Rick Lazio: “it is with great pleasure that I rise today to commemorate February as Black History Month. For the last 18 years…”

“it is with great pleasure that I rise today to commemorate February as Black History Month. For the last 18 years, February has been the official observance of Black History Month which helps all Americans appreciate the numerous significant accomplishments that African-Americans have made in all aspects of American life. America would not be the great country it is today without the contributions of African-Americans. From communications to politics, from science to sports African-Americans have excelled to the pinnacle of their chosen fields. Many accomplished African-Americans are from, or strongly associated with my home State of New York. Time does not permit me to mention all of them, but I would like to highlight the careers of three such individuals. Lewis H. Latimer, a noted inventor, scientist, and resident of Long Island, invented and patented an incandescent light bulb with a carbon filament in 1881. Later, while working for the Edison Co., he supervised the installation of the electric light system in New York, Philadelphia, Montreal, and London. Mr. Latimer also made patented drawings of the first telephone for Alexander Graham Bell. Another New Yorker, Isabel Baumfree, later known as Sojourner Truth, is well known for her speeches against slavery and in favor of women's rights.”