Bill Text: CA ACR108 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Black History Month.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 50-24)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2010-02-17 - In Senate. To Com. on RLS. [ACR108 Detail]

Download: California-2009-ACR108-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: ACR 108	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  FEBRUARY 16, 2010

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Bradford
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Bass, Carter, Davis, Hall, 
and Swanson   Swanson,   Adams,  
Ammiano,   Anderson,   Arambula,   Beall,
  Bill Berryhill,   Blakeslee,   Block,
  Blumenfield,   Brownley,   Buchanan,
  Caballero,   Chesbro,   Conway, 
 Cook,   Coto,   De La Torre,   De
Leon,   DeVore,   Emmerson,   Eng, 
 Evans,   Feuer,   Fong,   Fuentes,
  Furutani,   Gaines,   Galgiani, 
 Garrick,   Gilmore,   Hagman,  
Harkey,   Hayashi,  Hernandez,   Hill,
  Huber,   Huffman,   Jeffries,  
Jones,   Knight,   Lieu,   Logue, 
 Bonnie Lowenthal,   Ma,   Mendoza,  
Miller,   Monning,   Nava,   Nestande,
  Niello,   Nielsen,   John A. Perez,
  Portantino,   Ruskin,   Salas, 
Saldana,   Silva,   Skinner,   Smyth,
  Solorio,   Audra Strickland,  
Torlakson,   Torres,   Torrico,  
Villines,   and Yamada  )
   (Coauthors: Senators Price and Wright)

                        JANUARY 25, 2010

   Relative to Black History Month.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   ACR 108, as amended, Bradford. Black History Month.
   This measure would recognize February 2010 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.



   WHEREAS, 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, to encourage further research,
publishing, and celebrations regarding the untold stories of African
American heritage; and
   WHEREAS, The history of African Americans in the United States is
unique and vibrant, and it is appropriate to celebrate this history
during the month of February 2010, which has been proclaimed as Black
History Month; and
   WHEREAS, The history of the United States is rich with
inspirational stories of great African American men and women whose
actions, words, and achievements have united Americans and
contributed to the success and prosperity of the United States; and
   WHEREAS, According to the Liber Pontificalis (The Book of
Pontiffs), the Catholic Church had three popes who were from Africa:
Saint Victor I (186-98), Saint Miltiades (311-14), and Saint Gelasius
I (492-96); and
   WHEREAS, The slave trade was a tragic era in African history and
began in the American colonies in 1619 when the first slaves arrived
in Jamestown, Virginia. During the course of the slave trade, an
estimated 50 million African men, women, and children were taken from
their native continent and only about 15 million arrived safely to a
new home. The others lost their lives in transit during the dreaded
Middle Passage across the Atlantic Ocean; and
   WHEREAS, Crispus Attucks, a Black man, on March 5, 1770, was the
first of five people killed by British troops in the Boston Massacre
in Boston, Massachusetts, which helped spark the rebellion in some of
the British American colonies, culminating in the American
Revolution freeing America from British rule. African Americans also
fought in numerous revolutionary war battles including the Battles of
Lexington and Concord in April 1775, Ticonderoga, White Plains,
Bennington, Brandywine, Saratoga, Savannah, Yorktown, Bunker Hill,
and the Battle of Rhode Island on August 29, 1775. They fought in the
War of 1812, including, the Battle of New Orleans, the Civil War,
the Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam, the
Gulf War (Desert Storm), Iraq, and Afghanistan; and
   WHEREAS, In spite of the institution of slavery, African Americans
continued to serve society honorably during the Reconstruction
period by serving in the United States Senate and the House of
Representatives. They have been heroes, leaders, and pioneers in the
areas of science, medicine, business, education, government, and
social justice movements; and
   WHEREAS, African Americans have also made significant
contributions as inventors, inventing and improving items such as the
air-conditioning unit, almanac, automatic gearshift, blood plasma
bag, clothes dryer, doorknob, doorstop, electric light bulb,
elevator, fire escape ladder, fountain pen, gas mask, golf tee,
horseshoe, lantern, lawnmower, lawn sprinkler, locks, refrigerating
apparatus, spark plug, stethoscope, telephone transmitter, thermostat
control, traffic signal, and typewriter; and
   WHEREAS, A number of these brave and talented individuals,
including Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver, Matthew
Hansen, Daniel Hale Williams, Dr. Charles Drew, Jackie Robinson,
Jesse Owens, Curt Flood, Medgar Evers, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
and President Barack Obama, are noted and prominently imbedded in
American history; and
   WHEREAS, The African American community nationwide continues to
enrich and contribute to America's welfare by promoting equality and
justice for all; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature takes great pleasure in
recognizing February 2010 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; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.