House Resolution 109 - Introduced PAG LIN H.R. ________ S.R. ________ 1 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. ___ 1 2 BY H. MILLER, FORD, BERRY, and ABDUL=SAMAD 1 3 A Resolution designating February 2008 as Black History 1 4 Month. 1 5 WHEREAS, Black History Month in the United States 1 6 dates back to 1926, based upon the efforts of Dr. 1 7 Carter G. Woodson, a Harvard=educated scholar 1 8 descended from slave parents; and 1 9 WHEREAS, Black History Month is traditionally 1 10 observed in February of each year; and 1 11 WHEREAS, Black History Month is designated to 1 12 recognize and pay tribute to many African=Americans 1 13 long neglected by society and the history books; and 1 14 WHEREAS, Black History Month aims to bridge the gap 1 15 created by American history's failure to accurately 1 16 acknowledge, portray, and record the contributions of 1 17 Blacks in society; and 1 18 WHEREAS, Black History Month acknowledges the 1 19 achievements of Blacks in the military, the arts, 1 20 civil rights, education, economics, entertainment, 1 21 history, law, literature, medicine, music, politics, 1 22 science, sports, and other areas; and 1 23 WHEREAS, the African=American population in Iowa 1 24 has grown from 1.4 percent of the state population in 1 25 1980 to 2.5 percent in 2006, and is projected to grow 1 26 to 3.4 percent of the state population by 2030; and 1 27 WHEREAS, African=Americans in Iowa are increasingly 1 28 assuming leadership roles in law, medicine, 1 29 government, education, the arts, and other areas; and 1 30 WHEREAS, four African=Americans are currently 2 1 serving in the House of Representatives, the largest 2 2 number of African=Americans ever in the House; NOW 2 3 THEREFORE, 2 4 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 2 5 That the House of Representatives designates February 2 6 2008 as Black History Month and encourages schools, 2 7 community leaders, religious leaders, and all Iowans 2 8 to take this opportunity to discover the history of 2 9 African=Americans in Iowa, from George Washington 2 10 Carver to James B. Morris to Simon Estes, and to learn 2 11 about the contributions African=Americans continue to 2 12 make to Iowa's economic and cultural well=being. 2 13 LSB 6518HH 82 2 14 jr/rj/14