[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 17 (Wednesday, February 23, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S749-S750]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH

 Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise today in honor and 
acknowledgment of African American History Month, a great tradition 
honoring and celebrating African Americans. This 74 year tradition, 
proposed by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a son of former slaves, seeks to 
broaden our vision of the world, the legacy of African Americans in our 
nation's history, and their role in our nation's future.

[[Page S750]]

  When Dr. Woodson, the Father of Black History, was earning his 
bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Chicago, this 
country had only the slightest respect for people of color. Dr. 
Wilson's devotion to ensuring that Blacks would escape ``the awful fate 
of becoming a negligible factor in world thought'' was ridiculed and 
attacked. However, in the end he prevailed and pioneered the 
celebration of Negro History Week, now Black History Month. The theme 
for this year's celebration is ``Heritage and Horizons: The African 
American Legacy and the Challenge of the 21st Century.''
  The African American legacy in my home state of Illinois is great. 
Illinois is the birthplace of prominent African American writers such 
as Ellis Cose, Charles Johnson and Lorraine Hansberry. Illinois' native 
sons, James Cleveland and Miles Davis, are two of the world's greatest 
musical composers who transcend racial lines. And beloved daughter of 
Illinois, Katherine Dunham, dancer and choreographer, continues to 
bring the tradition of great African dance to a wide audience.
  In addition to a rich history in the arts, African American 
Illinoisans also have played a significant role in state, local and 
federal government. Consider, for example, John Jones, the first 
African American elected to any public office in Cook County; Floy 
Clements, the first woman elected to the Illinois legislature; Harold 
Washington, former mayor of Chicago; and Carol Moseley-Braun, the first 
African American woman elected to the United States Senate. These 
African Americans, like those who have come before them, continue to 
shape our nation's history and inspire new generations of African 
Americans.
  Today's African Americans have made great strides and overcome a 
variety of color barriers. The unemployment rate for African Americans 
has fallen from 14.2% in 1992 to 8.3% in 1999, the lowest annual level 
on record. The real wages of African Americans have risen rapidly, over 
5% in the past two years. Moreover, while the African American child 
poverty rate is still too high, it fell to 36.7% in 1998, the lowest 
level on record. However, as these data suggest, there is still more 
work to be done.
  The rate of firearm-related injuries is still unacceptably high. 
Racial profiling on our highways and in our airports and housing 
developments continues to be a serious problem. The rising cost of 
tuition continues to place ethnic minorities at an academic and 
economic disadvantage. The poor conditions and quality of too many of 
our schools keep children from low socioeconomic households from 
breeching the digital divide. Racial disparities in mental health and 
health care are pervasive in our society. And in the Chicago 
metropolitan area, after a two year decline, the number of reported 
AIDS cases has jumped 24 percent. Although African Americans represent 
13% of the US population, they account for more than half of new HIV 
infections.
  AIDS knows no boundaries. This month, as we examine and reflect on 
the legacy and challenges of African Americans, we must not forget our 
brothers and sisters in Africa. Approximately 23.3 million adults and 
children are infected with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, which has about 
10% of the world's population but nearly 70% of the world's infected 
people. I recently witnessed the devastation of this deadly virus first 
hand--isolation, prejudice, and a multitude of new orphans. This month, 
as we celebrate the heritage and horizons of African Americans, we must 
ask ourselves, what is on the horizon for our African brothers and 
sisters?
  These are just some of the problems which require our attention if we 
are to fulfill the dreams of visionaries like Dr. Woodson, Dr. Martin 
Luther King, Jr., and other African Americans who continue to serve as 
role models for all Americans. Dr. Woodson believed in looking back in 
order to look forward. In this special month that seeks to learn from 
the past and shape our future, we need to examine how to build on the 
legacy of hope left to us from those who have gone before us.
  As we move forward into this new millennium, let us extend Dr. 
Woodson's mission past the month of February and make it part of the 
fabric of our lives. Let us look to our forefathers, no matter what 
their race, creed, or color, and unite in our diversity to build one 
America and to build a world where every child has hope for the 
future.

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