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A RESOLUTION commemorating the 100th anniversary of Black History Month. 1
WHEREAS, Africans were first brought involuntarily to the shores of the United 2
States as early as the 17th century; and 3
WHEREAS, African Americans suffered enslavement and subsequently faced the 4
injustices of lynch mobs, segregation, and denial of the basic and fundamental rights of 5
citizenship; and 6
WHEREAS, in 2026, the vestiges of those injust ices and inequalities remain 7
evident in the society of the United States; and 8
WHEREAS, even though race, and thus the designations of "negro," "Black," 9
"colored," and "African American," has been recognized as a construct originally built to 10
separate and d isenfranchise people based on skin color that was associated with people 11
originating from the African continent, there is a shared culture derived from that history 12
that should be seen and elevated; and 13
WHEREAS, every February, the United States acknowledg es and honors that 14
African Americans, through their contributions and sacrifices, have played an indelible 15
role in shaping this country; and 16
WHEREAS, in 1915, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, known as the "father of Black 17
history," first set out to designate a time to promote and educate people about Black 18
history and culture, as he believed that history created by Black people, despite attempts 19
to limit their potential, is a critical part of American history; and 20
WHEREAS, Dr. Woodson had ties to the Commonwealth, working in the Kentucky 21
coal mines as a child. The son of former slaves, he enrolled in high school at the age of 22
20 and went on to graduate from Berea College with a bachelor's degree, received his 23
master's degree from the University of Chicago, and earned a Ph.D. from Harvard 24
University, where he was one of the first scholars to study African American history; and 25
WHEREAS, Dr. Woodson founded the organization now known as the Association 26
for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), galvanizing fellow 27
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historians to envision a weeklong celebration to encourage the coordinated teaching of 1
Black history in public schools because it was not woven into the fabric of the American 2
history taught year-round; and 3
WHEREAS, in 1926, Dr. Woodson was successful in creating Negro History 4
Week, celebrated during the second week of February, as it coincided with the bi rthdays 5
of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, both of whom ensured emancipation; and 6
WHEREAS, Dr. Woodson believed that Negro History Week would not place 7
limitations on but would focus and broaden the nation's consciousness of the importance 8
of learning Black history and make the celebration of Black history in the academic field 9
of history a serious area of study; and 10
WHEREAS, by the late 1960s, due to demonstrations concerning racial injustice, 11
inequality, and poverty during the Civil Rights Movemen t, Negro History Week evolved 12
into what is now known as Black History Month; and 13
WHEREAS, calling upon Americans to "seize the opportunity to honor the too -14
often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor 15
throughout our history, " in 1976, President Gerald R. Ford officially recognized Black 16
History Month during the nation's bicentennial; and 17
WHEREAS, the ASALH celebrates its 111th anniversary this year and the 100th 18
anniversary of Negro History Week and consequently Black History Month. The theme 19
for the 2026 Black History Month is "A Century of Black History Commemorations"; 20
and 21
WHEREAS, as part of the global African diaspora, people of African descent in the 22
United States have viewed their role in history as critical to their ow n development and 23
that of the world. Along with writing Black histories, Black scholars started observing the 24
milestones in the struggle of people of African descent to gain their freedom and equality. 25
Revealing their connection to the diaspora, they comme morated the Haitian Revolution, 26
the end of the slave trade, and the end of slavery in Jamaica. They observed American 27
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emancipation with Watch Night, Jubilee Day, and Juneteenth celebrations. The scholar 1
Arthur A. Schomburg captured the motivation of Black people to dig up their own history 2
and present it to the world: "The American Negro must remake his past in order to make 3
his future" ; and 4
WHEREAS, in the face of injustices, people of good will and of all races in the 5
United States have distinguished the mselves with a commitment to the noble ideals on 6
which the United States was founded and have fought courageously for the rights and 7
freedom of African Americans and others; and 8
WHEREAS, the contributions of African Americans from all walks of life 9
throughout the history of the United States reflect the greatness of the United States; and 10
WHEREAS, many African Americans lived, toiled, and died in obscurity, never 11
achieving the recognition those individuals deserved, and yet they paved the way for 12
future generations to succeed; and 13
WHEREAS, African Americans continue to serve the United States at the highest 14
levels of business, government, and the military; and 15
WHEREAS, during the month of February 2026, across the United States of 16
America and this great Comm onwealth, observances are held to increase public 17
awareness of the importance of Black history and the contributions that African 18
Americans have made toward this country; and 19
WHEREAS, in 2026, the Kentucky Black Legislative Caucus and all Kentuckians 20
pause to recognize and reflect on the accomplishments African Americans have made in 21
this Commonwealth and across the nation throughout each year and throughout the 22
history of this nation, and in so doing we commemorate the 100th anniversary of Black 23
History Month; and 24
WHEREAS, we all recognize that Black history is American history; and 25
WHEREAS, not only during the month of February but throughout the year, it is 26
important that we know our history to beneficially meet the challenges of now, and, into 27
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the future, we must understand what brought us to this moment; and 1
WHEREAS, the citizens of this great Commonwealth should recommit themselves 2
to an ideal America where equality and justice will always prevail, and to the principles 3
of love, wisdom, and compassion toward one another; 4
NOW, THEREFORE, 5
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the 6
Commonwealth of Kentucky: 7
Section 1. The members of the House of Representatives, individually and 8
collectively, hereby commemorate the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, and: 9
(1) Acknowledge that all people of this Commonwealth and the United States are 10
the recipients of the wealth of history provided by Black culture; 11
(2) Recognize the importance of Black history as an opportunity to reflect on the 12
complex history, while remaining hopeful and confident about the path ahead; 13
(3) Acknowledge the significance of Black history as an i mportant opportunity to 14
commemorate the tremendous contributions of African Americans to the history of the 15
United States and this great Commonwealth; 16
(4) Encourage the celebration of Black history to provide a continuing 17
opportunity for all people to learn from the past and understand the experiences that have 18
shaped the United States and this great Commonwealth; and 19
(5) Move forward with purpose, united tirelessly as a nation "indivisible, with 20
liberty and justice for all." 21
Section 2. The Clerk of the House of Representatives is directed to transmit a 22
copy of this Resolution to Representative George Brown, the members of Kentucky's 23
congressional delegation, President Donald J. Trump, and Vice President J.D. Vance. 24