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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly 2
Regular Session, 2025 SR 9 3
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By: Senator F. Love 5
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SENATE RESOLUTION 8
CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH DURING THE MONTH OF 9
FEBRUARY 2025. 10
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Subtitle 13
CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH DURING 14
THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 2025. 15
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WHEREAS, throughout the history of the United States, truly significant 17
African American contributions to social growth, the economy, the military, 18
the sciences, and the arts of this great nation have all too often been 19
ignored; and 20
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WHEREAS, in recognition of this oversight, Americans began recognizing 22
"Negro History Week" in 1926, the predecessor to "Black History Month", which 23
has been celebrated annually since 1976 and was inspired by the birthdays of 24
Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass; and 25
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WHEREAS, the celebration of Black History Month and the study of 27
African American history is part of the legacy of Dr. Carter G. Woodson; and 28
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WHEREAS, the progress of African Americans in the nation and in the 30
State of Arkansas has been marked with both the tragedy of social 31
inequalities and the triumph of group achievements; and 32
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WHEREAS, although African Americans have participated in every United 34
States war, the battle for the integration of the United States Armed Forces 35
and for recognition of the accomplishments of African American soldiers has 36 SR9
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been a slow process; and 1
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WHEREAS, not until after World War II did the United States Armed 3
Forces become integrated under a 1948 executive order by President Harry S. 4
Truman; and 5
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WHEREAS, Black History Month recognizes commonly celebrated individuals 7
such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., George Washington Carver, Thurgood 8
Marshall, Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, and the Little Rock Nine, just to name 9
a few, but there are lesser -known but equally impactful individuals who we 10
should educate ourselves on such as Crispus Attucks, William Harvey Carney, 11
the Greensboro Four, Constance Baker Motley, and a plethora of other 12
historical giants; and 13
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WHEREAS, Dorothy McFadden Hoover of Hope, Arkansas, was one of the 15
National Aeronautics and Space Administration's human computers. As a 16
physicist and mathematician, one of her greatest achievements in aeronautical 17
research was the development of the "thin sweptback tapered wing," which 18
revolutionized flight; and 19
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WHEREAS, Maya Angelou grew up in Stamps, Arkansas, and was a renowned 21
author and poet. Ms. Angelou was one (1) of the first African American women 22
to have a screenplay produced as a feature film. Ms. Angelou's poem, "On the 23
Pulse of the Morning", was delivered at President William Jefferson "Bill" 24
Clinton's inauguration, and she authored the distinguished book, "I Know Why 25
the Caged Bird Sings"; and 26
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WHEREAS, Revoyda Frierson is a native of Hope, Arkansas. She grew to 28
fame as Ketty Lester, a singer and actress. Ms. Frierson's recording "Love 29
Letters" achieved number five (5) on the popular music charts, and she is 30
best known for her role as Hester on "Little House on the Prairie"; and 31
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WHEREAS, John H. Johnson was a native of Arkansas City, Arkansas. Mr. 33
Johnson's family moved to Chicago because there was no high school for 34
African Americans in his hometown. Mr. Johnson was regarded as the most 35
influential African American publisher in American history, and his 36 SR9
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publications included Ebony Magazine, Jet Magazine, and the Negro Digest; and 1
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WHEREAS, Raye Montague was a native of Little Rock, Arkansas. Ms. 3
Montague's work revolutionized the way the United States Navy designed ships 4
by developing a computer program that created rough drafts of ship 5
specifications that allowed the United States Navy to decrease the time it 6
took to build a ship's draft design from two (2) years to eighteen (18) hours 7
and twenty-six (26) minutes, 8
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NOW THEREFORE, 10
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY -FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE 11
STATE OF ARKANSAS: 12
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THAT the Senate celebrate Black History Month during February 2025 and 14
recognize and applaud the sacrifices and myriad contributions made by African 15
Americans throughout the history of this great state and nation. 16
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