WHEREAS, Americans of African descent helped develop our nation in countless ways, those recognized, unrecognized, and unrecorded; and

WHEREAS, The contributions of Black American citizens as scientists, inventors, educators, farmers, homemakers, and explorers of earth and sky have been recognized annually during Black History Month; and

WHEREAS, The history and contributions of Black American citizens were consistently overlooked and undervalued in the curricula of public educational institutions prior to the Civil Rights Act of 1964; and

WHEREAS, Carter Goodwin Woodson, a Black historian, recognized these accomplishments and, on February 7, 1926, created one of the cultural landmarks of contemporary America, “Negro History Week;” and

WHEREAS, In the 1960’s, during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, “Negro History Week” was changed to “Black History Week,” and in 1976 was expanded to “Black History Month” as part of the national Bicentennial Celebration; and

WHEREAS, Innumerable Black citizens have contributed to the history of California, including the first Black citizen elected to the California Legislature, former Assembly Member Frederick Roberts, who served his constituents from 1918 to 1934; and

WHEREAS, The 1996 theme for Black History Month is “African-American Women: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow,” asking all Americans to remember the contributions that African-American women have made to this nation and this world, the battles fought, and the battles that must continue to be fought to ensure a place in history for African-American women and African-American men; now, therefore, be it