and so we turned to charlie diggs to be our first chairman and lead us. we realized that black people all over america, as well as other minorities all over america, needed and wanted us to represent them as well as the congressional districts from which we were elected. what i mean about that, i mean, there were no black congress persons in mississippi and georgia and alabama and arkansas and those other states. and so black people in those states expected bill stokes, shirley chilsom to represent them. a lot of times we because they couldn't get appointed by their own white congressman in their congressional districts in georgia and alabama and mississippi. what we realized what had to do, not just represent our districts, we had to try to give representation to black people throughout america. when i was chairman of the congressional black caucus in 1972, we had to try and examine ourselves. from the beginning of the congressional black congress, we were trying to be all things to all black people. and i realize as chairman that we needed to really und