On the recordJune 30, 2010
This year, Mr. Speaker, 17 African nations are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their independence. 1960 was an important year for those former French, British, and Italian colonies and protectorates. The triumphant march of a series of hard-fought victories that led to independence started on January 1 with the nation of Cameroon, and it ended on November 28, 1960, with the nation of Mauritania's securing its independence from France. The resolution I am bringing to the floor today will honor the sacrifices of the founding fathers of these African nations. Little did they know then that a proud and supportive USA would today enter into our Nation's permanent history this well-deserved tribute to the thousands of unsung men and women who gave their lives based on the simple dream of freedom and on a desire to assert their self-determination over the lives that only God could give them. We in the USA know something about that freedom and that determination.
