Senate Bill sb0782

    Florida Senate - 2006        (NP)                       SR 782

    By Senator Hill





    1-396-06

  1                        Senate Resolution

  2         A resolution recognizing the month of June as

  3         "Caribbean-American Heritage Month" in Florida.

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  5         WHEREAS, people of Caribbean heritage are found in

  6  every state of the Union, and

  7         WHEREAS, emigration from the Caribbean region to the

  8  American Colonies began as early as 1619 with the arrival of

  9  indentured workers in Jamestown, Virginia, and

10         WHEREAS, during the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries, a

11  significant number of slaves from the Caribbean region were

12  brought to the United States, and

13         WHEREAS, since 1820, millions of people have emigrated

14  from the Caribbean region to the United States, and

15         WHEREAS, much like the United States, the countries of

16  the Caribbean have faced obstacles of slavery and colonialism

17  and have struggled for independence, and

18         WHEREAS, like the people of the United States, the

19  people of the Caribbean region have diverse racial, cultural,

20  and religious backgrounds, and

21         WHEREAS, the independence movements in many countries

22  in the Caribbean during the 1960s and the consequential

23  establishment of independent democratic countries in the

24  Caribbean have strengthened ties between the region and the

25  United States, and

26         WHEREAS, Alexander Hamilton, a founding father of the

27  United States and the first Secretary of the Treasury, was

28  born in the Caribbean, and

29         WHEREAS, there have been many influential

30  Caribbean-Americans in the history of the United States,

31  including Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, the pioneer settler of

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    Florida Senate - 2006        (NP)                       SR 782
    1-396-06




 1  Chicago; Claude McKay, a poet of the Harlem Renaissance; James

 2  Weldon Johnson, the writer of the Black National Anthem;

 3  Shirley Chisolm, the first African-American Congresswoman and

 4  first African-American woman candidate for President; and

 5  Celia Cruz, the world renowned queen of Salsa music, and

 6         WHEREAS, the many influential Caribbean-Americans in

 7  the history of the United States also include Colin Powell,

 8  the first African-American Secretary of State; Sidney Poitier,

 9  the first African-American actor to receive the Academy Award

10  for best actor in a leading role; Harry Belafonte, a musician,

11  actor, and activist; Marion Jones, an Olympic gold medalist;

12  Roberto Clemente, the first Latino inducted into the baseball

13  hall of fame; and Al Roker, a meteorologist and television

14  personality, and

15         WHEREAS, Caribbean-Americans have played an active role

16  in the civil rights movement and other social and political

17  movement in the United States, and

18         WHEREAS, Caribbean-Americans have contributed greatly

19  to education, fine arts, business, literature, journalism,

20  sports, fashion, politics, government, the military, music,

21  science, technology, and other endeavors in the United States,

22  and

23         WHEREAS, Caribbean-Americans share their culture

24  through carnivals, festivals, music, dance, film, and

25  literature that enrich the cultural landscape of the United

26  States, and

27         WHEREAS,  the countries of the Caribbean are important

28  economic partners of the United States, and

29         WHEREAS, the countries of the Caribbean represent the

30  United States third border, and

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    Florida Senate - 2006        (NP)                       SR 782
    1-396-06




 1         WHEREAS, the people of the Caribbean region share the

 2  hopes and aspirations of the people of the United States for

 3  peace and prosperity throughout the Western Hemisphere and the

 4  rest of the world, and

 5         WHEREAS, June is an appropriate month to establish a

 6  Caribbean-American Heritage Month, NOW, THEREFORE,

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 8  Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:

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10         That the month of June is recognized as

11  "Caribbean-American Heritage Month" in Florida and the people

12  of this state are encouraged to observe the month with

13  appropriate ceremonies, celebrations, and activities.

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