[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 23 (Wednesday, February 13, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S716]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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         SENATE RESOLUTION 31--CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

  Mrs. GILLIBRAND (for herself, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Franken, Ms. 
Landrieu, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Cochran, Mr. 
Levin, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Coons, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Begich, 
Mr. Manchin, Mrs. Hagan, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Casey, Mr. Brown, Mr. 
Wicker, Mr. Udall of Colorado, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Pryor, Ms. 
Cantwell, Mr. Portman, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Warner, Mr. Merkley, 
Mr. Durbin, Mrs. McCaskill, Ms. Stabenow, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Cowan, 
and Mr. Reed of Rhode Island) submitted the following resolution; which 
was considered and agreed to:

                               S. Res. 31

       Whereas, in 1776, the United States of America was 
     imagined, as stated in the Declaration of Independence, as a 
     new nation 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, on November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln, 
     in reference to the Declaration of Independence, stated, 
     ``Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, 
     upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and 
     dedicated to the proposition that all men are created 
     equal.'';
       Whereas the history of the United States includes 
     injustices and the denial of basic, fundamental rights at 
     odds with the words of the founders of the United States and 
     the sacrifices commemorated at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania;
       Whereas the injustices committed in the United States 
     include approximately 250 years of slavery, 100 years of 
     lynchings, denial of both fundamental human and civil rights, 
     and withholding of the basic rights of citizenship;
       Whereas inequalities and injustices in our society still 
     exist today;
       Whereas Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, Harriet 
     Tubman, W.E.B. Dubois, Booker T. Washington, Charles Hamilton 
     Houston, the Tuskegee Airmen, Lena Horne, Ralph Bunche, 
     Jackie Robinson, Constance Baker Motley, James Baldwin, 
     Dorothy Height, Thurgood Marshall, and Shirley Chisholm each 
     lived a life of incandescent greatness while many African 
     Americans lived, toiled, and died in obscurity, never 
     achieving the recognition they deserved, but paved the way 
     for future generations to succeed;
       Whereas many African-American men and women worked against 
     racism to achieve success, such as James Beckwourth, Bill 
     Pickett, Colonel Allen Allensworth, Clara Brown, and many 
     others who were pivotal in the exploration and westward 
     expansion of the United States;
       Whereas pioneers such as David Dinkins, Mae Jemison, Arthur 
     Ashe, Oprah Winfrey, James Earl Jones, Clarence Thomas, 
     Ursula Burns, Alice Walker, Ronald Brown, Alexis Herman, 
     Kenneth Chenault, and Magic Johnson have all served as 
     positive beneficiaries of our forefathers and as great role 
     models and leaders for future generations;
       Whereas, on November 4, 2008, and again on November 6, 
     2012, the people of the United States elected an African-
     American man, Barack Obama, as President of the United 
     States, and African Americans continue to serve the United 
     States at the highest levels of the government and Armed 
     Forces;
       Whereas Carter G. 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 Black History Month, celebrated during the month of 
     February, dates back to 1926 when Carter G. Woodson set aside 
     a special period of time in February to recognize the 
     heritage and achievement of black Americans;
       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, D.C.;
       Whereas Hiram Rhodes Revels, Blanche Kelso Bruce, Edward 
     William Brooke, Carol Moseley Braun, Barack Obama, and Roland 
     Burris have all served as African-American firsts in the 
     exclusive body known as the United States Senate; and
       Whereas, on January 2, 2013, Tim Scott became the first 
     African American to serve as Senator of South Carolina, and 
     on February 7, 2013, William ``Mo'' Cowan became the first 
     African American to represent Massachusetts in the Senate 
     since 1978: 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;
       (5) remembers the injustices that African Americans have 
     endured and commends the African-American community for 
     overcoming those injustices and changing the course and 
     nature of history by forging the fight for equality; and
       (6) 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 honor the contribution of all pioneers 
     who help ensure the legacy of these great United States.

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