III 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 372 

Celebrating Black History Month. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 24, 2016 

Mrs. GILLIBRAND (for herself, Mr. COCHRAN, Mr. REID, Mr. BROWN, Mrs. 

MCCASKILL, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. CASEY, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. COONS, Mr. 

PORTMAN, Mr. WICKER, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. WARNER, Mr. BOOKER, 

Mr. CARPER, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. REED, 

Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. FRANKEN, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. NELSON, Mr. 

KAINE, Ms. WARREN, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. BENNET, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. MARKEY, Ms. AYOTTE, Mr. PERDUE, Mr. BURR, Mr. 

MORAN, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mr. PAUL, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. PETERS, Mr. 

SCOTT, Mr. TILLIS, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. ISAKSON, and Mr. 

LEAHY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Celebrating Black History Month. 

Whereas in 1776, people envisioned the United States as a 

new nation 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 Africans were first brought involuntarily to the 

shores of America as early as the 17th century; 

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•SRES 372 IS 

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 2016, inequalities and injustices in the society of 

the United States continue to exist; 

Whereas in the face of injustices, people of good will and of 

all races in the United States have distinguished themselves with a commitment to the noble ideals on which 

the United States was founded and have fought courageously for the rights and freedom of African Americans 

and others; 

Whereas African Americans, such as Lieutenant Colonel 

Allen Allensworth, Maya Angelou, Arthur Ashe, Jr., 

James Baldwin, James Beckwourth, Clara Brown, 

Blanche Bruce, Ralph Bunche, Shirley Chisholm, Holt 

Collier, Frederick Douglass, W. E. B. Du Bois, Ralph 

Ellison, Medgar Evers, Alex Haley, Dorothy Height, 

Lena Horne, Charles Hamilton Houston, Mahalia Jackson, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, B.B. King, Martin Luther 

King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Constance Baker Motley, 

Rosa Parks, Walter Payton, Bill Pickett, Homer Plessy, 

Bass Reeves, Hiram Revels, Amelia Platts Boynton Robinson, Jackie Robinson, Aaron Shirley, Sojourner Truth, 

Harriet Tubman, Booker T. Washington, the Greensboro 

Four, and the Tuskegee Airmen, 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; 

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•SRES 372 IS 

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 business, government, and 

the 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, originated in 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 Nation 

has imperfectly progressed toward noble goals; and 

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Whereas the history of the United States is the story of 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 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) acknowledges that all people of the United 

3 States are the recipients of the wealth of history 

4 provided by Black culture; 

5 (2) recognizes the importance of Black History 

6 Month as an opportunity to reflect on the complex 

7 history of the United States, while remaining hope8 ful and confident about the path ahead; 

9 (3) acknowledges the significance of Black His10 tory Month as an important opportunity to com11 memorate the tremendous contributions of African 

12 Americans to the history of the United States; 

13 (4) encourages the celebration of Black History 

14 Month to provide a continuing opportunity for all 

15 people in the United States to learn from the past 

16 and understand the experiences that have shaped the 

17 United States; and 

18 (5) agrees that, while the United States began 

19 as a divided country, the United States must— 

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1 (A) honor the contribution of all pioneers 

2 in the United States who have helped to ensure 

3 the legacy of the great United States; and 

4 (B) move forward with purpose, united 

5 tirelessly as a nation ‘‘indivisible, with liberty 

6 and justice for all.’’. 

Æ 

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