PRINTER'S NO. 3171
No. 579 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY WHEATLEY, KIRKLAND, PARKER, WILLIAMS AND MYERS,
FEBRUARY 4, 2008
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
FEBRUARY 4, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the month of February 2008 as "Black History Month"
2 in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, Carter G. Woodson, noted black scholar and
4 historian, founded "Black History Week," the second week in
5 February, on February 12, 1926; and
6 WHEREAS, In 1976 as part of the nation's bicentennial, "Black
7 History Week" was expanded and established as "Black History
8 Month" with the hope that through this special observance all
9 Americans would be reminded of their ethnic roots and develop a
10 mutual respect for the contributions of all racial groups in
11 America; and
12 WHEREAS, The month of February is significant and recognized
13 in African-American history for the birthdays of great African-
14 American pioneers and institutions, such as Frederick Douglass,
15 W.E.B. DuBois, Langston Hughes, Eubie Blake, the NAACP and the
16 first Pan-African Congress; and
17 WHEREAS, African-Americans have endured tremendous personal,
1 social, economic and political injustices since the dawn of
2 their enslavement; and
3 WHEREAS, Increasing intercultural exchange and understanding
4 will lead to the healing of all races; and
5 WHEREAS, We owe a great deal of gratitude to those persons
6 who have pioneered the way toward social equality; and
7 WHEREAS, One such trailblazer was Shirley Chisholm, the first
8 African-American Congresswoman, elected in 1968; and
9 WHEREAS, "Black History Month" draws our collective attention
10 to the experience of African-Americans in this country, from the
11 beauty and strength of a people suffering an unjust sentence of
12 slavery, to the gains during the abolitionist movement,
13 including the 14th Amendment, to a backlash of the oppressive
14 laws of "Jim Crow" which legalized the institutional separation
15 of the races, to the celebration of life and the arts through
16 the Harlem Renaissance, to the numerous and significant gains of
17 freedom by the civil rights movement and agents of change like
18 Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Medgar Evers and Malcolm
19 X; and
20 WHEREAS, For the immeasurable struggle of the leaders,
21 victims and silent heroes who have fought to end discrimination,
22 hatred, bigotry and segregation, we are all in debt; therefore
23 be it
24 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
25 month of February 2008 as "Black History Month" in Pennsylvania;
26 and be it further
27 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize and
28 appreciate the many benefits of "Black History Month" to our
29 citizenry and to our culture in general and urge all
30 Pennsylvanians to take the opportunity during this month to
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1 explore this rich history and bring our nation closer to
2 realizing racial equity.
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