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