CMH:wlj
2019 - 2020 LEGISLATURE
February 12, 2019 - Introduced by Representatives Crowley, Anderson, Billings,
Bowen, Brostoff, Cabrera, Considine, Doyle, Emerson, Goyke, Gruszynski,
Haywood, Hebl, Hesselbein, Hintz, Kolste, Meyers, Milroy, Myers,
Neubauer, Ohnstad, Pope, Riemer, Sargent, Shankland, Sinicki, Spreitzer,
Stubbs, Stuck, Subeck, C. Taylor, Vining, Vruwink, Zamarripa and Fields.
AJR8,1,1 1Relating to: proclaiming February 2019 as Black History Month.
AJR8,1,42 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
AJR8,1,105 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
AJR8,1,1311 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
AJR8,2,214 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
AJR8,2,73 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
AJR8,2,98 Whereas, people of African descent or African Americans have made
9measurable differences in their respective industries, people such as:
AJR8,2,11 10 Lucien H. Palmer — Wisconsin's first black legislator, elected in 1906 to the
11state Assembly;
AJR8,2,13 12 Le Roy J. Simmons — Wisconsin's second black legislator, elected in 1944 to
13the state Assembly;
AJR8,2,16 14 George Edwin Taylor — Former Wisconsin resident and African American
15who ran for the office of President of the United States in 1904, as a candidate of the
16National Negro Liberty Party;
AJR8,2,18 17 James “Jim” Caldwell — Beloit native, NFL coach (Indianapolis Colts from
182009 to 2011 leading the team to the playoffs four times, Detroit Lions 2014-17);
AJR8,2,22 19 Dr. Daniel Hale Williams — African American cardiologist that performed the
20first successful open heart surgery in the world, founded Provident Hospital, the first
21nonsegregated hospital in the United States, set up the first nursing school for
22blacks, born a free black person in 1856;
AJR8,2,24 23 Violette Neatly Anderson — First black woman to argue a case before the U.S.
24Supreme Court in 1926;
AJR8,3,5
1 Milele Chikasa Anana — Publisher, UMOJA Magazine, a monthly journal of
2positive, encouraging news about African American people and opportunities in
3Madison, a civil rights activist, business leader, and former city of Madison
4affirmative action officer, and the first African American elected to the Madison
5school board;
AJR8,3,9 6 The Oshkosh 94 — November 21, 1968, 94 African American students at the
7then Wisconsin State University-Oshkosh engaged in dramatic demonstrations
8directed toward campus administrators when their requests for equal rights on
9campus were ignored;
AJR8,3,13 10 Eric Von — Long serving and influential former voice of black talk radio,
11journalist and broadcaster for Radio One, WNOV-AM (860), WMCS-AM (1290), and
12WISN Channel 12, and the founder of the online men's health magazine Brain,
13Brawn & Body;
AJR8,3,15 14 Arthur Jones — Milwaukee's 16th Chief of Police and the first African
15American to serve in this capacity;
AJR8,3,18 16 Reggie Jackson — Head Griot of America's Black Holocaust Museum,
17historian and researcher on Milwaukee's history of institutional segregation, the
18effects of systemic racism, and the reality of modern segregation;
AJR8,3,21 19 Milele Coggs — Attorney, City of Milwaukee Alderwoman, youngest woman
20ever elected to Milwaukee's Common Council and the first African American female
21to ever serve as chair of the powerful Finance and Personnel Committee;
AJR8,3,24 22 Colin Kaepernick — Milwaukee native, political activist and NFL
23quarterback, who formerly played with the San Francisco 49ers, who has sought to
24raise attention to racial injustice and systemic oppression;
AJR8,4,6
1 Gerard Randall — Executive Director of the Milwaukee Education
2Partnership, former CEO of the Private Industry Council, former member and Vice
3President of the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents, and currently
4board member of Cardinal Stritch University, the Milwaukee Public Museum, the
5Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership, VISIT Milwaukee, and the
6Wisconsin Arts Board;
AJR8,4,10 7 Lisa Peyton Caire — Founded The Foundation for Black Women's Wellness,
8a Wisconsin-based nonprofit organization committed to eliminating health
9disparities and other barriers impacting the lives of African American women and
10girls;
AJR8,4,12 11 James Causey — Editorial writer, columnist, and reporter for the Milwaukee
12Journal Sentinel;
AJR8,4,14 13 Carolyn Stanford Taylor — Wisconsin's first African American State
14Superintendent of the Department of Public Instruction;
AJR8,4,18 15 Curtiss Harris — Business leadership, served the African American Chamber
16of Commerce, the Minority Business Opportunity Committee, The Milwaukee
17Forum, Milwaukee's Minority Business Enterprise Committee, and Milwaukee
18Black Business;
AJR8,4,21 19 Dr. Alex Gee — Pastor, author, pioneered the Nehemiah Center for Urban
20Leadership Development, developing and mobilizing emerging African American
21leaders;
AJR8,4,23 22 Satchel Paige — First African American pitcher to be inducted into the
23Baseball Hall of Fame;
AJR8,4,25 24 Condoleezza Rice — First and only female National Security Advisor and first
25African American female Secretary of State;
AJR8,5,3
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;
AJR8,5,6 4 Mark Wade Sr. — Business leadership (General Mitchell International
5Airport concessionaire, All-Star Honda dealership, restaurateur), board chair –
6African World Festival, philanthropist;
AJR8,5,10 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;
AJR8,5,16 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;
AJR8,5,18 17 Rev. Greg Lewis — Chair of Pastors United, a diverse cross section of
18stakeholders from the faith community, civil rights activist;
AJR8,5,20 19 Marques Johnson — Seven-season veteran of the Milwaukee Bucks,
20five-time NBA All-Star, and whose jersey was recently retired;
AJR8,5,22 21 Marcia Anderson — First African American woman to rise to the rank of Major
22General in the U.S. Army Reserve; and
AJR8,5,24 23 Phil Cockroft — Milwaukee Fire Department, heavy equipment operator and
24emergency medical technician; and
AJR8,6,6
1Whereas, while acknowledging the work of these leaders, it is equally critical
2to appreciate, both past and present, the long list of contributions of our fellow
3citizens, Black History Month gives Wisconsinites an occasion to recognize the
4significant influence people of African heritage have made, and continue to make, in
5the areas of medicine, art, politics, human rights, education, sports, and economic
6development; now, therefore, be it
AJR8,6,10 7Resolved by the assembly, the senate concurring, That there is created an
8assembly committee, to be known as the task force on black history, which shall
9examine the contributions of African American historical figures to American public,
10cultural, and intellectual life; and, be it further
AJR8,6,13 11Resolved, That the task force on black history shall report its findings to
12members of the assembly before January 1, 2020, and shall include proposals for
13celebrating Black History Month.
AJR8,6,1414 (End)
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