Bob Dole: “this month we mark the 79th celebration of African American Black History Month. What was launched by civil rights…”

“this month we mark the 79th celebration of African American Black History Month. What was launched by civil rights pioneer Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1926 as Black History Week and observed in Black schools and churches today is a month-long national tribute to the tremendous historical contributions of African Americans from all walks of life and professions. I am so very proud of the rich and vibrant African-American heritage in my home State of North Carolina. Our history is full of trailblazers, including Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, Ezell Blair, Jr., and David Richmond, known as the Greensboro Four because of their February 1960 sit-ins at a Woolworth Store counter in Greensboro, NC. Their sit-ins were the first significant event of this type, quickly gaining momentum and attention. In less than a week, the four North Carolina A&T freshmen had been joined by 1,000 other students from local high schools and universities. As the Greensboro News & Record stated earlier this month, the Greensboro sit-in "gave new life to the nation's civil rights movement and helped pave the way for its triumphs later in the decade." These individuals truly laid the foundation for the America we strive to be, where all people are given opportunity and treated fairly, regardless of their skin color. North Carolina, with its long and proud military history, also produced 21 of the famed Tuskegee Airmen.”