Governor Mike Beebe Recognizes Black History Month

Governor Mike Beebe Recognizes Black History Month

This is Governor Mike Beebe.

As we recognize Black History Month this February, we acknowledge the significant contributions that African Americans have made throughout our state. Black history is American history. It is Arkansas history. Appreciating our past and celebrating our common experience are integral parts of our state and national identity.

It is important to emphasize the exceptional individuals who have made their mark and enriched state and national history in the areas of business, education, the arts, politics, law, and medicine.

Arkansas has produced many remarkable individuals of all colors and creeds. And this month, we pause to honor some of these men and women, to commemorate the struggles of the past and present and to recognize the innate hope that comes with the future.

Countless courageous and outstanding Arkansans have fought extraordinary battles to achieve social, economic, and political equality, and they will continue to inspire generations to come. They are a testament to the common character that makes us all Americans and Arkansans seeking justice and inclusion. And many of those individuals are living, breathing treasures to our state and nation.

While some people look to the past and see the painful history of inequality, I see today those Arkansans who have overcome.

While some look to the past and see an era of disparity in education, I see today the brilliant artists, talented musicians, and accomplished business and industry leaders who our state has produced. And I see those yet to come.

While some look to the past and see a time when our courts litigated basic God-given rights and freedoms, I see today's outstanding African-American jurists and black members of the bench who now oversee the same courtrooms.

While some look to the past and see a government that once denied the rights of its own people, I see today's government comprised of African-American legislators, city and county leaders, and heads of state agencies.

While some look to the past and see a governor standing in the school-house door, I see 50-years later the nine brave young souls who would not settle for a second-class education, many of whom are still fighting to find that equality for every child in Arkansas.

We have come so far, but we must never lose sight of how far we still have to go.

All Arkansans deserve the right to the best that our state has to offer: the best education, the best health care, the best jobs, and the best opportunities.

We must not forget the men and women who worked tirelessly for freedom, civil rights and equality for all people. We will not forget that our nation's greatest strength is its diversity.

We will neither forget the painful past nor lose sight of the promise of the future. It is because of the work of the countless courageous individuals who came before us that we are able to stand together today, hand-in-hand, as brothers and sisters.

Those individuals are only examples of many more anonymous men and women whose names may not be known by all, but whose deeds helped to broaden and enrich American culture. Their struggles and sacrifices will not be overlooked. The vision they held for our future embodies the fundamental values that all Americans share; that our laws, our actions, and our words honor the rights and dignity of every human being. This is what we must accomplish: a land where the strong are just and the weak secure a state that is inclusive, not exclusive.

http://www.governor.arkansas.gov/newsroom/index.php?do:newsDetail=1&news_id=45