[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 23, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E201]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 22, 2010

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to join my 
distinguished colleague Al Green in co-sponsoring H. Res. 1046, which 
recognizes the significance of Black History Month.
  This year, Black History Month marks Abraham Lincoln's 201st 
birthday, as well as our nation's first anniversary of the inauguration 
of an African-American president. This remarkable fact truly shows the 
capacity of our society to transform. Since 1926, February has been 
dedicated to giving Americans of every ethnicity and race the 
opportunity to reflect on the struggles of the past and look forward to 
an even brighter future as we continue working to ensure equality for 
all Americans. Black History Month is also a reminder that there will 
still be challenges ahead, and we must stay united as freedom-loving 
Americans to overcome them.
  One sign of this progress is the United States Department of 
Agriculture's recent announcement of a settlement in the Pigford Case--
a lawsuit brought by plaintiffs who were black farmers who sued for 
compensation for the harm they suffered as a result of unlawful actions 
of USDA government agents regarding loan applications.
  Many African-Americans still struggle with disparities in their 
workplace, in their educational opportunities, and in their health 
care. We still have a long way to go before the dream of Dr. Martin 
Luther King, Jr. and his brethren in the Civil Rights Movement becomes 
a reality. Let us reeducate ourselves this year as we do every 
February, to making our country a better, fairer, and kinder place for 
all Americans.

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