Black History Month
By Nelson A. King
Newly-elected chair of the
Brooklyn Democratic Party
Assemblywoman Rodneyse
Bichotte has paid homage to
National African American History
Month, saying that, since
1976, the month of February
has been a time to pay tribute to
the activists and pioneers whose
resilience and strength in the
face of racial oppression helped
shape the United States.
“National African American
History Month allows us to commemorate
the invaluable contributions
that Black Americans
have made throughout history,
as well as recognize those still
fighting against injustice,” said
Bichotte, the Haitian American
representative for the 42nd
Assembly District in Brooklyn.
“As we celebrate the legacies
of those who stood up against
intolerance, let’s also remember
to use their experiences and stories
as a call to action and continue
working toward a future
where true equality is a reality
for all,” she added.
Bichotte said National African
American History Month
provides the opportunity to not
only reflect on the past but to
learn from it.
She noted that this past
August marked the 400th anniversary
Caribbean Life, F 16 ebruary 14-20, 2020
of the beginning of
American slavery.
“For centuries, the ideal that
‘all men are created equal’ didn’t
apply to hundreds of thousands
of Americans due to the color
of their skin,” she said. “While
it’s difficult to look back at the
bigotry and violence that have
stained our country’s history,
it’s within this somber reflection
that we can truly honor
the accomplishments of black
Americans.”
From serving as an important
stop on the Underground
Railroad to its critical role in
the civil rights movement,
which continues today, Bichotte
said New York State has always
been at the center of the fight
for justice and equality.
She noted that the state
is home to many significant
landmarks in African-American
history, such as Weeksville,
Brooklyn, one of the first
free black communities in the
United States; the African Burial
Ground, the first national
monument dedicated to Africans
and African Americans;
and the home of Harriet Tubman
in Auburn.
As a prominent leader of the
Underground Railroad, Bichotte
said Tubman helped hundreds
of slaves escape their captors
and she embodies what it means
to be a hero.
Brooklyn Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte.
Corazon Aguirre
Bichotte also celebrated
another trailblazing New Yorker,
the late Caribbean American
Congresswoman Shirley
Chisholm, who was the first
African-American woman to
serve in the US Congress and
the first female and African-
American major-party candidate
for president.
Brooklyn Dem boss pays
tribute to Black History
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“The time is always right to do what is right.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.