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The White House hosted the descendants of prominent civil rights leaders and other historical figures for a Black History Month event.
On Tuesday (February 13), the families of Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Booker T. Washington, Ida B. Wells, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Emmett Till, and more were set to gather at the White House for the historic meeting, NBC News reports.
Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the group, who call themselves "The Descendants," saying they come from families of "extraordinary American heroes" who embody the promise of the nation and Constitution.
"They've passed the baton to us," Harris said Tuesday.
During the meeting, Stephen K. Benjamin, the director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, highlighted several of the administration's initiatives, including President Joe Biden making Juneteenth a federal holiday and an executive order on police accountability.
Joshua Jordison, a coordinator for The Descendants, highlighted the historic nature of the notable families meeting for the first time.
“It was amazing that many of them had never met,” Jordison said.
Kenneth B. Morris Jr., a descendant of Douglass and his first wife, Anna Murray Douglass, said: "We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. Freedom's torch has been passed to us."
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