BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | ACR 6|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: ACR 6
Author: Jones-Sawyer (D), et al.
Amended: 3/9/15 in Senate
Vote: 21
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: Read and adopted, 2/9/15
SUBJECT: Black History Month
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This resolution recognizes February 2015 as Black
History Month, urges all citizens to join in celebrating the
accomplishments of African Americans during Black History Month,
and encourages the people of California to recognize the many
talents, achievements, and contributions that African Americans
make to their communities.
Senate Floor Amendments of 3/9/15 make technical changes.
ANALYSIS: This resolution makes the following legislative
findings:
1.Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson, distinguished African American
author, editor, publisher, and historian, who is known as the
"Father of Black History," founded Negro History Week in 1926,
which became Black History Month in 1976, intended to
encourage further research and publishing regarding the untold
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stories of African American heritage.
2.The history of African Americans here in the United States, as
well as throughout the ages, is indeed unique and vibrant, and
it is appropriate to celebrate this history during the month
of February 2015, which has been proclaimed as Black History
Month.
3.There is even greater cause for a reverent celebration in 2015
as Americans reflect on the significance of the 50th
anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, and the 50th anniversary
of the Selma to Montgomery Marches or "Bloody Sunday."
4.From the earliest days of the United States, the course of its
history has been greatly influenced by Black heroes and
pioneers in many diverse areas, from science, medicine,
business, and education to government, industry, and social
leadership.
5.Africans and African Americans have also been great inventors,
inventing and improving things such as the air-conditioning
unit, almanac, automatic gearshift, blood plasma bag, clothes
dryer, doorknob, doorstop, electric lamp bulb, elevator, fire
escape ladder, fountain pen, gas mask, golf tee, horseshoe,
lantern, lawnmower, lawn sprinkler, lock, lubricating cup,
refrigerating apparatus, spark plug, stethoscope, telephone
transmitter, thermostat control, traffic signal, and
typewriter.
6.A number of these brave and accomplished individuals, such as
Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver, Matthew
Henson, Daniel Hale Williams, Dr. Charles Drew, Jackie
Robinson, Jesse Owens, Curt Flood, Medgar Evers, and, of
course, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., are noted prominently in
the history books of students nationwide, thus enabling them
to learn about the important and lasting contributions of
these individuals.
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This resolution recognizes February 2015 as Black History Month,
urges all citizens to join in celebrating the accomplishments of
African Americans during Black History Month, and encourages the
people of California to recognize the many talents,
achievements, and contributions that African Americans make to
their communities.
Related/Prior Legislation
SR 11 (Hall, 2015) recognizes February 2015 as Black History
Month.
SCR 76 (Mitchell, 2014) was similar to this resolution. The
resolution died in the Assembly Rules Committee.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:NoLocal: No
Prepared by:Karen Chow / SFA / (916) 651-1520
3/11/15 14:43:36
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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