IV 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1286 
Recognizing and celebrating the 20th anniversary of the National Black 
Arts Festival. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 19, 2008 
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia (for himself and Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia) submitted 
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Edu-
cation and Labor 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing and celebrating the 20th anniversary of the 
National Black Arts Festival. 
Whereas the National Black Arts Festival (NBAF) is a non-
profit cultural institution based in Atlanta, Georgia, that 
celebrates the artistic contributions of people of African 
descent and their impact on world cultures; 
Whereas the mission of the NBAF is to engage, cultivate, 
and educate diverse audiences about the arts and cultures 
of the African Diaspora and provide opportunities for ar-
tistic and creative expression; 
Whereas the NBAF was founded in 1987 after a study com-
missioned by the Fulton County Arts Council found an 
unmet need for a festival celebrating and advancing the 
work of black artists; 
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•HRES 1286 IH 
Whereas the study provided compelling reasons why the At-
lanta community was the right place for such a festival, 
which led local government and civic leaders to help es-
tablish the NBAF and present the first summer festival 
in 1988; 
Whereas, in July 1988, the 10-day event served as the coun-
try’s first-ever summer festival featuring hundreds of art-
ists of African descent, where 500,000 attendees took 
part in a triumphant celebration of African art, music, 
and culture; 
Whereas, over the last 20 years, the NBAF has connected 
with people of all ages and races and celebrated diversity 
while striking a common chord that resonated with all 
Americans like no other festival or presenting arts orga-
nization; 
Whereas the organization has evolved into a year-round cul-
tural institution dedicated to serving artists, audiences, 
teachers, and students by providing opportunities for ar-
tistic and creative expression and sponsoring educational 
and humanities programs to deepen historical and cul-
tural understanding; 
Whereas the NBAF has a global perspective, celebrating the 
contributions of people of African descent and their im-
pact on world cultures, as well as recognizing the great 
diversity of the African diaspora throughout the world; 
Whereas festival programming is carefully chosen to ensure 
that ‘‘three generations are at the table’’, recognizing the 
need to appeal to a broad range of ages; 
Whereas the mission of the NBAF has given the organization 
a clear focus and understanding of its niche, which has 
allowed the NBAF to succeed locally and nationally; 
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•HRES 1286 IH 
Whereas dedicated volunteers, consistently high quality work, 
and continued support from the funding community has 
enabled the NBAF to stand above its peers; 
Whereas the NBAF adds a unique and necessary dimension 
to Atlanta’s cultural landscape as one of the city’s lead-
ing art institutions; 
Whereas the NBAF has touched more than 5,000,000 people 
through music, dance, theater, film, visual arts, literary 
arts, and family events over the past 2 decades; 
Whereas the NBAF has become the premier festival of its 
kind in the United States; and 
Whereas the 20th anniversary of the first summer festival 
provides an occasion to honor the importance of the 
NBAF in its cultural fabric of greater Atlanta and all of 
America: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes the important role that arts and 
arts education plays in the lives of millions of Ameri-
cans; 
(2) recognizes the continuing contributions and 
influence of African-American art work to America’s 
cultural life; 
(3) urges all citizens to support efforts to 
strengthen artistic training and appreciation in 
schools; and 
(4) recognizes the 20th anniversary of the Na-
tional Black Arts Festival. 
Æ 
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