[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 5, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S1967]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH

  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I am pleased to join with my Maryland 
constituents and millions of Americans in celebrating African-American 
History Month this February.
  Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson founded the Association for the Study of 
Negro Life and History in 1915. Shortly after its creation, the 
Association began a campaign to establish Negro History Week to 
highlight the many accomplishments of African Americans. Dr. Woodson 
achieved this goal in 1926, and the second week of February was chosen 
to recognize the contributions of African Americans to American 
society. In 1976, this week of observance was expanded to a month and 
became African-American History Month. This month of observance is a 
time to recognize a crucial part of our diversity: the vast history and 
legacy that African Americans have contributed to the founding and 
building of our Nation. While we have much to celebrate in the 
achievements of many African Americans and the great strides this 
country has made towards true equality, there is also much work to be 
done.
  Each year, the Association for the Study of African American Life and 
History, ASALH, designates a theme for the Black History Month 
observance, and this year it is ``The Souls of Black Folk: Centennial 
Reflections.'' This year's theme focuses on the past contributions of 
African Americans and the many significant ways in which African 
Americans have made our Nation better.
  At the beginning of the last century, our Nation was a vastly 
different place than it is today. The country was divided along racial 
lines and racism was accepted and institutionalized. African Americans 
were not allowed to vote, and the opportunities available to African 
Americans were few. Today, thanks to the visions of a few and the 
sacrifices of many, that situation has changed.
  Much of the last century was filled with hardship for African 
Americans. Despite this, African Americans made great strides in many 
areas and participated in every sector of our society. Throughout the 
past 100 years, African Americans have made remarkable contributions to 
our society as mathematicians, scientists, novelists, poets, 
politicians, and members of the armed services.
  Regrettably, just this year we lost two Marylanders who contributed 
much to African-American and American history in the last century, Du 
Burns and Bea Gaddy. Du Burns was the first African-American mayor of 
Baltimore. He brought the city together and although he ultimately 
became mayor, he never forgot his humble beginnings, including a job as 
a locker room attendant at Dunbar High School. Bea Gaddy was an 
advocate for the homeless and a Baltimore City Council member who 
devoted her life to feeding hungry Baltimoreans and making Baltimore a 
better place to live. We will forever remember the sacrifices and 
achievements of these two remarkable people.
  No discussion of the last century in the lives of African Americans 
could be complete without a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr., whose 
birthday we recently celebrated. His teachings and the example of his 
life offer much for us to be hopeful about in the coming century. We 
must look to his words and deeds to remind ourselves of his great 
vision and must never forget the profound change he helped bring about 
in this country. His teachings transcend race, and we have much to 
learn from him about humanity as we confront the challenges of the new 
century. And the challenges are many. We must continue to work to 
eliminate racism and inequality, and we must work to combat 
intolerance, not just in our own country, but throughout the world.
  Last year, the theme of African-American History Month posed the 
question, Is Racism Dead? Unfortunately, the answer is still no. There 
is much that we in Congress can do to continue to meet the challenges 
of inequality in our country. We can help the parents of working 
families by raising the minimum wage. We have already passed the Leave 
No Child Behind education reform bill that will provide new standards 
for schools and teachers and will help make quality education available 
to all Americans. We have passed an election reform bill to ensure that 
all voters are properly registered and every vote is counted. We must 
now fully fund these initiatives that have successfully passed 
Congress. And we need to make health care available and affordable for 
African Americans and all Americans.
  Through the lessons and struggles of the last century and the trying 
first few years of this century, Americans have shown the world how 
people of all races, colors, religions and nationalities create the 
fabric of our Nation, a fabric that is richer because of our 
differences. This month, we honor the special contribution African 
Americans have made to that fabric. Through African-American History 
Month, we celebrate how far this country has come and remind ourselves 
of how far we have to go.

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