Amended in Assembly February 9, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Concurrent ResolutionNo. 6


Introduced by Assembly Member Jones-Sawyer

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(Coauthors: Assembly Members Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen, Atkins, Baker, Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta, Brough, Brown, Burke, Calderon, Campos, Chang, Chau, Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooper, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray, Grove, Hadley, Harper, Roger Hernández, Holden, Irwin, Jones, Kim, Lackey, Levine, Linder, Lopez, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Obernolte, O’Donnell, Olsen, Patterson, Perea, Quirk, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams, and Wood)

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January 5, 2015


Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 6—Relative to Black History Month.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

ACR 6, as amended, Jones-Sawyer. Black History Month.

This measure would recognize February 2015 as Black History Month, urge all citizens to join in celebrating the accomplishments of African Americans during Black History Month, and encourage the people of California to recognize the many talents, achievements, and contributions that African Americans make to their communities.

Fiscal committee: no.

P2    1WHEREAS, Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson, distinguished African
2American author, editor, publisher, and historian, who is known
3as the “Father of Black History,” founded Negro History Week in
41926, which became Black History Month in 1976, intended to
5encourage further research and publishing regarding the untold
6stories of African American heritage; and

7WHEREAS, The history of African Americans here in the
8United States, as well as throughout the ages, is indeed unique and
9vibrant, and it is appropriate to celebrate this history during the
10month of February 2015, which has been proclaimed as Black
11History Month; and

12WHEREAS, There is even greater cause for a reverent
13celebration in 2015 as Americans reflect on the significance of the
1450th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, and the 50th anniversary
15of the Selma to Montgomery Marches or “Bloody Sunday”; and

16WHEREAS, The history of the United States is rich with
17inspirational stories of great men and noble women whose actions,
18words, and achievements have united Americans and contributed
19to the success and prosperity of the United States; and

20WHEREAS, The slave trade was a tragic episode in African
21history and began before August 1619 when the first slaves arrived
22in Jamestown, Virginia. During the course of the slave trade, an
23estimated 50 million African men, women, and children were lost
24to their native continent, though only about 15 million arrived
25safely to a new home. The others lost their lives on African soil
26or along the Guinea coast, or finally in holds on the ships during
27the dreaded Middle Passage across the Atlantic Ocean; and

28WHEREAS, The first American to shed blood in the revolution
29that freed America from British rule was Crispus Attucks (March
305, 1770, Boston Massacre), an African American seaman and slave.
31African Americans also fought in wars including the Battles of
32Lexington and Concord in April 1775, the Battle of Rhode Island
33on August 29, 1775, the battles of Ticonderoga, White Plains,
34Bennington, Brandywine, Saratoga, Savannah, Yorktown, Bunker
35Hill, and other revolutionary war battles; the War of 1812,
36including the Battle of New Orleans; the Civil War, the
37Spanish-American War; World Wars I and II, Korea, and the
38Vietnam War; and

39WHEREAS, In spite of the African slave trade, many Africans
40and African Americans continued to move forward in society;
P3    1during the Reconstruction period, two African Americans served
2in the United States Senate and 14 sat in the House of
3Representatives; and

4WHEREAS, From the earliest days of the United States, the
5course of its history has been greatly influenced by Black heroes
6and pioneers in many diverse areas, from science, medicine,
7business, and education to government, industry, and social
8leadership; and

9WHEREAS, Africans and African Americans have also been
10great inventors, inventing and improving things such as the
11air-conditioning unit, almanac, automatic gearshift, blood plasma
12bag, clothes dryer, doorknob, doorstop, electric lamp bulb, elevator,
13fire escape ladder, fountain pen, gas mask, golf tee, horseshoe,
14lantern, lawnmower, lawn sprinkler, lock, lubricating cup,
15refrigerating apparatus, spark plug, stethoscope, telephone
16transmitter, thermostat control, traffic signal, and typewriter; and

17WHEREAS, A number of these brave and accomplished
18individuals, such as Booker T. Washington, George Washington
19Carver, Matthew Hansen, Daniel Hale Williams, Dr. Charles Drew,
20Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens, Curt Flood, Medgar Evers, and,
21of course, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., are noted prominently in
22the history books of students nationwide, thus enabling them to
23learn about the important and lasting contributions of these
24individuals; and

25WHEREAS, Among those Americans who have enriched our
26society are the members of the African American
27community--individuals who have been steadfast in their
28commitment to promoting brotherhood, equality, and justice for
29all; now, therefore, be it

30Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
31thereof concurring,
That the Legislature takes great pleasure in
32recognizing February 2015 as Black History Month, urges all
33citizens to join in celebrating the accomplishments of African
34Americans during Black History Month, and encourages the people
35of California to recognize the many talents, achievements, and
36contributions that African Americans make to their communities;
37and be it further

P4    1Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
2of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.



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