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2019 - 2020 LEGISLATURE
February 12, 2019 - Introduced by Representatives Vos and Steineke. Referred to
Committee on Rules.
AJR5,1,1 1Relating to: proclaiming February 2019 as Black History Month.
AJR5,1,42 Whereas, Black History Month provides a deliberate opportunity to reflect on
3the common humanity underlying all people and to raise awareness and foster
4respect for the heritage and contributions of people of African descent; and
AJR5,1,105 Whereas, this year marks 400 years since the arrival of enslaved Africans in
6Virginia. The existence of Africans in North America can be traced back to 1525, and
7through 1866 the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade is estimated to have ensnared more
8than 12 million African people, with an estimated 10 million surviving the
9unconscionable Middle Passage, landing in North America, the Caribbean, and
10South America; and
AJR5,1,1311 Whereas, Wisconsin history first references African descendants in a speech
12given in 1725 by a chief of the Illinois Indians, in which he said “a negro belonging
13to Monsieur de Boisbriant" at Green Bay; and
AJR5,2,214 Whereas, the United States has recognized black history annually since
15February 12, 1926, first as “Negro History Week" and later as “Black History Month,"

1by noted Harvard scholar and historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson, celebrating the
2ethnic and racial diversity that enriches and strengthens our nation; and
AJR5,2,73 Whereas, both enslaved and free people of African descent have participated in
4every aspect of America's effort to secure, protect, and advance the cause of freedom
5and civil rights and have stories that are an inspiration to all citizens, that reflect
6the triumph of the human spirit and offer the hopes of everyday people to rise above
7both prejudice and circumstance and to build lives of dignity; and
AJR5,2,98 Whereas, people of African descent or African Americans have made
9measurable differences in their respective industries, people such as:
AJR5,2,10 10 Mandela Barnes — Wisconsin's first African American Lieutenant Governor;
AJR5,2,12 11 Velvalea Hortense Rodgers “Vel” Phillips — the first African American to
12serve as Secretary of State of Wisconsin;
AJR5,2,14 13 Lucien H. Palmer — Wisconsin's first black legislator, elected in 1906 to the
14state Assembly;
AJR5,2,16 15 Le Roy J. Simmons — Wisconsin's second black legislator, elected in 1944 to
16the state Assembly;
AJR5,2,19 17 George Edwin Taylor — Former Wisconsin resident and African American
18who ran for the office of President of the United States in 1904, as a candidate of the
19National Negro Liberty Party;
AJR5,2,21 20 James “Jim” Caldwell — Beloit native, NFL coach (Indianapolis Colts from
212009-2011 leading the team to the playoffs four times, Detroit Lions 2014-2017);
AJR5,2,25 22 Dr. Daniel Hale Williams — African American cardiologist that performed the
23first successful open heart surgery in the world, founded Provident Hospital, the first
24nonsegregated hospital in the United States, set up the first nursing school for
25blacks, born a free black person in 1856;
AJR5,3,2
1 Violette Neatly Anderson — First black woman to argue a case before the U.S.
2Supreme Court in 1926;
AJR5,3,7 3 Milele Chikasa Anana — Publisher, UMOJA Magazine, a monthly journal of
4positive, encouraging news about African American people and opportunities in
5Madison, a civil rights activist, business leader, and former city of Madison
6affirmative action officer, and the first African American elected to the Madison
7school board;
AJR5,3,11 8 The Oshkosh 94 — November 21, 1968, 94 African American students at the
9then Wisconsin State University-Oshkosh engaged in dramatic demonstrations
10directed toward campus administrators when their requests for equal rights on
11campus were ignored;
AJR5,3,15 12 Eric Von — Long serving and influential former voice of black talk radio,
13journalist and broadcaster for Radio One, WNOV-AM (860), WMCS-AM (1290), and
14WISN Channel 12, and the founder of the online men's health magazine Brain,
15Brawn & Body;
AJR5,3,17 16 Arthur Jones — Milwaukee's 16th Chief of Police and the first African
17American to serve in this capacity;
AJR5,3,20 18 Reggie Jackson — Head Griot of America's Black Holocaust Museum,
19historian and researcher on Milwaukee's history of institutional segregation, the
20effects of systemic racism, and the reality of modern segregation;
AJR5,3,23 21 Milele Coggs — Attorney, City of Milwaukee Alderwoman, youngest woman
22ever elected to Milwaukee's Common Council and the first African American female
23to ever serve as chair of the powerful Finance and Personnel Committee;
AJR5,4,4 24 Gerard Randall — Executive Director of the Milwaukee Education
25Partnership, former CEO of the Private Industry Council, former member and Vice

1President of the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents, and currently
2board member of Cardinal Stritch University, the Milwaukee Public Museum, the
3Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership, VISIT Milwaukee, and the
4Wisconsin Arts Board;
AJR5,4,8 5 Lisa Peyton Caire — Founded The Foundation for Black Women's Wellness,
6a Wisconsin-based nonprofit organization committed to eliminating health
7disparities and other barriers impacting the lives of African American women and
8girls;
AJR5,4,10 9 James Causey — Editorial writer, columnist, and reporter for the Milwaukee
10Journal Sentinel;
AJR5,4,12 11 Carolyn Stanford Taylor — Wisconsin's first African American State
12Superintendent of the Department of Public Instruction;
AJR5,4,16 13 Curtiss Harris — Business leadership, served the African American Chamber
14of Commerce, the Minority Business Opportunity Committee, The Milwaukee
15Forum, Milwaukee's Minority Business Enterprise Committee, and Milwaukee
16Black Business;
AJR5,4,19 17 Dr. Alex Gee — Pastor, author, pioneered the Nehemiah Center for Urban
18Leadership Development, developing and mobilizing emerging African American
19leaders;
AJR5,4,21 20 Satchel Paige — First African American pitcher to be inducted into the
21Baseball Hall of Fame;
AJR5,4,23 22 Condoleezza Rice — First and only female National Security Advisor and first
23African American female Secretary of State;
AJR5,5,3
1 Reuben Harpole Jr. — Civil rights activist, community educator, launched the
2Freedom Schools to keep students of color engaged in education during the boycotts
3to protest racial segregation in Milwaukee Public Schools;
AJR5,5,6 4 Mark Wade Sr. — Business leadership (General Mitchell International
5Airport concessionaire, All-Star Honda dealership, restaurateur), board chair –
6African World Festival, philanthropist;
AJR5,5,10 7 Chandra Cooper — Founder and CEO of Grateful Girls, a nonprofit that
8provides services and housing for young women who have been sex-trafficked,
9business owner of a communications and entertainment company, a childcare center,
10and a retail store;
AJR5,5,16 11 Kevin Newell — CEO of Royal Capital Group, prior roles in public finance led
12to an allocation of over $200 million in federal and state resources as the senior
13underwriter and to the deployment of the largest single allocation of federal tax
14credits in U.S. history, and in a separate transaction led the deployment of the first
15pairing of the low-income housing tax credit and new markets tax credit in
16Wisconsin state's history;
AJR5,5,18 17 Marques Johnson — Seven-season veteran of the Milwaukee Bucks,
18five-time NBA All-Star, and whose jersey was recently retired;
AJR5,5,20 19 Marcia Anderson — First African American woman to rise to the rank of Major
20General in the U.S. Army Reserve; and
AJR5,5,22 21 Phil Cockroft — Milwaukee Fire Department, heavy equipment operator and
22emergency medical technician; and
AJR5,6,323 Whereas, while acknowledging the work of these leaders, it is equally critical
24to appreciate, both past and present, the long list of contributions of our fellow
25citizens, Black History Month gives Wisconsinites an occasion to recognize the

1significant influence people of African heritage have made, and continue to make, in
2the areas of medicine, art, politics, human rights, education, sports, and economic
3development; now, therefore, be it
AJR5,6,7 4Resolved by the assembly, the senate concurring, That the Wisconsin
5Legislature recognizes February 2019 as Black History Month and extends
6appreciation to the above-named persons for their contributions to the state of
7Wisconsin and the country and their fellow citizens.
AJR5,6,88 (End)
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