Whereas the first African
Americans were brought forcibly to these shores 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 advancement of the United States;
Whereas in the face of these
injustices Americans 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
America is reflected in the contributions of African Americans in all walks of
life throughout the history of the United States: in the writings of W.E.B.
DuBois, James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison, and Alex Haley; in the music of Mahalia
Jackson, Billie Holiday, and Duke Ellington; in the resolve of athletes such as
Jackie Robinson and Muhammed Ali; in the vision of leaders such as Frederick
Douglass, Thurgood Marshall, and Martin Luther King, Jr.; and in the bravery of
those who stood on the front lines in the battle against oppression such as
Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks;
Whereas the United States of
America was conceived, as stated in the Declaration of Independence, as a new
nation 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 the actions of
Americans of all races demonstrate their commitment to that proposition:
actions such as those of Allan Pinkerton, Thomas Garrett, and the Rev. John
Rankin who served as conductors on the Underground Railroad; actions such as
those of Harriet Beecher Stowe, who shined a light on the injustices of
slavery; actions such as those of President Abraham Lincoln, who issued the
Emancipation Proclamation, and Senator Lyman Trumbull, who introduced the 13th
Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; actions such as those of
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 the thousands of 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 progress toward these noble
goals;
Whereas American History 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 Americans to reach
our 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 Americans: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
(1)
acknowledges the tragedies of
slavery, lynching, 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 Americans fail to live up to their noble goals;
(2)
honors those Americans who
during the time of slavery, lynching, and segregation risked their lives in the
underground railway and in other efforts to assist fugitive slaves and other
African Americans who might have been targets and victims of lynch mobs and
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
; and
(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 play a role in improving conditions for all Americans.