,,iii #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #ca ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,february #ac1 #bjac ,mrs4 ,gillibrand 7for herself1 ,ms4 ,mikulski1 ,mr4 ,franken1 ,ms4 ,landrieu1 ,mrs4 ,boxer1 ,mr4 ,cardin1 ,mr4 ,whitehouse1 ,mr4 ,cochran1 ,mr4 ,levin1 ,mr4 ,menendez1 ,mr4 ,lautenberg1 ,mr4 ,coons1 ,mr4 ,schatz1 ,mr4 ,begich1 ,mr4 ,manchin1 ,mrs4 ,hagan1 ,mrs4 ,shaheen1 ,mr4 ,casey1 ,mr4 ,brown1 ,mr4 ,wicker1 ,mr4 ,udall of ,colorado1 ,mr4 ,nelson1 ,mr4 ,schumer1 ,mr4 ,pryor1 ,ms4 ,cantwell1 ,mr4 ,portman1 ,mr4 ,isakson1 ,mr4 ,wyden1 ,mr4 ,warner1 ,mr4 ,merkley1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,mrs4 ,mc,caskill1 ,ms4 ,stabenow1 ,mrs4 ,feinstein1 ,mr4 ,cowan1 and ,mr4 ,reed7 submitted the following resolution2 which was considered and agreed to ,,resolution ,celebrating ,black ,history ,month4 ,whereas1 in #aggf1 the ,united ,states of ,america was imagined1 as stated in the ,declaration of ,independence1 as a new nation dedicated to the proposition that 8all men are created equal1 that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights1 that among these are life1 liberty1 and the pursuit of happiness02 ,whereas1 on ,november #ai1 #ahfc1 ,president ,abraham ,lincoln1 in reference to the ,declaration of ,independence1 stated1 ,four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth1 upon this continent1 a new nation1 conceived in liberty1 and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal42 ,whereas the history of the ,united ,states includes injustices and the denial of basic1 fundamental rights at odds with the words of the founders of the ,united ,states and the sacrifices commemorated at ,gettysburg1 ,pennsylvania2 ,whereas the injustices committed in the ,united ,states include approximately #bej years of slavery1 #ajj years of lynchings1 denial of both fundamental human and civil rights1 and withholding of the basic rights of citizenship2 ,whereas inequalities and injustices in our society still exist today2 ,whereas ,sojourner ,truth1 ,frederick ,douglass1 ,harriet ,tubman1 ,w4,e4,b4 ,dubois1 ,booker ,t4 ,washington1 ,charles ,hamilton ,houston1 the ,tuskegee ,airmen1 ,lena ,horne1 ,ralph ,bunche1 ,jackie ,robinson1 ,constance ,baker ,motley1 ,james ,baldwin1 ,dorothy ,height1 ,thurgood ,marshall1 and ,shirley ,chisholm each lived a life of incandescent greatness while many ,african ,americans lived1 toiled1 and died in obscurity1 never achieving the recognition they deserved1 but paved the way for future generations to succeed2 ,whereas many ,african-,american men and women worked against racism to achieve success1 such as ,james ,beckwourth1 ,bill ,pickett1 ,colonel ,allen ,allensworth1 ,clara ,brown1 and many others who were pivotal in the exploration and westward expansion of the ,united ,states2 ,whereas pioneers such as ,david ,dinkins1 ,mae ,jemison1 ,arthur ,ashe1 ,oprah ,winfrey1 ,james ,earl ,jones1 ,clarence ,thomas1 ,ursula ,burns1 ,alice ,walker1 ,ronald ,brown1 ,alexis ,herman1 ,kenneth ,chenault1 and ,magic ,johnson have all served as positive beneficiaries of our forefathers and as great role models and leaders for future generations2 ,whereas1 on ,november #d1 #bjjh1 and again on ,november #f1 #bjab1 the people of the ,united ,states elected an ,african-,american man1 ,barack ,obama1 as ,president of the ,united ,states1 and ,african ,americans continue to serve the ,united ,states at the highest levels of the government and ,armed ,forces2 ,whereas ,carter ,g4 ,woodson1 the ,father of ,black ,history1 stated1 ,we have a wonderful history behind us4 4 4 4 ,if you are unable to demonstrate to the world that you have this record1 the world will say to you1 ,you are not worthy to enjoy the blessings of democracy or anything else42 ,whereas ,black ,history ,month1 celebrated during the month of ,february1 dates back to #aibf when ,carter ,g4 ,woodson set aside a special period of time in ,february to recognize the heritage and achievement of black ,americans2 ,whereas1 on ,february #bb1 #bjab1 ,president ,barack ,obama and ,first ,lady ,michelle ,obama1 along with former ,first ,lady ,laura ,bush1 celebrated the groundbreaking of the ,national ,museum of ,african ,american ,history and ,culture on the ,national ,mall in ,washington1 ,d4,c42 ,whereas ,hiram ,rhodes ,revels1 ,blanche ,kelso ,bruce1 ,edward ,william ,brooke1 ,carol ,moseley ,braun1 ,barack ,obama1 and ,roland ,burris have all served as ,african-,american firsts in the exclusive body known as the ,united ,states ,senate2 and ,whereas1 on ,january #b1 #bjac1 ,tim ,scott became the first ,african ,american to serve as ,senator of ,south ,carolina1 and on ,february #g1 #bjac1 ,william ,mo ,cowan became the first ,african ,american to represent ,massachusetts in the ,senate since #aigh3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 acknowledges that all of the people of the ,united ,states are the recipients of the wealth of history given to us by black culture2 7#b7 recognizes the importance of ,black ,history ,month as an opportunity to reflect on the complex history of the ,united ,states1 while remaining hopeful and confident about the path that lies ahead2 7#c7 acknowledges the significance of ,black ,history ,month as an important opportunity to recognize the tremendous contributions of ,african ,americans to the history of the ,united ,states2 7#d7 encourages the celebration of ,black ,history ,month to provide a continuing opportunity for all people in the ,united ,states to learn from the past and to understand the experiences that have shaped the ,united ,states2 7#e7 remembers the injustices that ,african ,americans have endured and commends the ,african-,american community for overcoming those injustices and changing the course and nature of history by forging the fight for equality2 and 7#f7 agrees that while the ,united ,states began in division1 the ,united ,states must now move forward with purpose1 united tirelessly as one ,nation1 indivisible1 with liberty and justice for all1 and honor the contribution of all pioneers who help ensure the legacy of these great ,united ,states4