Assembly Resolution No. 933
BY: M. of A. Heastie
MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
February 2026, as Black History Month in the State
of New York
WHEREAS, Black History Month serves as an opportunity to recognize
and celebrate the ingenuity, achievements, contributions, and resilience
of African Americans throughout history; and
WHEREAS, It is essential to recognize some of the most integral
parts of Black history, including the struggles; and
WHEREAS, The Civil War was a defining moment in American history,
fought over the issue of slavery, leading to the eventual liberation of
millions of African Americans; and
WHEREAS, The Emancipation Proclamation, signed by President Abraham
Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declared that all enslaved individuals in
Confederate-held territories were to be freed, marking a critical step
toward the abolition of slavery; and
WHEREAS, The passage of the 13th Amendment to the United States
Constitution on December 6, 1865, formally abolished slavery in the
United States, securing the freedom of African Americans and paving the
way for future civil rights advancements; and
WHEREAS, In the face of enslavement, segregation, and
discrimination, Black Americans built institutions, advanced knowledge,
preserved culture, and generated ideas that have profoundly shaped the
economic, scientific, artistic, and moral foundations of this Nation;
and
WHEREAS, Black History Month was originally established as Negro
History Week in 1926 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a historian and educator;
the celebration was later expanded to a month-long observance,
recognized nationally each February to honor the enduring and profound
impact of African Americans on the history, culture, and progress of the
United States; and
WHEREAS, Black resilience has also been a driving force in the
progress and expansion of democracy and civil rights in the United
States; the Civil Rights Movement stands as one of the greatest
testaments to Black ingenuity and determination, as African Americans
organized visionary legal strategies, built powerful grassroots
coalitions, and employed innovative forms of resistance that reshaped
the moral and political landscape of the United States; and
WHEREAS, The Civil Rights Movement was propelled by the brilliance
and determination of leaders such as the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr., whose moral vision and strategic nonviolent resistance galvanized a
national movement; Rosa Parks, whose courageous refusal to surrender her
seat ignited the Montgomery Bus Boycott; John Lewis, whose unwavering
commitment to justice and leadership on the front lines of the Freedom
Rides and the Selma marches expanded voting rights nationwide; Ella
Baker, whose visionary organizing models empowered grassroots leadership
and fueled the Civil Rights Movement; Bayard Rustin, whose strategic
mastery was central to the success of the 1963 March on Washington; A.
Philip Randolph, whose pioneering leadership in the labor movement and
founding of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters linked economic
justice to civil rights and helped lay the groundwork for national civil
rights mobilization; and Fannie Lou Hamer, whose fearless advocacy for
voting rights expanded democratic participation and inspired national
reform; and
WHEREAS, Black ingenuity has always been a defining force in shaping
this Nation , exemplified by innovators such as Garrett Morgan, who
invented the three-position traffic signal and the safety hood that
saved countless lives; Dr. Charles Drew, who revolutionized modern
medicine through his breakthroughs in blood banking and plasma storage;
George Washington Carver, who developed hundreds of agricultural
innovations that transformed American farming; Benjamin Banneker, who
built one of the first American clocks and contributed to the surveying
of Washington, D.C.; Madam C.J. Walker, the first woman to become a
self-made millionaire in the United States, created a national hair-care
enterprise and one of the earliest networks of Black women
entrepreneurs; Lonnie Johnson, a NASA engineer and prolific inventor
known for the Super Soaker and more than 100 patents; all of these
individuals and more embody the creativity, brilliance, and
transformative impact of Black Americans throughout history; and
WHEREAS, The creativity of Black Americans is equally reflected in
the cultural, artistic, and musical contributions that have shaped the
Nation, including the fact that jazz, one of America's most influential
and enduring art forms, was created by Black musicians, as seen in the
work of Louis Armstrong, whose music and talent transformed the genre,
and Duke Ellington, who redefined orchestral composition and globalized
Black musical traditions; and
WHEREAS, Across generations, Black artists have shaped every major
genre of American music from blues, gospel, and jazz, to rock, pop, R&B,
and soul; Black musicians continued to innovate, creating new musical
forms, including rap and hip-hop, which emerged as transformative genres
and global cultural movements pioneered by visionaries such as DJ Kool
Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, The Sugarhill Gang,
Run-D.M.C., Public Enemy, and Queen Latifah, among others; and
WHEREAS, In literature, the voices of Black authors and literary
giants have long served as a conscience for the Nation, offering
narratives that challenge, inspire, and reveal profound truths about
American life, including the work of Zora Neale Hurston, whose
anthropological and literary brilliance preserved Black folklore and
reshaped American literature; James Baldwin, whose insightful essays,
novels, and moral clarity challenged the Nation to confront the
realities of race, identity, and democracy; Maya Angelou, whose poetry,
memoirs, and activism gave voice to the Black experience and broadened
the scope of American literature; and Toni Morrison, who made literary
history as the first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize in
Literature in 1993; and
WHEREAS, In recent decades, Black Americans have continued to drive
innovation and shape the modern world, as demonstrated by Robert L.
Johnson, who became the first Black male billionaire after founding
Black Entertainment Television (BET), transforming representation in
television and entertainment; Sheila Johnson, a co-founder of BET and a
pioneering business leader in hospitality and sports; Dr. Kizzmekia
Corbett, whose scientific expertise was central to the development of
the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine; and Rihanna, whose Fenty brands
revolutionized beauty and fashion through inclusive design and became
the youngest self-made Black female billionaire; and
WHEREAS, Black athletes have transformed American sports and global
athletics; from Jesse Owens, whose four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics
defied racism on the world stage, to Jackie Robinson, who broke Major
League Baseball's color barrier in 1947, and boxing champion, Muhammad
Ali, whose unmatched skill and moral courage made him one of the most
influential and decorated athletes in history; this legacy of excellence
continues through modern champions such as Serena Williams, one of the
most dominant tennis players of all time; Simone Biles, the most
decorated American gymnast in history; and contemporary stars across
basketball, football, track, and beyond, including LeBron James, Stephen
Curry, Gabby Thomas, and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who carry forward a
tradition of athletic excellence, cultural impact, and leadership on and
off the field; and
WHEREAS, The legacy of trailblazers in civil rights, politics,
science, and space has paved the way for new milestones in the arts,
global culture, and sports, demonstrating the enduring impact of Black
achievement across time; and
WHEREAS, Black History Month affirms that Black history is American
history, and recognizes that the struggles, triumphs, and contributions
of Black Americans are deeply rooted in the American dream and woven
into the very fabric of this Nation's story; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body commends the African-American
community for preserving, for future generations, its centuries-old
traditions that benefit us all and add to the color and beauty of the
tapestry which is our American society; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim February 2026, as Black
History Month in the State of New York; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York; and to the events commemorating Black History Month throughout New
York State.
