Whereas the first Africans were brought involuntarily to
the shores of the America as early as the 17th century;
Whereas these Africans in America and their descendants
are now known as African-Americans;
Whereas African-Americans suffered enslavement and
subsequently faced the injustices of lynch mobs, segregation, and denial of
basic, fundamental rights;
Whereas despite slavery, African-Americans in all walks of
life have made significant contributions throughout the history of the United
States, including through the—
(1)writings of Booker
T. Washington, Phyllis Wheatley, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Ralph Ellison,
Zora Neale Hurston, and Alex Haley;
(2)music of Mahalia
Jackson, Billie Holiday, John Coltrane, Bessie Smith and Duke Ellington;
(3)resolve of
athletes such as Jackie Robinson, Althea Gibson, Jesse Owens, Wilma Rudolph and
Muhammad Ali;
(4)scientific
advancements of George Washington Carver, Charles Drew, Benjamin Banneker, and
Mae Jemison;
(5)vision of leaders
such as Frederick Douglass, Mary McLeod Bethune, Thurgood Marshall, Martin
Luther King, Jr., and Shirley Chisholm; and
(6)bravery of those
who stood on the front lines in the battle against oppression, such as
Sojourner Truth, Fannie Lou Hammer, and Rosa Parks;
Whereas in the face of injustices, United States citizens
of good will and of all races distinguished themselves with their commitment to
the noble ideals upon which the United States was founded and courageously
fought for the rights and freedom of African-Americans;
Whereas Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., lived and died to
make real these noble ideas;
Whereas a memorial commemorating the life and ideals of
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was placed on the National Mall for all people to
observe his struggle for freedom and truth;
Whereas Barack Hussein Obama was elected the 44th
President of the United States, making him the first African-American chief
executive and breaking one of the last racial barrier in politics in this
country;
Whereas the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick
Douglass inspired the creation of Negro History Week, the precursor to Black
History Month;
Whereas Negro History Week represented the culmination of
Dr. Carter G. Woodson’s efforts to enhance knowledge of Black history started
through the Journal of Negro History, published by Woodson’s Association for
the Study of African-American Life and History; and
Whereas the month of February is officially celebrated as
Black History Month, which dates back to 1926, when Dr. Carter G. Woodson set
aside a special period of time in February to recognize the heritage and
achievement of Black Americans: Now, therefore, be it
That the House of
Representatives—
(1)recognizes the significance of Black
History Month as an important time to recognize the contributions of
African-Americans in the Nation’s history, and encourages the continued
celebration of this month to provide an opportunity for all peoples of the
United States to learn more about the past and to better understand the
experiences that have shaped the Nation;
(2)recognizes that
ethnic and racial diversity of the United States enriches and strengthens the
Nation;
(3)calls on the people of the United States to
use Black History as an opportunity to learn about the past and to better
understand the experiences that have shaped the Nation; and
(4)encourages all
States to include in their year-round educational curriculum the history and
contributions of African-Americans in the United States and around the
world.