alden mcdonald junior. he is the president and ceo of liberty bank and trust, a position he has held since the bank inception in 1972. he is the longest tenured african-american financial executive in the country, and on january 11, he celebrates his 50th anniversary in banking. he is recognized -- [applause] brodi fontenot: he is recognized as a passionate advocate and a dynamic catalyst in helping people own homes, build wealth, and develop as community leaders. to start us off with more on the history of freedman's bank, i want to welcome mr. mcdonald. thank you. [applause] alden mcdonald: thank you very much, mr. secretary. mr. secretary. distinguished guests, members of congress, ladies and gentlemen, i come before you this afternoon standing on the shoulders of historic men and women who recognize the need to build wealth in the african-american community to make us a strong and prosperous nation. today, the u.s. treasury department is dedicating its annex building as the freedman's bank building. thi