New York J 1535: Memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim February 2026, as Black History Month in the State of New York

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J01535 Summary:

BILL NOJ01535 

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SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORSTEWART-COUSINS

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COSPNSRADDABBO, ASHBY, BAILEY, BASKIN, BORRELLO, BOTTCHER, BRISPORT, BROUK, BYNOE, CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK,
 CHAN, CLEARE, COMRIE, COONEY, FAHY, FERNANDEZ, GALLIVAN, GIANARIS, GONZALEZ, GOUNARDES, GRIFFO,
 HARCKHAM, HELMING, HINCHEY, JACKSON, KAVANAGH, KRUEGER, LANZA, LIU, MARTINEZ, MARTINS, MATTERA,
 MAY, MAYER, MURRAY, MYRIE, OBERACKER, O'MARA, ORTT, PALUMBO, PARKER, PERSAUD, RAMOS, RHOADS,
 RIVERA, ROLISON, RYAN C, SALAZAR, SANDERS, SCARCELLA-SPANTON, SEPULVEDA, SERRANO, SKOUFIS,
 STAVISKY, STEC, SUTTON, TEDISCO, WALCZYK, WEBB, WEBER, WEIK, ZELLNER

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MLTSPNSR

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Go to top J01535 Actions:

BILL NOJ01535 

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02/03/2026REFERRED TO FINANCE

02/04/2026ADOPTED

Go to topJ01535 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topJ01535 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topJ01535 Text:

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 N