House Resolution 15 - Introduced PAG LIN H.R. ________ S.R. ________ 1 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. ___ 1 2 BY ABDUL=SAMAD, FORD, H. MILLER, BERRY, 1 3 THEDE, and BURT 1 4 A Resolution designating February 2009 as Black History 1 5 Month. 1 6 WHEREAS, Black History Month in the United States 1 7 dates back to 1926, based upon the efforts of Dr. 1 8 Carter G. Woodson, a Harvard=educated scholar 1 9 descended from slave parents; and 1 10 WHEREAS, Black History Month is traditionally 1 11 observed in February of each year; and 1 12 WHEREAS, Black History Month is designated to 1 13 recognize and pay tribute to many African=Americans 1 14 long neglected by society and the history books; and 1 15 WHEREAS, Black History Month aims to bridge the gap 1 16 created by American history's failure to accurately 1 17 acknowledge, portray, and record the contributions of 1 18 Blacks in society; and 1 19 WHEREAS, Black History Month acknowledges the 1 20 achievements of Blacks in the military, the arts, 1 21 civil rights, education, entertainment, history, law, 1 22 literature, medicine, music, politics, science, 1 23 sports, and other areas; and 1 24 WHEREAS, the African=American population in Iowa 1 25 has grown from 1.4 percent of the state population in 1 26 1980 to 2.5 percent in 2006, and is projected to grow 1 27 to 3.5 percent by 2030; and 1 28 WHEREAS, African=Americans in Iowa are increasingly 1 29 assuming leadership roles in law, medicine, 1 30 government, education, the arts, and other areas; and 2 1 WHEREAS, six African=Americans are currently 2 2 serving in the House of Representatives, the largest 2 3 number of African=Americans ever in the House; NOW 2 4 THEREFORE, 2 5 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 2 6 That the House of Representatives designates February 2 7 2009 as Black History Month and encourages schools, 2 8 community leaders, religious leaders, and all Iowans 2 9 to take this opportunity to discover the history of 2 10 African=Americans in Iowa, from George Washington 2 11 Carver to James B. Morris to Simon Estes to Luther and 2 12 Willie Glanton, and to learn about the contributions 2 13 African=Americans continue to make to Iowa's economic 2 14 and cultural well=being. 2 15 LSB 2278HH 83 2 16 jr/rj/14