[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 33 (Thursday, March 1, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S1208]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         SENATE RESOLUTION 387--CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

  Mrs. GILLIBRAND (for herself, Mr. Whitehouse, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. 
Menendez, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Udall of Colorado, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. 
Durbin, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Akaka, Mr. 
Schumer, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Brown of Massachusetts, Mr. Merkley, Mr. 
Nelson of Nebraska, Mr. Franken, Mr. Lautenberg, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. 
Cochran, Mr. Cardin, and Mr. Levin) submitted the following resolution; 
which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 387

       Whereas in 1776, the United States of America was imagined, 
     as stated in the Declaration of Independence, as a new 
     country dedicated to the proposition that ``. . . all Men are 
     created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with 
     certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, 
     Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness . . . .'';
       Whereas the first Africans were brought involuntarily to 
     the shores of America as early as the 17th century;
       Whereas African-Americans suffered enslavement and 
     subsequently faced the injustices of lynch mobs, segregation, 
     and denial of the basic and fundamental rights of 
     citizenship;
       Whereas inequalities and injustices in our society still 
     exist today;
       Whereas in the face of injustices, people of the United 
     States of good will and of all races distinguished themselves 
     with a commitment to the noble ideals on which the United 
     States was founded and courageously fought for the rights and 
     freedom of African-Americans;
       Whereas many African-American men and women worked against 
     racism to achieve success and have made significant 
     contributions to the economic, educational, political, 
     artistic, literary, scientific, and technological 
     advancements of the United States;
       Whereas the greatness of the United States is reflected in 
     the contributions of African-Americans in all walks of life 
     throughout the history of the United States;
       Whereas Lieutenant Colonel Allen Allensworth, Muhammad Ali, 
     Constance Baker Motley, James Baldwin, James Beckwourth, 
     Clara Brown, Ralph Bunche, Shirley Chisholm, Frederick 
     Douglass, W. E. B. Du Bois, Ralph Ellison, Alex Haley, 
     Dorothy Height, Lena Horne, Charles Hamilton Houston, Mahalia 
     Jackson, Martin Luther King, Jr., the Tuskeegee Airmen, 
     Thurgood Marshall, Rosa Parks, Bill Pickett, Jackie Robinson, 
     Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Tubman each lived a life of 
     incandescent greatness, while many African-Americans lived, 
     toiled, and died in obscurity, never achieving the 
     recognition they deserved and yet paved the way for future 
     generations to succeed;
       Whereas, pioneers such as Maya Angelou, Arthur Ashe, Jr., 
     Carol Moseley Braun, Ronald Brown, Ursula Burns, Kenneth 
     Chenault, David Dinkins, Alexis Herman, Mae Jemison, Earvin 
     ``Magic'' Johnson, Sheila Johnson, James Earl Jones, David 
     Paterson, Marian Wright Edelman, Alice Walker, and Oprah 
     Winfrey have all benefitted from their forefathers and have 
     served as great role models and leaders for future 
     generations to come;
       Whereas on November 4, 2008, the people of the United 
     States elected an African-American man, Barack Obama, as 
     President of the United States;
       Whereas African-Americans continue to serve the United 
     States at the highest levels of government and military;
       Whereas on February 22, 2012, President Barack Obama and 
     First Lady Michelle Obama, along with former First Lady Laura 
     Bush, celebrated the groundbreaking of the National Museum of 
     African American History and Culture on the National Mall in 
     Washington, DC;
       Whereas the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick 
     Douglass inspired the creation of Negro History Week, the 
     precursor to Black History Month;
       Whereas Negro History Week represented the culmination of 
     the efforts of Dr. Carter G. Woodson to enhance knowledge of 
     black history through the Journal of Negro History, published 
     by the Association for the Study of African American Life and 
     History, which was founded by Dr. Woodson and Jesse E. 
     Moorland;
       Whereas Black History Month, celebrated during the month of 
     February, dates back to 1926 when Dr. Woodson set aside a 
     special period of time in February to recognize the heritage 
     and achievement of black Americans;
       Whereas Dr. Woodson, the ``Father of Black History'', 
     stated, ``We have a wonderful history behind us. . . . If you 
     are unable to demonstrate to the world that you have this 
     record, the world will say to you, `You are not worthy to 
     enjoy the blessings of democracy or anything else.' '';
       Whereas since the founding, the United States has been an 
     imperfect work in making progress towards noble goals; and
       Whereas the history of the United States is the story of a 
     people regularly affirming high ideals, striving to reach 
     those ideals but often failing, and then struggling to come 
     to terms with the disappointment of that failure before 
     committing to trying again: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) acknowledges that all of the people of the United 
     States are the recipients of the wealth of history given to 
     us by black culture;
       (2) recognizes the importance of Black History Month as an 
     opportunity to reflect on the complex history of the United 
     States, while remaining hopeful and confident about the path 
     that lies ahead;
       (3) acknowledges the significance of Black History Month as 
     an important opportunity to recognize the tremendous 
     contributions of African-Americans to the history of the 
     United States;
       (4) encourages the celebration of Black History Month to 
     provide a continuing opportunity for all people in the United 
     States to learn from the past and to understand the 
     experiences that have shaped the United States; and
       (5) agrees that while the United States began in division, 
     the United States must now move forward with purpose, united 
     tirelessly as one Nation, indivisible, with liberty and 
     justice for all, and to honor the contribution of all 
     pioneers in this country who help ensure the legacy of these 
     great United States.

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