Benjamin Gilman: “as has been my traditional practice for many years, I am pleased to again participate in this special order on the…”

“as has been my traditional practice for many years, I am pleased to again participate in this special order on the occasion of Black History Month. It is an appropriate time to pay tribute to the many contributions made by Afro-Americans throughout the history of the United States, and to remind all Americans that the many gifts of black culture are and have always been a significant strengthening factor in the overall development of American society. Thomas Carlyle wrote that ``the history of the world is but the biography of great people.'' Many historians contend that men and women do not make events, but rather events make men and women. I do not subscribe to that theory. I believe that every advance made by civilization, as well as every setback, came about because men and women made conscious decisions either to do something or not do something. The decisions made and actions taken by black Americans ever since our colonial times have impacted greatly on the development and the history of our Nation. Black History Month is an appropriate time to inform the American people of the many outstanding black individuals who have made a better life for all of us throughout the years.”