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2023 ASSEMBLY JOINT RESOLUTIO N 96
November 27, 2023 - Introduced by Representatives MYERS, ARMSTRONG, CONLEY,
DRAKE, ORTIZ-VELEZ, STUBBS, ANDRACA and SINICKI, cosponsored by Senator
TAYLOR. Referred to Committee on Rules.
***AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***
Relating to: proclaiming November 2023 as Black Catholic History Month.
Whereas, in 1990, the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus of the United
States designated November as Black Catholic History Month to recognize and
foster respect for the lives and contributions of Catholics of African descent; and
Whereas, All Saints' Day, observed on November 1, invites people to remember
venerable saints of African descent such as St. Martin de Porres, St. Benedict the
Moor, and St. Augustine; and
Whereas, All Souls' Day, observed on November 2, invites people to remember
the estimated two million enslaved Africans who lost their lives due to inhumane
treatment during the Middle Passage crossing of the Atlantic Ocean; and
Whereas, Catholics of African descent have lived in the Americas for as long as
Catholics have lived in the Americas, with Congolese Catholics being among the first
enslaved peoples brought to the British colonies; and
Whereas, there are now an estimated three million Black Catholics living in the
United States; and
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Whereas, after centuries of struggling for recognition within their own church,
Black American Catholics formed several new Black Catholic organizations,
including the Knights of Peter Claver, the National Black Sisters' Conference, the
National Black Catholic Seminarians Association, and the National Association of
Black Catholic Deacons. In 1968, the Black Catholic Clergy Caucus was created to
protest white supremacy; and
Whereas, through the Black Catholic Movement, as this collective action
became known, Black American Catholics were not only able to establish their own
leadership and cultural identity within the faith, but also to push religious
communities to begin reckoning with its history of racism; and
Whereas, that work continues, with the United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops recently issuing a pastoral letter calling for church members to acknowledge
“the scourge of racism” and work to stop the racial inequality established by slavery
and perpetuated for generations against African Americans by wage theft, Jim Crow
laws, and the systemic denial of access to wealth-building opportunities, such as
securing home loans; and
Whereas, although there are currently no Black American saints, there are six
widely revered Black American Catholics who are advancing toward sainthood as a
result of their remarkable kindness, generosity, and devoted faith: Venerable Pierre
Toussaint, Venerable Mary Elizabeth Lange, Venerable Henriette Delille, Venerable
Augustus Tolton, Julia Greeley, and Sr. Thea Bowman; and
Whereas, Milwaukee resident Dr. Shawnee Daniels-Sykes, who passed away
on October 31, 2022, promoted ethics, social justice, and human rights through
intellectual, theological, and moral discussions and research rooted in her expertise
as the only Black Catholic female theological bioethicist in the nation; and
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Whereas, the role of Black Catholics in the United States continues to evolve
and their positive contributions to the church and the culture at large are
undeniable; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the assembly, the senate concurring, That the Wisconsin
Legislature recognizes November 2023 as Black Catholic History Month.
(END)
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