SJR 7 — Black History Month February of 2026

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 26-007 BYSENATOR(S)ColemanandExum,Amabile,Baisley,Ball,Bright,Carson,BYSENATOR(S)ColemanandExum, Amabile,Baisley,Ball,Bright, Carson, Catlin, Cutter, Danielson, Frizell, Gonzales J., Hinrichsen, Jodeh, Kipp, Kirkmeyer, Kolker, Lindstedt, Liston, Marchman, Michaelson Jenet, Mullica, Pelton B., Pelton R., Rich, Roberts, Rodriguez, Simpson, Snyder, Sullivan, Wallace, Weissman, Zamora Wilson;

alsoREPRESENTATIVE(S)EnglishandRicks,Bacon,Barron,Boesenecker,also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Englishand Ricks, Bacon, Barron, Boesenecker, Brown, Caldwell, Camacho, Carter, Clifford, Duran, Espenoza, Froelich, Garcia, Gilchrist, Goldstein, Gonzalez R., Hamrick, Hartsook, Jackson, Johnson, Joseph, Lindsay, Lukens, Mabrey, Marshall, Martinez, Mauro, McCormick, Nguyen, Paschal, Phillips, Rutinel, Rydin, Sirota, Slaugh, Smith, Soper, Stewart K., Stewart R., Story, Taggart, Titone, Velasco, Weinberg, Willford, Winter T., Woodrow, Woog, Zokaie, McCluskieMcCluskie. .

WHEREAS, Every February, the United States acknowledges and honorsthatAmericansofAfricandescent,throughtheircontributionsandhonorsthatAmericans ofAfricandescent, throughtheircontributions and sacrifices, have played an indelible role in shaping this country;

and WHEREAS, Even though race, and thus the designations ofof"negro", "negro", "Black", "colored", and "African American", has been recognized as a construct originallybuiltoriginally built to separate and disenfranchise people based on skin color that was associated with people originating from the African continent, there is a shared culture derived from that history that should be seen and elevated;

Woodson, knownlmown as the "father ofofBlackhistory", Black history", first set out to designate aatime time to promote and educate peopleaboutBlackhistoryandculture,ashebelievedthathistorycreatedpeople byBlackaboutBlackhistory people,and culture, as he believedthathistorycreated by Blackpeople, despite attempts to limitlimittheirpotential, their potential, is a critical part ofofAmerican American history;

Woodson founded the organization now known as the Association for the Study ofofAfrican African American Life and History, or ASALH,galvanizingfellowhistorianstoenvisionaweeklongcelebrationASALH, galvanizingfellowhistoriansto envisionaweeklongcelebration to encourage the coordinatedcoordinatedteaching teachingofBlackhistory ofin Black historyin public schools because it was not woven into the fabric ofofthe the American history taught year-round;

WoodsonwassuccessfulincreatingNegroWoodsonwas HistoryWeek,aweekcelebratedduringthesecondweeksuccessful ofin February,creatingNegro HistoryWeek, aweek celebrated duringthe secondweek ofFebruary, as it coincided with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, both ofofwhom whom ensured emancipation;

Woodson believed that Negro History Week would not place limitations on but would focus and broaden the nation's consciousness ofofthe the importance ofoflearning learning Black history and make the celebrationofBlackhistoryintheacademicfieldofhistoryaseriousareacelebration ofofBlackhistory study;inthe academic field ofhistory aserious area ofstudy;

and WHEREAS, Calling upon Americans to "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments ofofBlack Black Americans in everyareaofendeavorthroughoutourhistory",in1976,PresidentGeraldeveryareaofendeavorthroughoutourhistory", in 1976,PresidentGerald R.

and WHEREAS,TheAssociationfortheStudyofAfricanAmericanLifeWHEREAS, The Association for the StudyofAfricanAmericanLife and History celebrates its 111th anniversary this year and 100th anniversary of Negro History Week and consequently Black History Month;the2026BlackHistoryMonththemeisdesignatedas"ACenturyMonth; of Black History Commemorations";

and WHEREAS,AspartoftheglobalAfricandiaspora,peopleofAfrican descent in the United2026 StatesBlackHistoryMonththeme haveis vieweddesignatedas their"ACentury roleofBlack inHistory historyCommemorations"; as critical totheirowndevelopmentandthatoftheworld.AlongwithwritingBlack histories, Black scholars started observing the milestones in the struggle PAGE 2-SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 26-007 of people of African descent to gain their freedom and equality.

Revealingand theirWHEREAS,Aspart connectionofthe toglobal theAfricandiaspora,people diaspora,ofAfrican theydescent commemoratedin the HaitianUnited Revolution,States thehave endviewed oftheir therole slavein trade,historycritical andtotheir theown enddevelopmentandthatoftheworld. of slavery in Jamaica.

TheyAlongwithwritingBlack observedhistories, AmericanBlack emancipationscholars withstarted Watchobserving Night,the Jubileemilestones Day,in andthe Juneteenthstruggle celebrations,PAGE and2-SENATE notedJOINT theRESOLUTION motivation26-007 of Blackpeopletodiguptheirpeople ownof historyandAfrican presentdescent it to theworld:"Thegain Americantheir Negrofreedom mustand remakeequality. his past in order to make his future";

andRevealing WHEREAS,InrecognitionofthecontributionsofnotableColoradanstheir ofconnection Africanto descentthe whodiaspora, havethey shapedcommemorated ourthe state.Haitian Revolution, the end ofthe slave trade, and the end ofslavery in Jamaica.

They observed American emancipation with Watch Night, Jubilee Day, and Juneteenth celebrations, and noted the motivation of Blackpeopleto digup their ownhistory andpresent itto the world:

"The American Negro must remake his past in order to make his future";

and WHEREAS,Inrecognitionofthe contributions ofnotableColoradans of African descent who have shaped our state.

AsAs- a civil rights advocate, he actively opposed statehood with suffrage denied to Black men and some poor whites.

Constitution(ratifiedin1870)prohibiteddenyingthevotebasedonrace,Constitution(ratified pavingthewayforrenewedstatehoodefforts.PresidentUlyssesS.Grantin signed1870)prohibited Coloradodenying intothevote thebased Uniononrace, onpavingthe Augustway 1,for 1876,renewed asstatehood theefforts. Centennial State.

PresidentUlysses S.

Grant signed Colorado into the Union on August 1, 1876, as the Centennial State.

Ford's actions were influential in guiding Colorado into entry into our Union ofofStates States with a constitution that put "All Men" on equal footing before the law, effectively helping guide it toward statehood aligned with Reconstruction-eraReconstruction-eraprinciples principlesofequality. of equality.

He continued his civic work afterward, becoming the first Black man nominated to the Colorado Territorial legislature, serving on a federal grand jury, and advocating for education and anti-discrimination measures, earning his place in history and as a beacon ofoflight light above this chamber;

and WHEREAS, Clara Brown, also born into slavery in Virginia around and emancipated in Kentucky upon her enslaver's death in 1856 or 1859, journeyedjourneyedwestward westward during the Colorado Gold Rush as one ofofthe the first African American women to settle in the region, becoming known as "Aunt Clara" for her boundless generosity and humanitarian spirit whilebuildingwealththroughlaundryservices,boardinghouses,miningwhilebuildingwealththrough laundry services, boardinghouses, mining investments, and real estate in Central City and later Denver, using her prosperity to provide shelter, aid, and support to newly freed formerly enslaved people, orphans, and settlers in need, earning her the enduring title "Angel of the Rockies" and recognition as Colorado's first Black pioneer woman;

Stuart, Colorado'sfirstandsecondBlackstaterepresentatives,servedColorado's Arapahoefirst and secondBlackstate representatives, servedArapahoe PAGE 3-SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 26-007 County from 1881 to 1883 and from 1895 to 1897, respectively;

Representative Gunnell sponsored House Bill 57 in 1881, which concerned tenants-at-will, or monthly renters, and Representative Stuart worked on a bill to ensure equal access to public places, regardlessregardlessf of a person's race;

and the recognition of their history and leadership lead otherstopursuelegislativeleadershipinpursuitofcreatingathrivingandotherstopursue legislativeleadership inpursuit ofcreating athriving and inclusive state;

and WHEREAS, Knowledge and recognition of Colorado's early Black civicleadersleadthegenerationstofollowtoserveaswell.RubenLewiscivic Simsleaders Jr.leadthe generations to follow to serve as well.

RubenLewis Sims Jr.

In October 2023, aaportion portionofEast of16thAvenue East 16th Avenue was renamed in his honor.

Penfield Tate II was the first black mayor ofofBoulder; Boulder;

and WHEREAS,ColoradocelebratesSenatorRegisGroff,thefirstBlackWHEREAS, Colorado celebrates SenatorRegis Groff, the first Black Colorado Senator;

Terrance Carroll, the first Black Speaker ofofthe the House;

Peter Groff, the first BlackBlackPresident Presidentofthe of the Senate;

Regina English, the first BlackwomanlegislatorelectedfromElPasoCounty;andSenatorJamesBlackwoman Coleman,legislator theelected presidingfrom PresidentEl ofPaso theCounty; Senate;

and WHEREAS,TherecognitionofBlackHistoryMonthisnotonlyacallSenatorJames toColeman, stewardship of history but also a call to service and to develop leadership.Overthepast100years,theproliferationoforganizationslike theNationalPan-HellenicCouncil,otherwiseknownastheDivineNine, the Urbanpresiding League,President andofthe moreSenate; recently, the My African American Miss (Yes M.A.A.M.) scholarship pageant have trained and developed generations of Black people to become community leaders, business leaders, advocates, and so much more;

and WHEREAS,WHEREAS,TherecognitionofBlackHistoryMonth Manypeopleisnotonlyacall have contributed to thestewardship inclusion of Blackhistory history,but culture,also anda perspectivecall into ourservice communityand development.to develop leadership.

Overthepast I00years,theproliferationoforganizations like theNational Pan-Hellenic Council, otherwiseknown as the DivineNine, the Urban League, and more recently, the My African American Miss (Yes M.A.A.M.) scholarship pageant have trained and developed generations of Black people to become community leaders, business leaders, advocates, and so much more;

and WHEREAS, Manypeople have contributed to the inclusion ofBlack history, culture, and perspective in our community development.

Duncan saying "Everybody welcome" served as inspirationforleaderslikeCandiceMcKnight,thefounderoftheAfricaninspirationfor leaders like CandiceMcKnight, the founder oftheAfrican American Historical and Genealogical SocietyofSociety ColoradoofColorado Springs, and June Waller, a National Organization ofofAfrican African Americans in Housing legacy award recipient for over 50 years of work in the field.