Black history month

WHEREAS, Nearly 100 years ago, in 1926, Dr. Carter Woodson 1
advocated that we set aside a special period in February to recognize 2
the history, heritage, and achievements of Black people in the United 3
States; and 4
WHEREAS, In the bicentennial year of 1976, 50 years after Woodson 5
gave birth to the idea, President Gerald Ford expanded the period 6
from a weeklong observance to the entire month of February, urging 7
all Americans to "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often 8
neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of 9
endeavor throughout our history"; and 10
WHEREAS, Today, in 2025, these types of observances recognizing 11
the contributions and histories of people from a variety of groups 12
and communities are critical to ensure that their histories are no 13
longer obscured, hidden, silenced, or erased; and 14
WHEREAS, The Black History Month 2025 theme, "African Americans 15
and Labor," reflects on the relationship between Black people's work 16
and their workplaces; and 17
WHEREAS, This country was built and enriched by hundreds of years 18
of free, forced labor from Black people during slavery; and 19
WHEREAS, Black people have patriotically fought for this country 20
in every war since its founding, even without full citizenship; and21
WHEREAS, Black people often had their work stolen or others have 22
profited from it without credit; and 23
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2025-4620, by Representative Donaghy
p. 1 HR 4620
WHEREAS, Black people's labor, and their allies', was critical to 1
the expansion of the right to vote, access to a quality education, 2
safe housing, and fair wages for all people; and 3
WHEREAS, The struggle of Black people in this country is one that 4
seeks for all people to be rewarded based on their hard work and 5
merit and ability, rather than judged and held back because of an 6
immutable characteristic; and 7
WHEREAS, The fight for inclusion, justice, and equity in all 8
aspects of American life still continues today; and 9
WHEREAS, Black History Month is an opportunity to learn about, 10
thank, and be inspired by all those who came before us and believed 11
in the promise of the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of 12
happiness and have never given up on that promise and have worked for 13
centuries to achieve it; and 14
WHEREAS, We can reflect on the contributions of Black labor 15
leaders who have fought for the rights of all workers here in 16
Washington State, including Tyree Scott, Jacquie Jones-Walsh, 17
Frederick Simmons, and many others, including those who continue to 18
lead the labor movement across our state today; and19
WHEREAS, Black culture is American culture, Black history is 20
American history, and Black history is happening right now; and21
WHEREAS, The Washington Legislature can be proud to have Black 22
representation since its first session, and today has the largest 23
legislative Black caucus on the West Coast; 24
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House 25
of Representatives hereby honor and celebrate Black History Month and 26
recognize the legacy and innumerable contributions of Black Americans 27
to our communities, the state of Washington, and the United States of 28
America, not only in February but throughout the whole year; and 29
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Washington State House of 30
Representatives encourages the celebration of Black History Month in 31
our schools and universities, and in our communities and 32
neighborhoods, to foster a better understanding of that history and 33
its significance here in Washington and throughout this great nation.34
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I hereby certify this to be a true and correct copy of36
Resolution 4620 adopted by the House of Representatives37
February 20, 2025 38
p. 2 HR 4620
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__________________________ 5
Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk 6
p. 3 HR 4620