On 1 February 1986, the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President George H.W. Bush, a law was finally passed in the USA.
President 5443A's proclamation stated that "the primary purpose of Black History Month is to make the history of the United States of America a better place for all people of color. Senate Resolution 229A commemorated the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President George H.W. Bush and the lives and achievements of African Americans in America.
We tried to deal with the original sin of slavery by fighting the Civil War and passing the country - mark the civil rights legislation. The panel discussion came after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he believes black Americans' rights are so advanced that reparations are unnecessary.
What strikes me is that President Barack Obama did not say this, but McConnell once made it his mission to make President Obama a one-term president and worked to block legislation that Obama supported during his term.
I had expected Obama to highlight the recession's particular impact on blacks, but he didn't. The last Democratic president, Bill Clinton, who was described as the first black president, even though it was originally the line of a comedian, spoke of special concern for African Americans, even if he should not.
But Obama did not mention specific problems for African-Americans in situations where they are disproportionately hurt. Let me say that I am aware that African Americans are not the only group with such pressing problems and that President Obama has taken up the fact that he is black, but I think that the President is facing the same problems, black or white. I have carefully assessed his symbolic behaviour in terms of colour blindness in public policy.
His apparent dependence on color blindness is problematic not only for his lack of understanding of the problem, but also for his own political career and for America's future.
Listening to political pundits talk about the importance of Obama's campaign and election, it becomes clear to me that his political considerations keep him under constant scrutiny, not only in terms of his race, but also in terms of his policies.
"Every single African-American - American citizen who wants to see a better future," Trump said, reading his remarks carefully from two teleprompters, making a blunt speech. Three months later, Trump won Michigan, won Ohio, and then the White House in a landslide victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton, winning Michigan by more than 3 million votes over Obama's 2.5 million. After black voters lost their right to vote for the incumbent, the Trump campaign took up the issue again and again.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed a bipartisan bill that permanently provides more than $250 million a year to public colleges and universities and dozens of other institutions that serve a large proportion of minority students. He thanked the thousands of supporters who had lobbied Congress to support the bill. Kamilah Prince, who leads African-American engagement for the Republican National Committee, rattled off a list of black entrepreneurs who supported Trump's campaign and his support for a black president and black education reform.
The bill restores annual funding that expired on September 30 after Congress failed to renew it for the first time in more than a decade, according to the White House.