Whereas the first African Americans were brought forcibly
to the shores of America as early as the 17th century;
Whereas African Americans were enslaved in the United
States and subsequently faced the injustices of lynch mobs, segregation, and
denial of basic, fundamental rights;
Whereas in spite of these injustices, African Americans
have made significant contributions to the economic, educational, political,
artistic, literary, scientific, and technological advancements of the United
States;
Whereas in the face of these injustices, United States
citizens of all races distinguished themselves in their commitment to the
ideals on which the United States was founded, and fought for the rights of
African Americans;
Whereas the greatness of the United States is reflected in
the contributions of African Americans in all walks of life throughout the
history of the United States, including through—
(1)the writings of
Booker T. Washington, James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison, and Alex Haley;
(2)the music of
Mahalia Jackson, Billie Holiday, and Duke Ellington;
(3)the resolve of
athletes such as Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens, and Muhammed Ali;
(4)the vision of
leaders such as Frederick Douglass, Thurgood Marshall, and Martin Luther King,
Jr.; and
(5)the bravery of
those who stood on the front lines in the battle against oppression, such as
Sojourner Truth and Rosa Parks;
Whereas the United States of America was conceived, as
stated in the Declaration of Independence, as a new country dedicated to the
proposition that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life,
Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
;
Whereas United States citizens of all races demonstrate
their commitment to that proposition through actions such as those of—
(1)Allan Pinkerton,
Thomas Garrett, and the Rev. John Rankin, who served as conductors in the
Underground Railroad;
(2)Harriet Beecher
Stowe, who shined a light on the injustices of slavery;
(3)President Abraham
Lincoln, who issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and Senator Lyman Trumbull,
who introduced the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United
States;
(4)President Lyndon
B. Johnson, Chief Justice Earl Warren, Senator Mike Mansfield, and Senator
Hubert Humphrey, who fought to end segregation and the denial of civil rights
to African Americans; and
(5)Americans of all
races who marched side-by-side with African Americans during the civil rights
movement;
Whereas, since its founding, the United States has been an
imperfect work in making progress towards those noble goals;
Whereas the history of the United States is the story of a
people regularly affirming high ideals, striving to reach them but often
failing, and then struggling to come to terms with the disappointment of that
failure before recommitting themselves to trying again;
Whereas, from the beginning of our Nation, the most
conspicuous and persistent failure of United States citizens to reach those
noble goals has been the enslavement of African Americans and the resulting
racism;
Whereas the crime of lynching succeeded slavery as the
ultimate expression of racism in the United States following
Reconstruction;
Whereas the Federal Government failed to put an end to
slavery until the ratification of the 13th Amendment in 1865, repeatedly failed
to enact a Federal anti-lynching law, and still struggles to deal with the
evils of racism; and
Whereas the fact that 61 percent of African American 4th
graders read at a below basic level and only 16 percent of native born African
Americans have earned a Bachelor's degree, 50 percent of all new HIV cases are
reported in African Americans, and the leading cause of death for African
American males ages 15 to 34 is homicide, demonstrates that the United States
continues to struggle to reach the high ideal of equal opportunity for all
citizens of the United States: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
(1)acknowledges the
tragedies of slavery, lynching, and segregation, and condemns them as an
infringement on human liberty and equal opportunity so that they will stand
forever as a reminder of what can happen when the citizens of the United States
fail to live up to their noble goals;
(2)honors those
United States citizens who—
(A)risked their
lives during the time of slavery, lynching, and segregation in the Underground
Railroad and in other efforts to assist fugitive slaves and other African
Americans who might have been targets and victims of lynch mobs; and
(B)those who have
stood beside African Americans in the fight for equal opportunity that
continues to this day;
(3)reaffirms its
commitment to the founding principles of the United States of America that
all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with
certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit
of Happiness
;
(4)commits itself to
addressing those situations in which the African American community struggles
with disparities in education, health care, and other areas where the Federal
Government can help improve conditions for all citizens of the United States;
and
(5)calls on the
citizens of the United States to observe Black History Month with appropriate
programs, ceremonies, and activities.