[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 34 (Wednesday, February 28, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E418]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          BLACK HISTORY MONTH

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                             HON. JOE BACA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 28, 2007

  Mr. BACA. Madam Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent to revise and 
extend my remarks.
  I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 198, a resolution 
commemorating Black History Month.
  Black History Month is a time for us to explore, highlight, and 
create awareness about the history of African Americans. It is an 
opportunity to celebrate their development and growth as a community, 
as well as a chance to recognize their contributions to society. Black 
History Month is also a time to acknowledge that the struggle for 
social justice and equality for all is a battle we continue to fight.
  The Association for the Study of African American Life and History 
(ASALH) founded Black History Month. They have chosen this year's theme 
to be, ``From Slavery to Freedom.'' This theme is dedicated to the 
struggles of peoples of African descent to achieve freedom and equality 
in the Americas during the age of emancipation. It is also a time to 
recognize the achievements of countless African Americans that 
influenced our Nation's history throughout the periods of 
reconstruction, the Harlem Renaissance, the Great Depression; the civil 
rights movement, and to present day.
  Individuals such as Harriet Tubman, who led the Underground Railroad, 
Frederick Douglas, who launched a newspaper to advocate abolition, 
Hiram Revels, who became the first Black U.S. Senator in 1870, W.E.B. 
Du Bois, the NAACP forerunner, the artists and writers of the Harlem 
Renaissance, Thurgood Marshall, who became the first Black Supreme 
Court Justice, and civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are 
just a few African Americans who have helped provide a path to freedom.
  During the month of February, we should remember and learn from the 
past, while continuing to learn in the present to prepare for a 
brighter future. Knowing and understanding Black history is important 
not only for African Americans, but also for our entire nation. Black 
history is American history, so let us recognize these individuals for 
their great contributions.
  I urge the rest of my colleagues to stand with me and support H. Res. 
198.

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