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2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE
March 16, 2021 - Introduced by Senators Johnson, Carpenter, Smith, Agard,
Wirch, Ringhand, Erpenbach, Roys and Larson, cosponsored by
Representatives Stubbs, Bowen, Haywood, L. Myers, Baldeh, Drake, Moore
Omokunde
, Shankland, Milroy, Hebl, S. Rodriguez, Andraca, Snodgrass,
Ohnstad, Vruwink, Pope, Ortiz-Velez, Doyle, Hesselbein, Neubauer,
Subeck, Hong, Cabrera, Spreitzer, Shelton, Anderson, Riemer, Goyke,
Vining, Brostoff, Conley, McGuire and Emerson. Referred to Committee on
Senate Organization.
SJR20,1,2 1Relating to: proclaiming February 2021 as Black History Month and honoring past
2and current black legislators.
SJR20,1,53 Whereas, Black History Month provides a deliberate opportunity to reflect on
4the common humanity underlying all people and to raise awareness and foster
5respect for the heritage and contributions of people of African descent; and
SJR20,1,116 Whereas, this year marks over 400 years since the arrival of enslaved Africans
7in Virginia. The existence of Africans in North America can be traced back to 1525,
8and through 1866 the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade is estimated to have ensnared
9more than 12 million African people, with an estimated 10 million surviving the
10unconscionable Middle Passage, landing in North America, the Caribbean, and
11South America; and
SJR20,1,1412 Whereas, Wisconsin history first references African descendants in a speech
13given in 1725 by a chief of the Illinois Indians, in which he said, “a negro belonging
14to Monsieur de Boisbriant" at Green Bay; and
SJR20,2,4
1Whereas, the United States has recognized black history annually since
2February 12, 1926, first as “Negro History Week" and later as “Black History Month,"
3by noted Harvard scholar and historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson, celebrating the
4ethnic and racial diversity that enriches and strengthens our nation; and
SJR20,2,95 Whereas, both enslaved and free people of African descent have participated in
6every aspect of America's effort to secure, protect, and advance the cause of freedom
7and civil rights, and have stories that are an inspiration to all citizens, that reflect
8the triumph of the human spirit, and offer the hopes of everyday people to rise above
9both prejudice and circumstance and to build lives of dignity; and
SJR20,2,1110 Whereas, people of African descent or African Americans have made
11measurable differences in their respective industries, such as:
SJR20,2,12 12Professional trailblazers
SJR20,2,13 13Naomi Carter—first African American nurse in Madison;
SJR20,2,15 14Grant Gordon—first African American principal in Milwaukee and is active
15in the NAACP;
SJR20,2,17 16Dr. Kwasi Obeng—first African American to serve as chief of staff for the
17Madison Common Council;
SJR20,2,19 18Judson Walter Minor Jr.—first Black police officer to serve in the Milwaukee
19Police Department;
SJR20,2,21 20Vernice E Chenault Gallimore—first Black police woman to serve in the
21Milwaukee Police Department;
SJR20,2,22 22community leaders
SJR20,2,23 23Linda Hoskins—former NAACP of Madison president;
SJR20,2,25 24Sabrina Madison—Black Women's Wellness pioneer of change in Black
25Women's Health and Black Women's Leadership Development;
SJR20,3,2
1John Givens III—NAACP Youth Council advisor and chair of the Milwaukee
2Council on Racial Equality;
SJR20,3,3 3Ali Muldrow—Madison School Board member;
SJR20,3,5 4Torre Johnson Sr.—founder of X-Men United and community and youth
5advocate;
SJR20,3,7 6Gab Taylor—cofounder of Program the Parks and member of Standing Up for
7Racial Justice MKE;
SJR20,3,8 8Amani Latimer Burris—small business owner and journalist;
SJR20,3,9 9Detria Hassel—former Health Committee chair, NAACP of Madison;
SJR20,3,10 10activists and organizations
SJR20,3,12 11Khalil Coleman—law enforcement reform activist, founder of CLTC, and
12author;
SJR20,3,14 13Vaun Mayes—Milwaukee community activist and founder of Parks MKE, a
14nonprofit organization;
SJR20,3,19 15The People's Revolution—Black Lives Matter and government
16accountability organization; a global network that builds power to bring justice,
17healing, and freedom to Black people across the globe, whose activism includes
18marching for over 250 consecutive days, the most since the civil rights and fair
19housing movements of the 1960s;
SJR20,3,21 20Tory Lowe—Wisconsin community activist and member of the Speaker's Task
21Force on Racial Disparities;
SJR20,3,23 22Tracey Dent—activist, Coalition Against Hate, and CEO of the Peace for
23Change Alliance;
SJR20,3,25 24Rebecca Burrell—Wisconsin community activist and member of the
25Speaker's Task Force on Racial Disparities;
SJR20,4,1
1Mattie Reese—community activist;
SJR20,4,2 2Sadie Pearson—grassroots community activist;
SJR20,4,3 3athlete
SJR20,4,5 4Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron—professional baseball player for the Milwaukee
5Braves and Brewers;
SJR20,4,6 6religious leader
SJR20,4,8 7Dr. Apostle Bishop Godfrey A. Stubbs—Senior Pastor of End Times
8Ministries International;
SJR20,4,9 9government officials
SJR20,4,11 10Vice President Kamala Devi Harris—first woman and African American
11vice president of the United States;
SJR20,4,13 12Stacey Yvonne Abrams—American politician, lawyer, voting rights activist,
13and author who served in the Georgia House of Representatives;
SJR20,4,14 14victims and families of police brutality
SJR20,4,18 15Jacob Blake Jr., Jacob Blake Sr., and Justin Blake—a Black father of
16three who was shot in the back seven times by a Kenosha police officer in front of his
17children, and his father and uncle, who have taken on public advocacy roles for police
18reform;
SJR20,4,21 19Tony Robinson—an unarmed 19-year-old Madison young Black man who
20was killed by Madison police during a “check person” call placed by his concerned
21friends and bystanders;
SJR20,4,23 22Alvin Cole—a 17-year-old Black teenager who was shot and killed by
23Wauwatosa police while on his hands and knees;
SJR20,4,25 24Sylville Smith—a 23-year-old Black father of one who was shot in the back
25and killed by Milwaukee police following a traffic stop for “suspicious behavior”;
SJR20,5,3
1Dontre Hamilton—an unarmed 31-year-old Black Milwaukee man with
2mental illness who was shot 14 times and killed by Milwaukee police after being
3checked on three times in one day for sleeping in a park;
SJR20,5,6 4Jay Anderson, Jr.—a 25-year-old Black man who was shot and killed by
5Wauwatosa police during an after-hours loitering check after being woken up from
6trying to sleep off intoxication in his car;
SJR20,5,9 7Daniel Bell—a 22-year-old Black Milwaukee man who was shot and killed by
8Milwaukee police following a traffic stop in 1958. Milwaukee police planted a knife
9on Bell's body at the scene and attempted to cover up the shooting for decades;
SJR20,5,14 10Ernest Lacy—a 22-year-old Black Milwaukee man who was arrested in 1981
11in a case of mistaken identity, who died in police custody after having a knee placed
12on his back by officers. This led to one of the few times Wisconsin legislators worked
13on bipartisan police reform legislation (Lacy's Law) to require that police seek
14medical help for anyone in their custody; and
SJR20,5,2015 Whereas, while acknowledging the work of these leaders, it is equally critical
16to appreciate, both past and present, the long list of contributions of our fellow
17citizens; Black History Month gives Wisconsinites an occasion to recognize the
18significant influence people of African heritage have made, and continue to make, in
19the areas of medicine, art, politics, human rights, education, sports, and economic
20development; now, therefore, be it
SJR20,5,24 21Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That the Wisconsin
22Legislature recognizes February 2021 as Black History Month, extends appreciation
23to the above-named persons for their contributions to the state of Wisconsin, the
24country, and their fellow citizens, and honors past and current black legislators.
SJR20,5,2525 (End)
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