WHEREAS, The history of African-Americans here in the United States, as well as throughout the ages, is indeed unique and vibrant, and it is appropriate to celebrate this history during the month of February 2004, which has been proclaimed as Black History Month; and

WHEREAS, The history of the United States is rich with inspirational stories of great men and noble women whose actions, words, and achievements have united Americans and contributed to the success and prosperity of the United States; and

WHEREAS, Among those Americans who have enriched our society are the members of the African-American community—individuals who have been steadfast in their commitment to promoting brotherhood, equality, and justice for all; and

WHEREAS, From the earliest days of the United States, the course of its history has been greatly influenced by Black heroes and pioneers in many diverse areas, from science, medicine, business, and education to government, industry, and social leadership; and

WHEREAS, Scholars and scientists generally accept that Africa is the continent where humankind first saw the light of day. Scientists believe that humans, therefore, began in Africa and migrated out to populate the other continents; and

WHEREAS, One of the first civilizations in the history of the world was Egypt, an empire that rose about six thousand years ago along the Nile River. The ancient Egyptians had developed a very complex religious system, called Mysteries, which was also the first system of salvation. In addition, it is understood that Egyptians, by their study of astronomy, discovered the solar year and were the first to divide it into 12 parts. The Egyptians were also the architects of the great pyramids of Egypt; and

WHEREAS, During the first millennium, the Catholic Church had three popes who were either from Africa or of African descent: Saint Victor I (189–99), Saint Miltiades (311–14), and Saint Gelasius I (492–96); and

WHEREAS, The slave trade was a tragic episode in African history and began before August 1619 when the first slaves arrived in Jamestown, Virginia. During the course of the slave trade, an estimated 50 million African men, women, and children were lost to their native continent, though only about 15 million arrived safely to a new home. The others lost their lives on African soil or along the Guinea coast, or finally in holds on the ships during the dreaded Middle Passage across the Atlantic Ocean; and

WHEREAS, In spite of the African slave trade, many Africans and African-Americans continued to move forward in society; during the Reconstruction period, two African-Americans served in the United States Senate and 14 sat in the House of Representatives; and

WHEREAS, The first American to shed blood in the revolution that freed America from British rule was Crispus Attucks (March 5, 1770, Boston Massacre), an African-American seaman and slave. African-Americans also fought in wars including the Battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775, Ticonderoga, White Plains, Bennington, Brandywine, Saratoga, Savannah, Yorktown, Bunker Hill, the Battle of Rhode Island on August 29, 1775, and other revolutionary war battles, the War of 1812, including the Battle of New Orleans, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, Korea, and Vietnam; and

WHEREAS, Africans and African-Americans have also been great inventors, inventing such things as the air-conditioning unit, almanac, automatic gear shift, blood plasma bag, clothes dryer, doorknob, doorstop, electric lamp bulb, elevator, fire escape ladder, fountain pen, gas mask, golf tee, horseshoe, lantern, lawnmower, lawn sprinkler, lock, lubricating cup, refrigerating apparatus, spark plug, stethoscope, telephone transmitter, thermostat control, traffic signal, and typewriter; and

WHEREAS, A number of these brave and accomplished individuals, such as Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver, Matthew Hansen, Daniel Hale Williams, Dr. Charles Drew, Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens, Curt Flood, Medgar Evers, and, of course, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., are noted prominently in the history books of students nationwide, thus enabling them to learn about the important and lasting contributions of these individuals; now, therefore, be it