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A RESOLUTION honoring the 20th Black History Celebration and recognizing 1
that Black history is American history. 2
WHEREAS, in 1776, people envisioned the United States as a new nation dedicated 3
to the proposition stated in the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created 4
equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among 5
these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"; and 6
WHEREAS, Africans were first brought involuntarily to the shores of the United 7
States as early as the 17th century; and 8
WHEREAS, African Americans suffered enslavement and subsequently faced the 9
injustices of lynch mobs, segregation, and denial of the basic and fundamental rights of 10
citizenship; and 11
WHEREAS, in 2024, the vestiges of those injustices and inequalities remain 12
evident in the society of the United States; and 13
WHEREAS, in the face of injustices, people of good will and of all races in the 14
United States have distinguished themselves with a commitment to the noble ideals on 15
which the United States was founded and have fought courageously for the rights and 16
freedom of African Americans and others; and 17
WHEREAS, the contributions of African Americans from all walks of life 18
throughout the history of the United States reflect the greatness of the United States; and 19
WHEREAS, many African Americans lived, toiled, and died in obscurity, never 20
achieving the recognition those individuals deserved, and yet paved the way for future 21
generations to succeed; and 22
WHEREAS, African Americans continue to serve the United States at the highest 23
levels of business, government, and the military; and 24
WHEREAS, the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass inspired the 25
creation of Negro History Week, the precursor to Black History Month; and 26
WHEREAS, Negro History Week represented the culmination of the efforts of Dr. 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 1699
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Carter G. Woodson, the "Father of Black History," to enhance knowledge of Black 1
history through The Journal of Negro History, published by the Association for the Study 2
of African American Life and History, which was founded by Dr. Carter G. Woodson 3
and Jesse E. Moorland; and 4
WHEREAS, in 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson proposed and launched a weeklong 5
celebration of the individuals and occasions having a significant impact on African 6
American history, and has since been known as the "Father of Black History"; and 7
WHEREAS, Dr. Carter G. Woodson had ties to the Commonwealth, working in the 8
Kentucky coal mines as a child. The son of former slaves, he enrolled in high school at 9
the age of 20 and went on to graduate from Berea College with a bachelor's degree, 10
received his master's degree from the University of Chicago, and earned a Ph.D. from 11
Harvard University, where he was one of the first scholars to study African American 12
history; and 13
WHEREAS, Dr. Carter G. Woodson stated, "We have a wonderful history behind 14
us... If you are unable to demonstrate to the world that you have this record, the world 15
will say to you, ‘You are not worthy to enjoy the blessings of democracy or anything 16
else.’"; and 17
WHEREAS, since its founding, the United States has imperfectly progressed 18
toward noble goals; and 19
WHEREAS, the history of the United States is the story of people regularly 20
affirming high ideals, striving to reach those ideals but often failing, and then struggling 21
to come to terms with the disappointment of that failure, before committing to try again; 22
and 23
WHEREAS, during the month of February 2024, across the United States of 24
America and this great Commonwealth, observances are held to increase public 25
awareness of the importance of Black history and the contributions that African 26
Americans have made toward this county; and 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 1699
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WHEREAS, in 2024, the Kentucky Black Legislative Caucus and all Kentuckians 1
pause to recognize and reflect on the accomplishments African Americans have made in 2
this Commonwealth and across the nation throughout each year and throughout the 3
history of this nation, and in so doing we commemorate our 20th annual Black History 4
Celebration; and 5
WHEREAS, John A. Hardin, Ph.D., will serve as this year's keynote speaker. 6
During his 27 years at Western Kentucky University, Dr. Hardin has held positions as a 7
faculty member, Assistant Dean, and as Assistant to the Provost for Diversity 8
Enhancement. He was appointed as Professor Emeritus of History at WKU in 2018. Dr. 9
Hardin is a published author of three books and has served as an elected member of the 10
Governing Board of the Kentucky Historical Society and as an appointed member and 11
vice-chair of the Kentucky African-American Heritage Commission. His research focuses 12
on 20th Century African American history, and in 2015, he was one of three general 13
editors of the Kentucky African American Encyclopedia, published by the University 14
Press of Kentucky; and 15
WHEREAS, speakers for the event also include Governor Andy Beshear, Chief 16
Justice Laurance B. VanMeter, legislative leaders, and members of the Black Legislative 17
Caucus; and 18
WHEREAS, we all recognize that Black history is American history; and 19
WHEREAS, not only during the month of February but throughout the year, it is 20
important that we know our history to beneficially meet the challenges of now, and, into 21
the future, we must understand what brought us to this moment; and 22
WHEREAS, the citizens of this great Commonwealth should recommit themselves 23
to an ideal America where equality and justice will always prevail, and to the principles 24
of love, wisdom, and compassion toward one another; 25
NOW, THEREFORE, 26
Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 1699
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Kentucky: 1
Section 1. The members of the Senate, individually and collectively, hereby 2
celebrate Black History and the 20th annual Black History Celebration, and: 3
(1) Acknowledge that all people of this Commonwealth and the United States are 4
the recipients of the wealth of history provided by Black culture; 5
(2) Recognize the importance of Black history as an opportunity to reflect on the 6
complex history, while remaining hopeful and confident about the path ahead; 7
(3) Acknowledge the significance of the Black history as an important 8
opportunity to commemorate the tremendous contributions of African Americans to the 9
history of the United States and this great Commonwealth; 10
(4) Encourage the celebration of Black history to provide a continuing 11
opportunity for all people to learn from the past and understand the experiences that have 12
shaped the United States and this great Commonwealth; and 13
(5) Move forward with purpose, united tirelessly as a nation "indivisible, with 14
liberty and justice for all." 15
Section 2. The Clerk of the Senate is directed to transmit a copy of this 16
Resolution to Senator Gerald A. Neal. 17