THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY WHEATLEY, BROWN, ADOLPH, BEAR, BELFANTI, BEYER, BISHOP, BOBACK, BOYD, BOYLE, BRENNAN, BUXTON, CALTAGIRONE, COHEN, CONKLIN, D. COSTA, P. COSTA, CREIGHTON, DALEY, DELOZIER, DePASQUALE, DeWEESE, DONATUCCI, D. EVANS, FABRIZIO, FAIRCHILD, FLECK, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GEIST, GEORGE, GIBBONS, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HELM, HENNESSEY, HICKERNELL, JOSEPHS, KIRKLAND, KORTZ, KOTIK, KULA, MAHONEY, MAJOR, MANN, MARKOSEK, McCALL, McGEEHAN, MELIO, MILLARD, MUNDY, MURT, M. O'BRIEN, O'NEILL, PALLONE, PARKER, PASHINSKI, PAYTON, PETRI, PRESTON, PYLE, READSHAW, ROEBUCK, ROHRER, ROSS, SAINATO, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, SIPTROTH, STURLA, SWANGER, R. TAYLOR, WALKO, WATERS, WATSON, WHITE AND YOUNGBLOOD, FEBRUARY 10, 2009

INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, FEBRUARY 10, 2009  

A RESOLUTION

Designating the month of February 2009 as "Black History Month"

in Pennsylvania.

WHEREAS, Carter G. Woodson, noted black scholar and

historian, founded "Black History Week," the second week in

February, on February 12, 1926; and

WHEREAS, In 1976, as part of the nation's bicentennial,

"Black History Week" was expanded and established as "Black

History Month" with the hope that through this special

observance all Americans would be reminded of their ethnic roots

and develop a mutual respect for the contributions of all racial

groups in America; and

WHEREAS, The month of February is significant and recognized

in African-American history for the birthdays of great African-

American pioneers and institutions, such as Frederick Douglass,

W.E.B. DuBois, Langston Hughes, Eubie Blake, the NAACP and the

first Pan-African Congress; and

WHEREAS, African-Americans have endured tremendous personal,

social, economic and political injustices since the dawn of

their enslavement; and

WHEREAS, Increasing intercultural exchange and understanding

will lead to the healing of all races; and

WHEREAS, We owe a great deal of gratitude to those persons

who have pioneered the way toward social equality; and

WHEREAS, One such trailblazer was Shirley Chisholm, the first

African-American Congresswoman, elected in 1968; and

WHEREAS, February 2009 will mark the observance of the first

"Black History Month" under an African-American President, the

44th President of the United States, Barack Obama; and

WHEREAS, "Black History Month" draws our collective attention

to the experience of African-Americans in this country, from the

beauty and strength of a people suffering an unjust sentence of

slavery, to the gains during the abolitionist movement,

including the 14th Amendment, to a backlash of the oppressive

laws of "Jim Crow" which legalized the institutional separation

of the races, to the celebration of life and the arts through

the Harlem Renaissance, to the numerous and significant gains of

freedom by the civil rights movement and agents of change like

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Medgar Evers and Malcolm

X; and

WHEREAS, For the immeasurable struggle of the leaders,

victims and silent heroes who have fought to end discrimination,

hatred, bigotry and segregation, we are all in debt; therefore

be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the

month of February 2009 as "Black History Month" in Pennsylvania;

and be it further

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize and

appreciate the many benefits of "Black History Month" to our

citizenry and to our culture in general and urge all

Pennsylvanians to take the opportunity during this month to

explore this rich history and bring this nation closer to

realizing racial equity.