SJR63,1,52 Whereas, Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first
3as "Negro History Week" and later as "Black History Month," and the Wisconsin
4legislature in the past has commemorated February as Black History Month to honor
5the lives and contributions of Wisconsin African American citizens; and

SJR63,1,106 Whereas, Mr. Ezekiel Gillespie successfully argued before the Wisconsin
7Supreme Court that an 1849 referendum granting African American men the right
8to vote was valid, thus granting, in 1866, the franchise of voting to African American
9men in Wisconsin more than four years before passage of the 15th Amendment to the
10United States Constitution; and

SJR63,2,311 Whereas, Dr. Roger Pulliam of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
12community has given more than 20 years of service as a tireless advocate for equal
13opportunity and academic diversity and has effectively led programs for the
14recruitment and support of minority and disadvantaged students, which have
15resulted in an increase in the number of multicultural students on campus, as well

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1as developing a welcoming and nurturing environment for these students, and
2currently serves the UW-Whitewater in the rank of Assistant Vice Chancellor
3Emeritus; and

SJR63,2,94 Whereas, civil rights activist Corinne Owens started the Racine chapter of the
5NAACP in 1947 and as an educator was denied a teaching job in Racine due to a
6district policy that at the time barred African American teachers. She has lead
7campaigns for fair housing in Racine, more police offers on the Racine streets, and
8more minority teachers in the classroom and she was inducted into the Southeastern
9Wisconsin Educator's Hall of Fame in 1994; and

SJR63,2,1510 Whereas, Mellie Concentine, a former Racine Unified School District teaching
11assistant and Racine resident for 50 years, was inducted into the Tuskegee
12University Athletic Hall of Fame on September 19, 2009, where she was a standout
13in track and field and basketball from 1946-50. She tried out for the 1948 Olympics
14in the shot put and discus. She and her (now deceased) husband, James, have five
15children, Terri, James, Brigit, Janet, and William; and

SJR63,2,2116 Whereas, Ola Baiyewu was recently honored as one of the 2010 Community
17Service Award winners at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside's Dr. Martin Luther
18King, Jr., celebration, and is the Executive Director of Racine's First Choice
19Pre-Apprenticeship Program, which, since the program's inception in 2005, has
20helped hundreds of Racine residents obtain high-quality jobs in construction and
21manufacturing; and

SJR63,3,222 Whereas, Ms. Jeanetta Simpson-Robinson originally founded Career Youth
23Development in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as an after-school program along with her
24mother, Claretta "Mother Freedom" Simpson, but soon expanded the services offered
25to include youth gang intervention, college classes, vocational training, drug

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1prevention and treatment, Children's Court Advocacy, and "Victory Over Violence"
2family grief counseling; and

SJR63,3,73 Whereas, Charles "Butch" Walton, the son of Jeanetta Simpson-Robinson
4currently operates Career Youth Development in Milwaukee, carrying on his
5mother's tradition of "Love in Action," and is instrumental in raising the funds to
6maintain and mark the portion of Interstate 43 named in honor of his mother
7pursuant to Senate Bill 410; and

SJR63,3,128 Whereas, Attorney John Daniels is a pioneer in the fields of law, urban
9development, and philanthropy as Chairman of Quarles & Brady and has dedicated
10himself to the improvement of Milwaukee through joint private/public partnerships
11and through leading by example in the giving back to the community through
12volunteerism and charity work; and

SJR63,3,1713 Whereas, Clayborn Benson, a native of Milwaukee who faced challenges in an
14impoverished youth and graduated from the old West Division High School despite
15being labeled "learning disabled," and now runs the Wisconsin Black Historical
16Society Museum in Milwaukee where exhibits showcase the history, contributions,
17and achievements of African Americans in Wisconsin; and

SJR63,4,218 Whereas, Hugo H. Henry of Beloit dedicated his life to teaching, tutoring,
19mentoring, and encouraging children to reach their full potential, teaching social
20studies and history for 34 years at Beloit Memorial High School and McNeel Middle
21School. Mr. Henry was also a respected and beloved member of the Beloit community
22in his capacities as city council member, role model, speaker, and singer and his rich
23baritone graced the choir of Emmanuel Baptist Church and many community
24events, including the sharing of his gift of eloquence as announcer at Beloit Memorial

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1High School basketball games and other venues; before departing this world on
2March 17, 2008; and

SJR63,4,133 Whereas, Rev. Dr. Floyd Prude Jr. faithfully served the families of the
4Emmanuel Baptist Church and the Beloit community from July 1973 until his death
5on November 28, 2009. His wise counsel and compassion extended far beyond his
6congregation as he served for 23 years as president of the Greater Beloit Minority
7Coalition and was a charter member and director of the Beloit 2020 Development
8Corporation, and Pastor Prude gave generously of his time, talents, and leadership
9to numerous other community organizations and causes, including service in many
10leadership positions in the Baptist Church and American Baptist College. Pastor
11Prude could always be counted on to lend his sage advice and hard work to projects
12that fed the hungry, mentored the young, and strengthened the community, and he
13was a strong and steady voice for equality and justice; and

SJR63,4,1914 Whereas, Paul D. Mackey Jr. served in Uzbekistan 2004-05 as part of
15Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), attaining the rank of major during his military
16service, and is currently employed as the Operations Manager of the Environment
17Services Department at the Center for Veterans Issues, Ltd., where during 2008 he
18assisted greatly in the center's indirect cost planning, winning approval for the plan
19from the U.S. Department of Labor; and

SJR63,4,2520 Whereas, William L. Sims was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for
21his actions while in service in Vietnam with 101st Airborne Division in 1965 and
221966; upon returning to the United States he was the original founding member of
23the National Association for Black Veterans, Inc., and is currently employed as the
24Special Assistant to the President and chief executive officer of the Center for
25Veterans Issues, Ltd.; and

SJR63,5,5

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1Whereas, many African Americans have served in the legislature, including
2former senators Monroe Swan, Gwendolynne Moore, Gary George and former
3representatives Lucian Palmer, Le Roy Simmons, Isaac Coggs, Cecil B. Brown,
4Walton Bryan Stewart, Raymond Lee Lathan, Lloyd Barbee, Walter L. Ward, Marcia
5P. Coggs, Johnnie Morris-Tatum, and Antonio Riley; now therefore be it