IV 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 49 

Recognizing the significance of Black History Month. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 4, 2013 

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas (for himself, Ms. EDWARDS, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. HONDA, Ms. CHU, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. 

BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. MEEKS, Mr. RUSH, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Ms. 

MOORE, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. ELLISON, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, 

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. RICHMOND, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. JACKSON LEE, 

Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Ms. NORTON, Ms. BASS, Ms. LEE of California, 

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Ms. CLARKE, Mr. HORSFORD, Mr. 

JEFFRIES, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. WATT, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. LEWIS, Mr. 

CLEAVER, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Ms. FUDGE, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. VEASEY, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. COHEN, Ms. WATERS, Mr. 

CLYBURN, Mr. CLAY, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, and Ms. SEWELL

of Alabama) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Education and the Workforce 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the significance of Black History Month. 

Whereas the first Africans were brought involuntarily to the 

shores of the America as early as the 17th century; 

Whereas these Africans in America and their descendants are 

now known as African-Americans; 

Whereas African-Americans suffered enslavement and subsequently faced the injustices of lynch mobs, segregation, 

and denial of basic, fundamental rights; 


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•HRES 49 IH 

Whereas despite slavery, African-Americans in all walks of 

life have made significant contributions throughout the 

history of the United States, including through the— 

(1) writings of Booker T. Washington, Phyllis 

Wheatley, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Ralph Ellison, 

Zora Neale Hurston, and Alex Haley; 

(2) music of Mahalia Jackson, Billie Holiday, John 

Coltrane, Bessie Smith, and Duke Ellington; 

(3) resolve of athletes such as Jackie Robinson, Althea Gibson, Jesse Owens, Wilma Rudolph, and Muhammad Ali; 

(4) scientific advancements of George Washington 

Carver, Charles Drew, Benjamin Banneker, and Mae 

Jemison; 

(5) vision of leaders such as Frederick Douglass, 

Mary McLeod Bethune, Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Shirley Chisholm; and 

(6) bravery of those who stood on the front lines in 

the battle against oppression, such as Sojourner Truth, 

Fannie Lou Hammer, and Rosa Parks; 

Whereas in the face of injustices, United States citizens of 

good will and of all races distinguished themselves with 

their commitment to the noble ideals upon which the 

United States was founded and courageously fought for 

the rights and freedom of African-Americans; 

Whereas Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., lived and died to make 

real these noble ideas; 

Whereas a memorial commemorating the life and ideals of 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was placed on the National 

Mall for all people to observe his struggle for freedom 

and truth; 


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Whereas Barack Hussein Obama was elected and reelected 

the 44th President of the United States, making him the 

first African-American chief executive and breaking one 

of the last racial barriers in politics in this country; 

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 

Dr. Carter G. Woodson’s efforts to enhance knowledge of 

Black history started through the Journal of Negro History, published by Woodson’s Association for the Study 

of African-American Life and History; and 

Whereas the month of February is officially celebrated as 

Black History Month, which dates back to 1926, when 

Dr. Carter G. Woodson set aside a special period of time 

in February to recognize the heritage and achievement of 

Black Americans: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes the significance of Black History 

3 Month as an important time to recognize the con4 tributions of African-Americans in the Nation’s his5 tory, and encourages the continued celebration of 

6 this month to provide an opportunity for all peoples 

7 of the United States to learn more about the past 

8 and to better understand the experiences that have 

9 shaped the Nation; 


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1 (2) recognizes that ethnic and racial diversity of 

2 the United States enriches and strengthens the Na3 tion; 

4 (3) calls on the people of the United States to 

5 use Black History Month as an opportunity to learn 

6 about the past and to better understand the experi7 ences that have shaped the Nation; and 

8 (4) encourages all States to include in their 

9 year-round educational curriculum the history and 

10 contributions of African-Americans in the United 

11 States and around the world. 

Æ 


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