[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 25, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S2696]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                          BLACK HISTORY MONTH

 Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, I rise today to 
commemorate and honor the achievements of African-Americans as the 
celebration of Black History Month draws to a close. I know my 
colleagues join me in remembering the sacrifices and contributions 
African-Americans have made to our country. From laying the foundation 
of the United States Capitol, to creating the design of the Nation's 
capital, a feat accomplished by noted scientist Benjamin Banneker, 
composing great music and writing classic literature, African-
Americans' influence on our society and culture is immeasurable.
  So many of our modern conveniences are due to the innovation and 
imagination of great African-American inventors like Garrett A. Morgan, 
creator of the modern stop light and the gas mask, which our Nation's 
forces may be utilizing in combat in Iraq. The great scientist, George 
Washington Carver, took tiny peanuts and engineered myriad uses for 
them. Pioneering astronauts like Guion Bluford, and most recently, 
Lieutenant Colonel Michael Anderson, whom we lost in the Columbia 
tragedy, undertook experiments in space that will advance our 
technological and scientific knowledge, expanding our horizons to space 
and beyond.
  It is only fitting that we take time to remember these and other 
numerous accomplishments. Our Nation, and indeed the world, have 
benefited from the selfless sacrifices African-Americans have made in 
service to our country. We must continue to work to ensure that all 
African-Americans are afforded the opportunity to participate in, and 
realize, the American Dream. In the words, of Reverend Doctor Martin 
Luther King, Jr.: ``We are not makers of history. We are made by 
history.'' Indeed, the history and experiences of African-Americans 
have helped shape America and will continue to do so for generations to 
come.

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