Bill Text: DE HCR45 | 2015-2016 | 148th General Assembly | Draft

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Bill Title: Recognizing African American Contributions To World War One Efforts On Behalf Of The State Of Delaware.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-06-24 - Passed by Senate. Votes: Passed 21 YES 0 NO 0 NOT VOTING 0 ABSENT 0 VACANT [HCR45 Detail]

Download: Delaware-2015-HCR45-Draft.html

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SPONSOR:	Rep. Bolden & Rep. Potter & Rep. J. Johnson & Rep. Keeley & Sen. Henry
	Reps. Briggs King, Carson, Gray, Hudson, Jaques, Kenton, Kowalko, Mitchell, B. Short, D. Short, Spiegelman, K. Williams, Wilson; Sens. Bushweller, Hall-Long, Lavelle, Lopez, Peterson, Pettyjohn, Richardson, Townsend

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

148th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 45

RECOGNIZING AFRICAN AMERICAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO WORLD WAR ONE EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

WHEREAS, on April 6, 1917, America's declaration of war required Governor John G. Townsend, Jr. to call on this state's National Guard; and

WHEREAS, on May 17, 1917, the Selective Service Act enabling all able-bodied males between the age of 21 and 31 to register, allowed 1,404 African American Delawareans to serve their country; and

WHEREAS, while African Americans' civil rights and public safety were regularly threatened in the opening two decades of the 20^th century, they not only "closed ranks" and enlisted, but served with distinction irrespective of the unusually harsh treatment and conditions supported then by U. S. military policy; and

WHEREAS, on August 11, 1917, Private Jenkins Fennell, the only known African American Delawarean who died in the Battle of Amiens as a member of the 93^rd Division's 369^th Infantry Regiment (one of 12 Delawareans buried at Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial) symbolizes heroic contribution; and

WHEREAS, stateside, the State College for Colored Students (now Delaware State University) and Wilmington's Howard High School's English teacher, Alice Dunbar-Nelson, representing the African American civilian population, did publicly support America's war effort with her stage play "Mine Eyes Have Seen";

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 148^th General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the Senate concurring therein, that the Legislature recognizes as significant the aforementioned contributions made by Delaware African American World War One participants, military and civilian, be publicly recognized; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitably prepared copy of this Resolution be presented to Mr. Steven Jones, President and CEO, IERC Education Foundation.

SYNOPSIS

This Concurrent Resolution recognizes the contributions of Delaware's African American military and civilian contributions to the World War One efforts of the United States.