I am looking forward to learning more about Timbuctoo and coming together as a community to recognize that Black History is our collective New Jersey history.”

During the 117th Congress, Congressman Kim cosponsored and voted to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a bill that would make critical reforms to America’s law enforcement system and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, a bill to fully restore and enhance the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He also cosponsored and voted to pass the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which was signed into law in 2021, making Juneteenth a federal holiday for the first time.

Congressman Kim voted for legislation to remove statues from the U.S Capitol that pay tribute to individuals who supported the Confederacy and perpetuated slavery, segregation, and sedition. He also introduced the Buffalo Soldiers Congressional Gold Medal Act to honor the legendary all-Black Buffalo Soldier regiments who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during major conflicts, including Western expansion, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.

As a Member of the House Small Business Committee, Congressman Kim has participated in hearings to highlight the role of minority-owned businesses and helped develop COVID-19 relief programs currently helping these small business owners. He voted to permanently authorize and expand the Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), the only federal agency solely dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of minority businesses, as part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law in 2021. MBDA recently opened its first Business Center in New Jersey.

Congressman Kim is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Committee on Small Business. More information about Congressman Kim can be found on his website by clicking here.

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