[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 30 (Thursday, February 25, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2003-S2004]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          BLACK HISTORY MONTH

  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, every February, since Dr. Carter G. 
Woodson first initiated the idea in 1926, Americans have celebrated the 
contributions of African-Americans to our history, literature, arts, 
sciences, politics and every other facet of American life. What was in 
the beginning only a week-long event, has blossomed into a month-long 
celebration.
  This year's theme, as selected by the Association for the Study of 
Afro-American Life and History (ASALH), is ``The Legacy of African-
American Leadership for the Present and the Future.'' This theme 
captures one of the primary objectives of Dr. Woodson in creating this 
annual celebration. Dr. Woodson believed that you must look back in 
order to look forward. He dedicated his entire life to the research and 
documentation of African-American history, and his efforts were 
intended to educate and inspire contemporaneous and future generations 
of Americans.
  In keeping with this theme and Dr. Woodson's vision, I rise today to 
share with my colleagues of the Senate and the American people a few of 
the legacies of outstanding African-Americans from Maryland. While this 
is not an exhaustive listing, it exemplifies the legacy of African-
Americans in the areas of science, engineering, abolitionism, 
literature, religion, theater, education, civil rights, law, business, 
athletics, diplomacy and politics. I believe you will find--as I have 
found--their stories and accomplishments inspiring, and it is my 
fervent hope that today's African-American youth will find in these men 
and women role models to inspire their own efforts as we move into the 
21st Century.
  Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806) of Ellicott's Mill, Maryland is 
credited with building the first clock in America in 1753. He was an 
inventor, scientist and surveyor who played an important role in the 
layout and design of our nation's capital city.
  Harriet Tubman (1820-1913) of Dorchester County, Maryland escaped 
from slavery and was responsible for assisting more than 300 slaves 
reach freedom in the north through the underground railway.
  Francis E.W. Harper (1825-1911) of Baltimore, Maryland was the first 
African-American writer to have a published short story. She also had 
her poetry and other verse published, including a novel in 1892.
  Billie Holiday (1915-1959) of Baltimore, Maryland is to this day 
regarded as one the greatest jazz vocalists in history, and as one of 
America's premier artists of the 20th Century.
  Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) of Baltimore, Maryland was a 
distinguished author, folklorist and anthropologist.

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  Charles Randolph Uncles (1859-1933) of Baltimore, Maryland became the 
first African-American priest ordained in the United States on December 
19, 1891, beginning a line of American ministers that has included 
Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Reverend Jesse Jackson.
  Eubie Blake (1883-1983) of Baltimore, Maryland was a popular ragtime 
pianist and composer who first learned to play the piano at age six and 
went on to break color barriers on Broadway and theaters across the 
nation.
  Mary Church Terrell (1864-1954) of Annapolis, Maryland was an 
outstanding educator and early civil rights leader.
  Edward Franklin Frazier (1894-1962) of the Eastern Shore of Maryland 
was a teacher of mathematics, professor of sociology and author who 
created and furthered the academic knowledge and understanding of the 
African-American community.
  Clifton Wharton (1899-1990) of Baltimore, Maryland became the first 
African-American foreign service officer named chief of an American 
mission overseas when he was appointed U.S. Minister to Romania in 
1958.
  Leon Day (1916-1995), a Hall of Fame baseball player from Baltimore, 
Maryland, was one of the most consistently outstanding pitchers in the 
Negro Leagues during the 1930's and 1940's. His consistency was 
interrupted only by two years of service in the Army during World War 
II where he distinguished himself on Utah Beach during the Allied 
invasion of France.
  Reginald F. Lewis (1942-1993) of Baltimore, Maryland created first 
African-American law firm on Wall Street and led the first African-
American owned company with annual revenue exceeding $1 billion.
  Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993) of Baltimore, Maryland served as chief 
counsel for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored 
People Legal Defense and Educational Fund (NAACP-LDF) at a time when 
the NAACP brought, argued and won Brown v. Board of Education, the 
seminal 1954 civil rights Supreme Court case. He went on to serve his 
nation as a federal Appellate Court judge, Solicitor General, and the 
first African-American member of the United States Supreme Court.
  I am also sorry to report that Maryland recently lost one of its 
legal and political leaders when Judge Harry A. Cole passed away 
earlier this month. Judge Harry A. Cole was both the first African-
American to hold the office of an Assistant State Attorney General in 
Maryland, and the first African-American named to the Maryland Court of 
Appeals, which is my State's highest court. During his fourteen year 
tenure on the Court of Appeals, Judge Cole distinguished himself with 
his scholarly and independent opinions, and we will miss him dearly in 
Maryland.
  Mr. President, as this short account makes evident, Maryland is and 
has been proud to be the home of some of America's greatest African-
Americans. These are people who did not let economic or racial barriers 
stop them from reaching their goals or achieving their dreams. These 
outstanding individuals, and many others from Maryland and across the 
United States, have opened doors and set high standards for later 
generations of African-Americans. Most importantly, however, these are 
people who continue to serve as role models for all Americans.
  Indeed, the State of Maryland continues to be blessed and enriched 
with outstanding African-American leaders who have built on Maryland's 
rich African-American legacy. I speak here of such individuals as 
Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke and NAACP President and CEO Kweisi Mfume.
  I would like to observe that the State of Maryland is currently 
benefiting from a continued growth in our African-American population. 
Between 1990 and 1997, when the last set of complete figures were 
available from the Census Bureau, the number of African-Americans 
calling Maryland ``home'' grew to 1.4 million--an increase of 200,609 
people. This makes Maryland the state with the eighth largest African-
American population in the United States. Nearby Prince George's County 
was second in the nation in terms of growth during this seven-year 
period with 68,325 new African-American residents.
  Mr. President, in closing, Maryland is fortunate to have such a rich 
legacy of African-American leadership as well as a growing population 
of young African-American men and women to whom this legacy will 
provide inspiration and examples. As I noted at the outset, Dr. Woodson 
believed in looking back in order to look forward. As I look back at 
the deeds and accomplishments of the Marylanders listed above, and of 
the many outstanding African-Americans who have contributed to American 
science, engineering, abolitionism, literature, religion, theater, 
education, civil rights, law, business, athletics, diplomacy and 
politics, I see much to inspire our forward march into the next 
century, during which I hope we will eradicate forever the scourge of 
prejudice and racial bias from our society.

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