119-HRES-1040 Journalist Public Summary
119 · HRES 1040 Recognizing the significance of the Greensboro Four sit-in during Black History Month.
A nonbinding House resolution honoring the Greensboro Four and encouraging schools to teach their story; it’s led by Rep. Alma Adams and Democratic cosponsors, has no recorded opposition yet, and is currently in House committees as of February 5, 2026.
Headline Summary
A simple House resolution to honor the Greensboro Four sit-in and encourage teaching this civil‑rights history; it’s symbolic (not a law) and currently in committee.
What It Does
H. Res. 1040 recognizes the Greensboro Four—North Carolina A&T students who launched a 1960 Woolworth lunch‑counter sit‑in—and their role in the civil‑rights movement. It states that America’s racial and ethnic diversity strengthens the nation, affirms sit‑ins as a form of nonviolent protest that can spur social change, and encourages all states to include the Greensboro Four in their education curricula. As a House simple resolution, it expresses the House’s position and does not create or change law, funding, or mandates.
Why It Matters
- Civic memory: Highlights a pivotal student‑led protest that helped galvanize broader civil‑rights activism.
- Education: Signals congressional support for teaching this episode, potentially shaping state and local curriculum decisions.
- Public values: Reaffirms the place of peaceful protest in American history without prescribing specific policies.
Who’s For It
- Lead sponsor: Rep. Alma Adams (D‑NC).
- Cosponsors at introduction: a group of House Democrats (e.g., Bennie Thompson, Jan Schakowsky, Terri Sewell, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Marilyn Strickland, Adriano Espaillat, Rashida Tlaib).
- Stated rationale in the text: to honor the Greensboro Four’s contributions, recognize the value of nonviolent protest, and encourage teaching this history.
Who’s Against It
- No formal opposition is recorded at introduction.
- General critique sometimes raised about symbolic measures: they take floor or committee time without changing law or allocating resources.
What’s Next
- Status as of February 5, 2026: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and, additionally, to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Possible path: Committee consideration; if reported, the full House may vote.
- Because it’s a House simple resolution (H. Res.), it does not go to the Senate or the President.
Key Numbers from the Resolution’s Findings
Note: These figures appear in the resolution’s “Whereas” clauses and reflect its historical framing, not new legal findings.
Discussion