TO CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH DURING FEBRUARY 2025, AND TO RECOGNIZE AND APPLAUD THE SACRIFICES AND MYRIAD CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY AFRICAN AMERICAN INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF ARKANSAS AND THE UNITED STATES.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Glenn Barnes and 1 co-sponsor

Nonbinding Arkansas House resolution proclaims February 2025 as Black History Month and recognizes African American contributions to Arkansas and the nation.

READ AND ADOPTED.

Summary — HR 1024 (Arkansas House Resolution, 95th General Assembly, 2025)

Title: To celebrate Black History Month during February 2025, and to recognize and applaud the sacrifices and myriad contributions made by African American individuals throughout the history of the State of Arkansas and the United States.
Bill Type: House resolution (symbolic/non‑binding)
Bill Number: HR 1024
Introduced: February 5, 2025
Status: Read and adopted (House)

Purpose and intent

HR 1024 is a legislative resolution declaring that the Arkansas House of Representatives will celebrate Black History Month during February 2025 and formally recognize and applaud the sacrifices and contributions of African American individuals in Arkansas and the United States. The resolution seeks to raise awareness of Black history and highlight both well‑known and lesser‑known African American figures and achievements.

Key provisions and content

Officially declares the House’s celebration of Black History Month in February 2025.

Contains a series of "whereas" clauses that:

Trace the origins of Negro History Week (Dr. Carter Woodson, 1926) and the modern Black History Month observance (since 1976).
Note the February birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass as inspirations for the month.
Recognize historical struggles (e.g., social inequalities, slow integration of the U.S. Armed Forces) and milestones (integration by Executive Order in 1948).
Name and honor specific African American individuals with Arkansas ties or national significance, including Dorothy McFadden Hoover (NASA mathematician/engineer), Maya Angelou (author/poet), Revoyda Frierson/Ketty Lester (singer/actress), John H. Johnson (publisher), and Raye Montague (naval engineering innovator), as well as groups and figures like the Little Rock Nine, the Greensboro Four, and others.

Who is affected

Primarily symbolic in nature: affects the legislative record, public recognition, and civic education efforts.

Intended audience includes Arkansas legislators, state agencies, schools, cultural institutions, and the general public.

No regulatory changes to law or program eligibility; no direct fiscal impacts.

Procedural/timeline highlights

2025-02-05: Introduced; referred to House Committee on Ways and Means.

2025-02-10: Committee returned — Do Pass.

2025-02-12: Read and adopted (per legislative actions).

Additional procedural entries through May 2025 show placement on calendars, enrollment, and final adoption steps (reported enrolled 2025-05-24).

Fiscal and legal impact

Nonbinding commemorative resolution — no change to state statutes or appropriations.

No direct fiscal impact described.

This resolution functions as an official acknowledgment by the Arkansas House to celebrate Black History Month (February 2025) and to document recognition of African American contributions to Arkansas and the nation.

Bill