[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Page 2386]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         SENATE RESOLUTION 84--CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

  Mr. BOOKER (for himself, Mr. Cochran, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Isakson, 
Mr. Durbin, Ms. Murkowski, Mrs. Feinstein, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Paul, Mr. 
Merkley, Mr. Coons, Mr. Portman, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Wicker, 
Ms. Ayotte, Mr. Burr, and Mr. Cardin) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                               S. Res. 84

       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 in 2015, the vestiges of these injustices and 
     inequalities remain evident in the society of the United 
     States;
       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 Lieutenant Colonel Allen 
     Allensworth, Constance Baker Motley, James Baldwin, James 
     Beckwourth, Simeon Booker, Clara Brown, Ralph Bunche, Shirley 
     Chisholm, Frederick Douglass, W. E. B. Du Bois, Ralph 
     Ellison, Medgar Evers, 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, Aaron Shirley, 
     Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Homer Plessy, the Greensboro 
     Four, Maya Angelou, and Arthur Ashe Jr., along with many 
     others, worked against racism to achieve success and to make 
     significant contributions to the economic, educational, 
     political, artistic, athletic, 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 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 African Americans continue to serve the United 
     States at the highest levels of government and military;
       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. Carter G. Woodson and Jesse E. Moorland;
       Whereas Black History Month, celebrated during the month of 
     February, dates back to 1926 when Dr. Carter G. Woodson set 
     aside a special period in February to recognize the heritage 
     and achievement of Black people of the United States;
       Whereas Dr. Carter G. 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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