[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 32 (Wednesday, February 26, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S1177]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         SENATE RESOLUTION 363--CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

  Mrs. GILLIBRAND (for herself, Mrs. Hagan, Mr. Levin, Mr. Casey, Mr. 
Isakson, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Begich, Ms. Murkowski, Mrs. Murray, Mr. 
Cardin, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Wyden, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Schumer, 
Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Markey, Mr. Manchin, Mr. Menendez, 
Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Kaine, Ms. Cantwell, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Warner, Mr. 
Nelson, Mr. Coburn, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Coons, 
Mr. Durbin, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Portman, Mr. Carper, Mr. Grassley, 
Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Booker, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Kirk, Mr. Wicker, Mr. 
Franken, Mr. Scott, Ms. Warren, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. Leahy, and Mr. 
Udall of Colorado) submitted the following resolution; which was 
considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 363

       Whereas in 1776, people imagined the United States as a new 
     country dedicated to the proposition stated in the 
     Declaration of Independence 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 have distinguished 
     themselves with a commitment to the noble ideals on which the 
     United States was founded and have courageously fought for 
     the rights and freedom of African Americans;
       Whereas African Americans, such as James Beckwourth, Bill 
     Pickett, Lieutenant Colonel Allen Allensworth, and Clara 
     Brown, along with many others, 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, including the westward expansion;
       Whereas the contributions of African Americans from all 
     walks of life throughout the history of the United States 
     reflect the greatness of the United States;
       Whereas 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 Tuskegee Airmen, Thurgood Marshall, Rosa Parks, Bill 
     Pickett, Jackie Robinson, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, 
     Homer Plessy, the Greensboro Four, Simeon Booker, and Booker 
     T. Washington each lived a life of incandescent greatness;
       Whereas 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, Oprah Winfrey, 
     General Colin Powell, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, and Clarence 
     Thomas have all benefitted from their forefathers and have 
     served as great role models and leaders for future 
     generations;
       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, the ``Father of Black 
     History'', 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 in February to recognize the heritage and 
     achievement of Black people of the United States;
       Whereas Dr. Woodson 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 of the United States, the 
     country imperfectly progressed towards noble goals; and
       Whereas the history of the United States is the story of 
     people regularly affirming high ideals, striving to reach 
     such ideals but often failing, and then struggling to come to 
     terms with the disappointment of such failure, before 
     committing to trying again: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) acknowledges that all people of the United States are 
     the recipients of the wealth of history provided 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 
     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 understand the experiences 
     that have shaped the United States; and
       (5) agrees that, while the United States began as a divided 
     nation, the United States must--
       (A) honor the contribution of all pioneers in the United 
     States who have helped to ensure the legacy of the great 
     United States; and
       (B) move forward with purpose, united tirelessly as ``one 
     Nation . . . indivisible, with liberty and justice for 
     all.''.

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