AK SR3

The Alaska Senate proclaims February 2017 as Black History Month.

Dr. Carter G. Woodson established a week honoring black history in 1926 to coincide with the birth week of President Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass.

President Gerald R. Ford expanded Black History Week to Black History Month in 1976 during the nation's bicentennial.

African Americans contributed significantly to building Alaska, including hundreds of members of Company L, 24th Infantry stationed at Dyea and Skagway during the Gold Rush and engineers who built the Alaska-Canada (ALCAN) Highway through remote terrain.

The resolution recognizes that African Americans are integral to the nation's fabric and encourages Americans from all walks of life to continue striving toward a more perfect and equitable union.